POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES OF
JESUS CHRIST
During the forty-day frame following
the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there were numerous occasions when He
appeared dramatically to His disciples, manifesting tangible confirmation that
He was indeed alive and had triumphed totally over Satan, sin, death, hell and
the grave.
On Resurrection Sunday, Jesus
appeared first to Mary Magdalene, to Mary (the mother of James), to Joanna “and
other women that were with them.” (Mark 16:9 – Matthew 28:9 – Luke 24:10) They
were commissioned to share the good news with the eleven surviving disciples
post haste.
Hearing this amazing news, Peter
raced excitedly to the sepulcher to confirm the fact that Jesus was not
there. Later, on the road to Emmaus,
Jesus appeared to Peter and Cleopas, who did not immediately recognize Him. Jesus expounded the scriptures to them,
explaining how the Son of God must have suffered to enter into His glory. Dr. Luke outlined their personal encounter
with The Risen Christ and here’s how it ended:
Luke 24:28-35 (NKJV)
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
That same Sunday evening, Jesus
appeared to ten of His disciples. Judas
was now deceased; Thomas was absent from the gathering.
John 20:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Eight days later, Jesus appeared
again to His disciples, Thomas being present.
John 20:26-28 (NKJV)
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
While seven of His disciples were
fishing on the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus appeared and performed a miracle of
abundance. Obeying Christ’s directive,
they caught 153 large fish and dined sumptuously with The Master. According to John’s writings, “This is now
the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from
the dead.” (John 21:14) On various
occasions, Jesus displayed key characteristics of His post-resurrection body (which
believers will possess at His second coming), simply by dining with them and
also by appearing miraculously and vanishing before their eyes. (I Corinthians
15:50-55)
The Apostle Paul records an occasion
when Jesus was seen by “five hundred brethren at once,” validating the fact
that His appearances were not limited to the inner circle of disciples, but also
occurred quite publicly. (I Corinthians 15:6) Furthermore, Paul recounts Christ’s private
appearances to James, his brother, and also to himself while traveling on the
road to Damascus, “as one born out of due time.” (I Corinthians 15:7-8 – Acts
9:1-5)
Furthermore, Jesus appeared to
eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee.
And “when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.” (Matthew
28:16-17) Thereafter they received the apostolic
authority to evangelize the entire world, which is known to us today as THE
GREAT COMMISSION:
Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
In Dr. Luke’s prologue to The Acts
of the Apostles, he documents Christ’s final appearance, impartation and
instruction to His disciples:
Acts 1:1-9 (NKJV)
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOR!
Whenever I reflect on the life and
legacy of JESUS CHRIST, I stand in absolute awe of Him. It is my earnest prayer that we believers will
walk daily in the love, grace, mercy, humility, authority and power of our
Risen Savior. And may we endeavor to
live in the actualization of His righteousness and with the expectation of His
imminent return. (Acts 1:10-11 - Titus 2:11-13)
Believer, stride forward confidently
in life – fully aware that you are armed with His Resurrection Power.
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