Saturday, April 15, 2017

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part VI)

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part VI)

In our portrait of the person and work of Jesus Christ, we have carefully highlighted The Passion of Jesus Christ, detailing His betrayal, isolation, rejection, judgment, humiliation, chastisement, satanic attacks and death by crucifixion.  In this, the final installment of our devotional series, we examine the Resurrection and Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus Christ.

During the forty-day period immediately following the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, there were numerous occasions when He appeared dramatically to His disciples, manifesting a very tangible confirmation that He was indeed alive and had totally triumphed over Satan, sin, death, hell and the grave.

On Resurrection Sunday, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James), Joanna, “and other women that were with them.”  (Mark 16:9 – Matthew 28:9 – Luke 24:10) They were commissioned by Christ to share the good news with the eleven surviving original disciples.

Hearing this news, Peter raced to the sepulcher.  On the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared and conversed with two of His followers, Peter and Cleopas, although they did not immediately recognize Him.  Jesus expounded the scriptures to them, explaining how the Son of God had suffered and entered into His glory.  Dr. Luke outlined their encounter with Christ.  Here is 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 one to 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 deceased; Thomas was absent.

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.

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!”

While seven of the disciples were fishing on the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus appeared again and performed a miracle of abundance.  Obeying the directives of Jesus, they caught 153 huge fish and dined sumptuously with The Master.  “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, by eating food with His disciples and by appearing/vanishing before their eyes, Jesus displayed specific characteristics of His post-resurrection body, similar to that which we believers will possess after the Rapture. (I Corinthians 15:50-55)

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul recorded an occasion when Jesus was seen by “five hundred brethren at once,” indicating that His appearances were not limited to the inner circle of disciples, but occurred publicly and broadly. (I Corinthians 15:6) Paul also records Christ’s private appearances to James and to himself (on the road to Damascus) “as one born out of due time.” (I Corinthians 15:7-8 – Acts 9:1-5)

Jesus also appeared to His eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee.  “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:16-17)  There they received the apostolic authority to evangelize the entire world, 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.

In the prologue to The Acts of the Apostles, Dr. Luke records the final appearance, impartation and instruction of Jesus Christ:

Acts 1:1-9 (NKJV)
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 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, 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. 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; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 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.” 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 upon the life and legacy of our Lord and Savior, JESUS CHRIST, I stand in absolute awe of Him.  It is my hope that this series has offered some degree of insight and inspiration to every believing reader.  It is my prayer that we will walk daily in the love, grace, mercy, humility, power and authority of the Risen Savior.  And may we ever live in His righteousness and with earnest expectation of His imminent return. (Titus 2:11-13)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

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