In our portrait of the person and work of Jesus Christ, we have highlighted The Passion of Jesus Christ, detailing
His betrayal, isolation, rejection, judgment, humiliation, derision,
chastisement, satanic attacks and death by crucifixion. In the final
installment of this devotional series, we examine the Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus Christ.
During the forty-day period following His resurrection,
there were numerous occasions when Jesus
Christ appeared dramatically to His disciples, manifesting tangible
confirmations 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 to share the good news with His eleven remaining 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, who 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)
Then they drew near to the village where they were going,
and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 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.
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. Then their eyes were opened and they knew
Him; and He vanished from their sight. 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?” So they rose up that very hour and returned
to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered
together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 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)
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.” 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)
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!” 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.” 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 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 certain characteristics of His post-resurrection
body, which believers will also possess after His second coming. (I Corinthians
15:50-55)
The Apostle Paul also 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. (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 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)
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All
authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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, 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)
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 JESUS CHRIST, I stand in
awe of Him. It is my hope that this
series has offered some degree of insight and inspiration. It is my prayer that we will walk in the
love, grace, mercy, humility, power and authority of the Risen Savior. And
may we always 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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