NOVEMBER 19

Jesus' Resurrection and Appearances

The importance of Jesus' death is surpassed only by the good news of his resurrection! Jesus has prophesied that he will live again, and therefore his credibility is in jeopardy if he is now unable to demon­strate power over his own death. That very claim, and its obvious implica­tions, has already prompted the Jewish leaders to demand a Roman guard at the tomb.

 

The events which follow are nothing short of marvelous. They not only confirm Jesus' credibility but also provide for believers the assurance of life after death. The drama of Jesus reappearance unfolds with initial fear, amazement, and outright disbelief on the part of the disciples, but thereafter turns to both belief and joyous celebration. His reappearance is not merely an apparition from the spirit world. Jesus eats in their presence and invites them to touch the wounds where his hands were nailed to the cross. He appears not only in Jerusalem immediately after his resurrection but also later in Galilee. Jesus' appearance is no mere figment of their imagination. This is Jesus himself!

 

The Gospel writers begin their accounts of the resurrection as the stone sealing the tomb is rolled away. Several of the women come to the tomb early Sunday morning, only to find it empty. When angels at the tomb tell them that Jesus has been raised from the dead, the women react with both fear and joy. At that point the chronology of events becomes somewhat complex, but it appears that Mary Magdalene runs ahead of the other women to find Peter and John, who, upon being told of the body's disappearance, rush with Mary to the empty tomb. As Peter and John go away greatly perplexed, Jesus him­self appears to Mary Magdalene there by the tomb, and then to the other women who are still on their way back from the tomb to tell of the resurrec­tion. Of course Jesus' appearance to Mary and the other women gives them even more to tell about, but when the disciples hear it, they simply cannot bring themselves to believe it.

 

Although there is no direct record of it, apparently Jesus makes a special appearance to Peter sometime on Sunday. The other apostles make reference to that appearance as they are discussing the resurrection later that night with a disciple named Cleopas, to whom Jesus had appeared during the same day. Finally, on this day of resurrection, Jesus will be seen to appear to all the other apostles except for Thomas, who is not present at the time. Thomas' subse­quent disbelief is dispelled a week later, when Jesus again appears to the apostles and Thomas views Jesus in person. The apostles will be with Jesus on several occasions, both in Jerusalem and further north in Galilee, before he gives them their apostolic commission and parting instructions.

 

Sense now the quietness and anticipation on the morning of this ultimate miracle—die resurrection of Jesus the Christ!

 

 

STONE ROLLED AWAY. Mt. 28:2-4 (Sunday morning)

 

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

 

WOMEN COME TO TOMB. Mk. 16:1-4  [Mt. 28:1 Lk. 24:1-3 Jn. 20:1] At the tomb (Sunday morning)

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magda­lene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

 

RESURRECTION ANNOUNCED. Mk. 16:5-7 [Mt. 28:5-7 ]

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"

 

WOMEN REMINDED OF PROPHECY. Lk. 24:4-8

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" Then they remembered his words.

 

WOMEN GO AWAY FEARFUL. Mk. 16:8

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

 

PETER AND JOHN TOLD. Jn. 20:2

So [Mary of Magdala] came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

 

PETER AND JOHN VIEW TOMB. Lk. 24:12 Jn. 20:3-10

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the bur­ial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not under­stand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes,

 

JESUS WITH MARY MAGDALENE. Mk. 16:9  Jn. 20:11-17    

[When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.] Jn Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

 

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

 

Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "

 

JESUS APPEARS TO WOMEN. Mt.28:8-10

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

 

CHIEF PRIESTS COVER UP. Mt.28:11-15

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests every­thing that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will sat­isfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

 

WOMEN TELL OF APPEARANCE. Lk. 24:9-11 [Mk. 16:10,11, Jn. 20:18]

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

 

JESUS APPEARS TO CLEOPAS. Lk.24:13-27  [Mk. 16:12] Emmaus  road (Sunday afternoon

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recogniz­ing him.

He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

"What things?" he asked.

"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

 

He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ' have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures con­cerning himself.

 

JESUS' IDENTITY REVEALED. Lk.24:28-32 (Sunday evening )

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they rec­ognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

 

CLEOPAS TELLS OF APPEARANCE. Lk.24:33-35  Jn. 20:19 [Mk. 16:13 ]

Lk They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There [Jn on the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews,] they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recog­nized by them when he broke the bread.

 

JESUS APPEARS TO DISCIPLES. Lk.24:36-44 [ Jn. 20:20 Mk. 16:14 (Sunday night)

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

 

APOSTLES RECEIVE AUTHORITY. Jn. 20:21-23      

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

 

THOMAS DOUBTS. jn.20:24,25

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

 

JESUS APPEARS TO THOMAS. Jn.20:26-29 (Week after resurrec­tion)

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

 

JESUS APPEARS TO DISCIPLES. Jn. 21:1-14

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias."1 It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"

"No," they answered.

 

He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards."

 

When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

 

PETER REINSTATED. Jn. 21:15-17

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love

me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

 

PETER'S DEATH FORETOLD. Jn.11:18,19

I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

 

JOHN'S DEATH QUESTIONED. Jn.21:20-24      

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

 

[The earliest manuscript and some other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.]

 

Final Instructions and Ascension.

After these wonderful events, Jesus is next seen again with his 11 apostles on a mountain in Galilee. There they are given the special mission of evangelizing the world, a task to be accomplished through their personal testimonies regarding Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Even as they are receiving this commission, some among them still have doubts about their mission. But the time is soon to come when, filled with God's Holy Spirit, each will stand strong in his faith and become a vibrant force in chang­ing the hearts of men and women throughout the world.

Some time passes before Jesus makes his final appearance with the apos­tles, and the scene changes to Jerusalem. There Jesus directs the apostles to remain in the city until they receive a special power which he promises will come from the Father. Later he gives them their final instructions, promises them the Holy Spirit, and then is caught up into heaven as two angels stand by to comfort the apostles with the grand promise of his second coming.

 

JESUS COMMISSIONS APOSTLES. Mt.28:16-20 ,Mk. 16:15-18

'Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in" the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything 1 have commanded you. And surely 1 am with you always, to the very end of the age." MkWhoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. MkAnd these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

 

PARTING INSTRUCTIONS. lk.24:45-49      

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, begin­ning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

 

JESUS ASCENDS. Lk.24:50,51 Acts 1:6-11 [Mk. 16:19 ]

Lk When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. Ac[They] asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when sud­denly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

 

DISCIPLES RETURN JOYFULLY. Lk.24:52,53 Acts 1:12-14 Jerusalem

LkThen they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. AcWhen they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

 

CALL FOR JUDAS' REPLACEMENT. Acts 1:15-22    

 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus—he was one of our number and shared in this ministry."

(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

"For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms,

" 'May his place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in it,'1?

and, " 'May another take his place of leadership .'r

Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection."

 

MATTHIAS CHOSEN AS APOSTLE. Acts 1:23-26   

 So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

 

JESUS PREACHED. Mk.16:20

Then the disciples went out and preached every­where, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

 

Conclusion to the Gospel Accounts

John's account includes this statement as to his purpose in recording the events of Jesus' ministry:

 

Jn.20:30,31. Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may5

believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you

may have life in his name.

 

Indeed, each of the other accounts unquestionably has the same pur­pose—the preservation of Jesus' life, teaching, and miraculous works so that all who read may acknowledge him as Lord and Savior.

John concludes his account by indicating that he and the other Gospel writers had been able to capture in written words only a small fraction of all the miracles, healings, praying, and preaching that Jesus did while on this earth.

 

jn. 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

 

Even with only these four brief accounts of his life, the story of Jesus has been preserved throughout the centuries for every generation, translated into major languages throughout the earth, and believed by countless millions who have responded in obedient faith to God through his Son, Jesus the Christ.