Now after his resurrection Jesus presented himself alive to his disciples many times, appearing to them repeatedly over the course of “forty days” and speaking often with them about the Kingdom of God. [Acts 1:3]

 

The first place this occurred was in Galilee.  The eleven disciples went there to the mountain to which the two “men in white” and Jesus himself had originally told them to go. And when they saw him there, they worshipped him; and yet some still doubted. [Matthew 28:16-17]

 

Thereafter, Jesus appeared to two of the disciples on a walk to Emmaus [Mark 16:12 & Luke 24:13-32], though when they returned and told the other disciples of this visit, there was still skepticism. [Mark 16:13 & Luke 24:33-35]

He later appeared two separate times to a smaller group of disciples (Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John and two others) who spent a great deal of time together fishing. [John 21:2+14]  And he thereafter appeared to Peter privately, and then as well as once more to “the twelve” [1 Corinthians 15:5 … NOTE:  Mattathias was present at this sighting, and counted as the 12^th Disciple, even though he had yet to officially replace Judas at the time – see Acts 1:12-26]

 

Jesus then appeared to over 500 people at one time [1 Corinthians 15:6], to James individually [1 Corinthians 15:7a], and then to almost all the apostles one night while they were eating together.  It was at this particular repast that Jesus suddenly appeared before them, so subtly that they thought they were shocked and thought they were seeing a ghost. [Luke 24:36-37] Jesus then upbraided their lack of faith in his previous appearances [Mark 16:14] and gave them his first Great Commission [Mark 16:15-16 – “Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.”]  Then he verified his presence by showing them his wounds and eating with them. [Luke 24:38-44 & John 20:19-20]  It was at this meal that Jesus ordered them not to leave Jerusalem for a time. [Acts 1:4-5]  And then he departed from them, and ascended up into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God. [Mark 16:19]

 

Now Thomas was not with them when Jesus appeared at that particular meal, so when he joined them later – and the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” – he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”  And so, a week later the disciples were again in the same house, and this time Thomas was with them.  And although the doors were shut, Jesus “descended” quietly and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  And then he turned to Thomas and said, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” And Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” [1 Corinthians 15:7b & John 20:24-29]

And then he opened their minds to the deeper meaning of the scriptures, and gave them his second Great Commission, saying, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here near the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” [Luke 24:45-49]

 

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And while he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into Heaven a second time.  And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God. [Luke 24:50-53]

And it was a few days thereafter that Jesus returned and showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.  Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, both the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.  Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” And they said to him, “We will go with you.”  So they all went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.  Just after daybreak, Jesus was standing near them on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was he.  So Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” And he said to them, “Then cast the net to the right side of your boat, and there you will find some.” So they did so, and they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish in it.  The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”  And when Simon Peter heard that this, he put on some clothes (for he was naked) and jumped into the sea.

 

But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.  And Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”  So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them.  And Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.  Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to this particular group of disciples after he was raised from the dead.

 

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Then feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

 

And Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them … When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. [John 21:1-25]

 

And later that night, after they had all once again come together to eat, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” And he replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” [Acts 1:6-8] And then he gave them his third Great Commission, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [Matthew 28:18-20]

 

And when he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up a third time, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them, and they said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come again in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” [Acts 1:9-11]

 

And at last, some days later, as Saul of Tarsus was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” And a reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.  Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. There he met a man named Ananias, who entered the house where Saul was staying and laid his hands on him, saying, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored.

 

Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” … And Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by preaching that Jesus was the Messiah.  [Acts 9:3-9 + 17-22 & 1 Corinthians 15:8]

“Jesus of Nazareth; a man attested to you by God
with deeds of power, wonders and signs
that God did through him among you …”
~ Luke (Acts 2:22+)

“Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.”
~ Jesus Christ (Mark 10:18)

Filed under: Exhuming Easter by Scaughdt