The Next 40 Days...
The Post Resurrection Appearances of Christ
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/Next40Days.html
This Gospel of Jesus Series isn’t complete just because we’re thru Jesus’ Passion story. It will be 40 more days before He leaves earth, and even then He’ll appear in visions to a few throughout the NT. Let’s take a chronological overview tonite and then a couple more services to highlight some of the particular appearances He made before His ascension. [scroll down for references and more info. from “Harmony of the Gospels”]
Here’s the story, a little confusing, with people running here and there, scurrying about as you could imagine, trying to make sense of everything:
Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene and then some other women with her at the tomb. They had planned to try to anoint His body, and wondered on the way who would roll the stone away from the door or if they would be allowed to see His body. This indicates they were not expecting Him to be alive. Indeed, they arrived and found the tomb already open, with no body inside, and Mary Magdalene ran to tell Peter and John that someone had taken His body. Meanwhile, back at the tomb, the other women see two angels who explain to them that He rose like He said He would! They instruct these women to go tell the others.
Now Mary has Peter and John running toward the tomb as she tries to keep up, the other women are heading in another direction to look for any of the disciples and give them the news. John makes a point of telling us that he outran Peter. But John stops at the entrance to the tomb, looking in from there, he sees the linen clothes lying empty. Peter catches up and barges straight in, as was his style. John believed Jesus was risen, Peter was still scratching his head. Both of them leave for home, but Mary Magdalene stays at the tomb.
John 20:11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping:
and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the
sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head,
and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith
unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
Now Mary leaves to find the disciples and correct herself...no one has taken Him, He’s alive! While she heads that way, Jesus appears to the other women who are looking for the disciples. He says, “All hail.” They worship Him. He tells them to give the disciples instructions to meet Him in Galilee.
Mary arrives where the disciples are hiding out, gives them the great news, but they don’t believe her for the most part. The other women arrive and tell their experience, and the disciples still think it’s too good to be true! At the same time the guards who had fainted when the angel rolled the stone away had ‘come to’ and went to the chief priests to tell what had happened, that He had risen from the dead. The irony: they believed and began the cover up operation!
It’s still Sunday, and somewhere along this time Peter leaves the other 10 disciples, and Jesus appears to him. We know nothing of what was said, but my imagination can fill in the blanks with a lot of possibilities!
Jesus then appears to 2 other of His followers on the road to Emmaus. We’ll spend a whole message on this called “Heartburn”, but in summary, they are down and depressed, and He approaches them. They don’t recognize Him. They tell their sad tale of love and loss, and how Jesus must not have been the Messiah like they had thought. This goes on for some time until evening when He gave thanks for the food; and when He prayed their eyes were opened, they realized it was Him all along, and He vanished!
So those two disciples go and find the disciples, except for Thomas, and tell them their news, but again, they don’t believe. If John believed when he looked into the tomb he’s not speaking up now! It’s still Sunday, now evening, suddenly Jesus appears out of nowhere. They think it’s a spirit, but He calms their fears, shows them the nail prints, and eats a piece of fish with them. They are speechless with joy. Things are coming together for them. Jesus begins opening the eyes of their understanding.
In their excitement these 10 disciples seek out Thomas who was missing that first Sunday evening [don’t miss church!]. He didn’t believe, and promised he wouldn’t believe unless he saw proof. The next Sunday night Jesus appeared again w/ all 11 present, and offered the proof to Thomas, saying, you believe now because you see, but blessed are they who have not seen, and yet believe! These words could be the motto for that first week of time after the empty tomb. What does it take for you to believe? What will God have to do? When will you finally break down and start trusting God for everything, whether you can see the way or not?
That night 7 of the disciples went fishing overnight, with no luck. They don’t recognize Him from a distance, but on the shore after several hours Jesus appears again and asks them how it’s going? He instructs them to fish on the other side of the boat and they hit the jackpot. They realize it is Jesus, and head for shore. Peter jumps out of the boat, leading the way. By the time they get their catch to shore the sun is starting to come up and they have breakfast on the beach with the Lord! Jesus then takes opportunity to talk with Peter and restore him to the ministry after denying Him.
Shortly thereafter is when Jesus gave the Great Commission to the disciples as well as more than 500 people on a hillside. Believe it or not, some are still doubting, and most of those 500 will not continue on. But it only takes a handful of sparks to get a big fire going! This is the main thing He’s leaving them with. Be fishers of men. Share the good news of the gospel with everyone, everywhere!
John ends his gospel saying,
John 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life
through his name.
John 21:24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is
true.
25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even
the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
I believe Jesus continued teaching them, training them, preparing them for a few more weeks. Now it has been 40 days since He arose, and He promises to leave the Holy Spirit with them, and to use them to found The Church. He ascends up to heaven out of their sight, and they are comforted by angels. They initiate His instructions, and in less than 3 months since His resurrection the church is born!
He will return by way of vision and appear to Stephen, several times to Paul, and finally to John to give him the final Revelation...and He is soon to make another big appearance, so be looking up!
References of Jesus’ appearances after His resurrection:
1. TO MARY MAGDALENE AT THE TOMB – JOHN.20:11-17
2. TO THE OTHER WOMEN RETURNING TO THE TOMB – MT.28:9-10
3. TO PETER – LUKE 24:34; 1 COR. 15:5
4. TO THE DISCIPLES ON THE EMMAEUS ROAD – LU.24:13-31
5. TO THE TEN DISCIPLES – MK.16:14
6. TO THE ELEVEN DISCIPLES A WEEK AFTER THE RESS. – JN.20:26-29
7.TO SEVEN DISCIPLES BY GALILEE – JN.21:1-23
8. APPEARANCE TO 500 – 1 COR. 15:6
9. TO JAMES THE LORD’S BROTHER – 1 COR. 15:7
10. TO THE ELEVEN DISCIPLES ON TH EMT. IN GALILEE – MT.28:16-20
11. AT THE ASCENSION – ACTS 1:3-9
12. TO STEPHEN AT HIS STONING – ACTS 7:55 – 56
13. TO PAUL ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD – ACTS 9:3-6
14. TO PAUL IN ARABIA – GAL. 1:12-17
15. TO PAUL IN THE TEMPLE – ACTS 9:26-27
16. TO PAUL IN PRISON IN CAESAREA – ACTS 23:11
17. TO THE APOSTLE JOHN – REV. 1:12 - 20
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/Next40Days.html
