The Next 40 Days...

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.