When Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to many of His disciples and followers, proving that He had conquered death and was alive. He also spent 40 days on Earth teaching His disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven before ascending into Heaven.
1. Jesus visited Mary Magdalene.
The first person to see Jesus after he rose from the dead was Mary Magdalene. No one else saw him, until she told them, and then they went out and saw him for themselves. He appeared to her first because she loved him most and was sad when he was gone.
He told her not to be afraid but to go tell his disciples that he had risen from the dead as proof that God loves us all even when we sin against Him.
Jesus said, “Go tell my brothers I am going before them into Galilee.”
2. He appeared to two disciples in Emmaus, then in the evening to all the disciples in Jerusalem.
In the evening He appeared to the two disciples traveling to Emmaus. On their way back from Jerusalem, they were talking with each other about all that had happened, when He joined them and walked along. They did not recognize Him but asked him what these things meant (Luke 24:13-35).
Afterward, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene as she was leaving her house in sorrow over losing Jesus (John 20:11-18). Then He appeared to the eleven disciples in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14). Later on the same day, he appeared again by the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-14).
3. He walked on water and appeared to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration, where he was transfigured before them.
Jesus appeared to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. While he was transfigured before them, a voice from heaven said: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” This voice was heard by all three disciples who were with Jesus at this time.
When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and the two disciples in Emmaus after his resurrection, they did not recognize him at first because they thought that he was another person named Jesus who had died before him (Luke 24:16). However, once they understood who it really was that stood before them, they were overwhelmed with joy. They could not help but cling to him and keep hold of his feet while they expressed their love for him (24:17).
4. He appeared to the eleven disciples in Galilee.
The next day, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples in Galilee. This is the only account of a post-mortem appearance of Jesus recorded in all four Gospels. In this account, it seems that most of the disciples were still not convinced that he was really alive. The fact that they did not believe him at first may have been because they had seen him die before their very eyes and they could not imagine how he could be alive again. It was when Jesus showed them his hands and feet, just like before his crucifixion (John 20:20), that they finally believed he had risen from death (John 20:26). After this encounter took place on Easter Sunday morning, it appears as though the disciples went back home and waited for an opportunity during which they could leave their homes again for another meeting with Jesus – one which would prove to be far more dramatic than any previous encounter with him!
5. After his resurrection he appeared to more than 500 people at once.
To understand the significance of this, it helps to know that most Jews did not believe in a physical Resurrection. It was widely believed that after death, the soul would go either to Paradise or Gehenna. However, Jesus rose from the dead in a glorified body and appeared to many people who could testify to what they saw with their own eyes.
In addition, Jesus said that He would be seen again before he ascended into heaven (John 14:26). He also said that before His ascension into heaven He would send a Helper who would guide His followers for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4).
6. He appeared again to the eleven followers by the Sea of Galilee, where he prepared a breakfast for them (John 21)
He appeared again to the eleven followers by the Sea of Galilee, where he prepared a breakfast for them (John 21). This was the last time Jesus appeared to them before he ascended into heaven. On this occasion, Jesus told them that they should go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
7. 40 days later Jesus ascended into heaven.
In Matthew 28, Jesus ascended into heaven. His ascension was a momentous event that has been celebrated by Christians since long before he actually rose from the dead. You see, even though there are some who believe that Jesus was only spiritually alive after his resurrection (heavenly flesh), many others believe in a bodily resurrection where Jesus came back to life fully and whole.
But then again, aren’t we all resurrected in Christ? Well…yes and no! As Paul says: “We have died with Christ so that we may live with him,” meaning that our old sinful self has died with Christ on Calvary’s cross so that we can be made new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). This change takes place when we repent of our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior; it doesn’t happen before then! So if you haven’t already repented of your sins or accepted Him as your personal savior…now is the time!
8. Jesus had so many appearances after his resurrection, that it is hard to doubt that it is true.
Even though it is hard to imagine Jesus having a physical body, he did. He appeared to many people and showed them his wounds. He appeared to Mary Magdalene, who was one of his disciples. Jesus also appeared to two disciples in Emmaus when they went on a walk together after the crucifixion. Later the same day, Christ rose from the dead and appeared for forty days before ascending into heaven where he has been ever since (Acts 1:1-11).
Jesus’ resurrection serves as an important message to Christians today; it shows that death does not have power over him or anyone else that follows him with faith in their hearts. If you doubt this event took place then you should try asking yourself what would happen if everyone believed that life stops after death? Would our society be able to function without any hope?
Closing
The resurrection of Jesus is one of the most important events in history. It should never be forgotten, but it also has many implications for us today. For example, it shows us that we can have faith in God even when things seem hopeless and that death does not mean the end of life. We may still have questions about how exactly this happened but as Christians, we know that God has answers which will come to light in time.
