What difference would it make if Jesus of Nazareth is dead or alive?
The resurrection shows that God the Father accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ -- His Son. You see, God provided Himself a lamb. In Old Testament times God required that the Jews offer blood sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins.
"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb 9:22).
The resurrection shows that the Gospel is true. Because of the resurrection of Christ, we can have the gift of eternal life. That is one of the most important reasons for the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, we too can rise from the dead through His grace.
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 12:14, 15).
The preaching of Christianity would be a bad joke if it were not for the fact that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead!
Christianity proclaims Jesus is alive! But all other religious leaders' bodies are in their graves right now.
No one could be saved and go to heaven without the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We are still in our sins if the resurrection did not happen. The resurrection is crucial to the salvation of sinners, because without the resurrection we are still lost in our sins.
Christianity spread throughout the entire Roman Empire and believers were willing to be lighted as human torches to light up Nero's palace gardens so that his guests could see at night!
Why would anyone in his or her right mind be willing to be turned into a human torch unless the resurrection was true?
Christ is praying for believers right now in heaven because of the resurrection. The Holy Spirit was sent to believers because of the resurrection. Those who believe experience Christ living within them and living through them because of the resurrection.
There is the guarantee of our own resurrection if we trust Jesus because He rose from the dead.
Jesus Christ is the eternal ruler over earth and is its judge because of the resurrection.
The grave clothes resting like an empty cocoon on the rock shelf in the burial cave proclaim the joyful news, "Death is defeated!"
Jesus is the resurrection and the life! He'll never wear grave clothes again! When he appeared to his disciples after the resurrection, he appeared not in a shroud of death -- but walking in endless life.
You and I are dying. We all have the sentence of death upon us. No matter how rich, powerful or happy you may be right now, the grave is your number one enemy! You don't know how you're going to die. It could be in a car accident or by disease. One day there will be a grave stone with your name on it. The only exception is if Jesus Christ returns in your lifetime and you are a true believer in Christ. Those who are alive when He returns will never die at all according to the Bible.
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thesssalonians 4:15-18).
Because of the the empty tomb of Jesus, we have hope. Christ is risen indeed! Everything looks different to the one who thrusts in Christ? Even the sorrows of life are made lighter.
Will death win over you in the end or are you in Christ Who conquered death?
Eternity is waiting for everyone, so the question for you to consider is where will you spend eternity when death calls?
You may not be thinking about Jesus that much today or on the other days of your life either, but someday you will stand before Him as your judge or as your Savior.
I invite you to consider the evidence of the resurrection that is located on this web site. Think about the death and resurrection of Jesus and what God's glorious gift of eternal life can mean to you!
The Gospel is real! Its message is astonishing! Jesus is really alive!
No matter how successful you may think you are, you're wasting your life if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ. For the one who rejects the most established historical fact of all time -- the resurrection of Christ -- eternity will be awful!
Please consider the facts about Jesus and the empty tomb. I urge you to trust the risen Savior today.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
You Can Know Jesus Rose from The Dead!
You Can Experience for Yourself The Hope of the Resurrection
Do you believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is alive right now?
Or do you believe that the resurrection is a myth?
If you spend the few minutes necessary to read this article about the resurrection of the Son of God, you may be in for a surprise!
You will read life-changing news! Please consider the evidence of the resurrection of Christ for yourself.
Do you realize that the resurrection does not fit into the legend or myth category at all? There are a number of factors that go against the resurrection being a myth or legend.
Here are some facts for you to consider about the resurrection of the Son of God:
1. Legends take time to develop, but the news of the resurrection of Christ sprang up immediately.
Do you realize how long it takes for a myth to develop? Legends develop over a period of time and get embellished in the retelling of the stories. So it really takes a number of generations for myths to fully develop into their final forms.
The resurrection occurred in a particular definite location in Palestine under Pontius Pilate. The news was rapidly broadcast all over the Roman empire.
2. Over 500 witnesses encountered the risen Christ.
After His resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to His followers for 40 days. At one time He appeared to more than 500 people at one time. Any of these people could answer questions. A lot of them remained alive years later after the resurrection to tell their own personal stories about seeing the living Christ.
Not all of these witnesses were friendly. One of them was a hostile witness. His name was Saul of Tarsus.
The number of witnesses in trials today is crucial. If you were to parade 500 eyewitnesses of a murder in a court of law before the jury, the accused would be found guilty due to the sheer number of eyewitnesses.
Remember, in the case of the resurrection of the Son of God, there were over 500 eyewitnesses!
3. The first Church was entirely Jewish and Jews are monotheists.
The death and rebirth of mythical gods is foreign to Judaism since Jews believe in only one God.
4. There is no description of the resurrection itself in the Bible.
If the resurrection was a legend, it would be described in glowing details.
5. The first witnesses to the resurrection were women.
However, the testimony of women didn't count in Roman or Jewish courts in that day, so why would a legend revolve around women instead of men?
If the resurrection is a legend, why would the people who started it want women to be the first witnesses since their testimony didn't even count in that day?
The apostles, who were the secondary heroes, were hiding from the Jews for fear of their lives.
You see, the women in the Gospel story were brave, but the men were totally devastated and scared to death! Remember, this was a patriarchal society. And if people were going to concoct a myth about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they would not want to make women appear courageous in a man's world.
6. One of the prime witnesses, Mary Magdalene, didn't even recognize Jesus when she first saw Him.
Surprisingly, She didn't even see anything special about Jesus after the resurrection
at first and even thought He was a gardener! Does this sounds like a legendary hero?
7. What motive would the first Church have of suffering for a shamefully hung criminal?
The first Church was entirely made up of Jewish monotheists. Why would they accept as their Messiah a criminal that have been shamefully crucified on a Roman cross?
To summarize, the resurrection is not a myth. There was no time for a legend to develop. The story of the resurrection sprang up instantly. There were over 500 eyewitnesses who saw the living Christ. The death and rebirth of mythical gods is foreign to Judaism since they are monotheists and the first church was totally Jewish. Why would the apostle Paul, who started out as an enemy, later be willing to be martyred because he refused to deny the resurrection of Christ? Why were thousands of people willing to die -- even as human torches covered with oil to light Caesar's garden so his guests could see at night?
The resurrection of the Son of God from the dead is a historical fact! Many people have trusted Him and receive brand new lives. Why not you?
If you have not yet trusted Christ as your own Savior, why not trust Him right now?
Yes, trust Him and live for ever! Experience for yourself the glorious reality of the resurrection of Christ! Find out how wonderful it is to know deep in your own heart the peace and joy of the hope of the resurrection for yourself and your loved ones as well!
Do you believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is alive right now?
Or do you believe that the resurrection is a myth?
If you spend the few minutes necessary to read this article about the resurrection of the Son of God, you may be in for a surprise!
You will read life-changing news! Please consider the evidence of the resurrection of Christ for yourself.
Do you realize that the resurrection does not fit into the legend or myth category at all? There are a number of factors that go against the resurrection being a myth or legend.
Here are some facts for you to consider about the resurrection of the Son of God:
1. Legends take time to develop, but the news of the resurrection of Christ sprang up immediately.
Do you realize how long it takes for a myth to develop? Legends develop over a period of time and get embellished in the retelling of the stories. So it really takes a number of generations for myths to fully develop into their final forms.
The resurrection occurred in a particular definite location in Palestine under Pontius Pilate. The news was rapidly broadcast all over the Roman empire.
2. Over 500 witnesses encountered the risen Christ.
After His resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to His followers for 40 days. At one time He appeared to more than 500 people at one time. Any of these people could answer questions. A lot of them remained alive years later after the resurrection to tell their own personal stories about seeing the living Christ.
Not all of these witnesses were friendly. One of them was a hostile witness. His name was Saul of Tarsus.
The number of witnesses in trials today is crucial. If you were to parade 500 eyewitnesses of a murder in a court of law before the jury, the accused would be found guilty due to the sheer number of eyewitnesses.
Remember, in the case of the resurrection of the Son of God, there were over 500 eyewitnesses!
3. The first Church was entirely Jewish and Jews are monotheists.
The death and rebirth of mythical gods is foreign to Judaism since Jews believe in only one God.
4. There is no description of the resurrection itself in the Bible.
If the resurrection was a legend, it would be described in glowing details.
5. The first witnesses to the resurrection were women.
However, the testimony of women didn't count in Roman or Jewish courts in that day, so why would a legend revolve around women instead of men?
If the resurrection is a legend, why would the people who started it want women to be the first witnesses since their testimony didn't even count in that day?
The apostles, who were the secondary heroes, were hiding from the Jews for fear of their lives.
You see, the women in the Gospel story were brave, but the men were totally devastated and scared to death! Remember, this was a patriarchal society. And if people were going to concoct a myth about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they would not want to make women appear courageous in a man's world.
6. One of the prime witnesses, Mary Magdalene, didn't even recognize Jesus when she first saw Him.
Surprisingly, She didn't even see anything special about Jesus after the resurrection
at first and even thought He was a gardener! Does this sounds like a legendary hero?
7. What motive would the first Church have of suffering for a shamefully hung criminal?
The first Church was entirely made up of Jewish monotheists. Why would they accept as their Messiah a criminal that have been shamefully crucified on a Roman cross?
To summarize, the resurrection is not a myth. There was no time for a legend to develop. The story of the resurrection sprang up instantly. There were over 500 eyewitnesses who saw the living Christ. The death and rebirth of mythical gods is foreign to Judaism since they are monotheists and the first church was totally Jewish. Why would the apostle Paul, who started out as an enemy, later be willing to be martyred because he refused to deny the resurrection of Christ? Why were thousands of people willing to die -- even as human torches covered with oil to light Caesar's garden so his guests could see at night?
The resurrection of the Son of God from the dead is a historical fact! Many people have trusted Him and receive brand new lives. Why not you?
If you have not yet trusted Christ as your own Savior, why not trust Him right now?
Yes, trust Him and live for ever! Experience for yourself the glorious reality of the resurrection of Christ! Find out how wonderful it is to know deep in your own heart the peace and joy of the hope of the resurrection for yourself and your loved ones as well!
Ultimate Victory of The Resurrection
First of all, let's look at the ultimate victory of the Resurrection in the Gospels as presented by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
According to the New Testament, Christ Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless live, healed the sick, raised the dead and preached the good news. His enemies judged , arrested and crucified Jesus Christ, but they could not keep the Lord Jesus Christ in the grave!
Three days later He rose again from the dead!
Appearance of Christ to Witnesses:
1. Mary Magdalene
The first witnesses to see the risen Christ was Mary Magdalene after Jesus' death and resurrection.
It is touching that He appeared to her after He had risen from the dead. You see, she had found out that his body was missing and she wanted to recover it. So she had really come seeking Jesus with a heart full of love. Read more about this encounter in Mark 16:9.
John 20:11 gives more information about Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Christ and the ultimate victory of the Resurrection.
These facts are from a different perspective, but they're not contradictory. She waited outside the tomb while John and Peter went into it and then left. She looked into the tomb and was startled by meeting two angels who asked her why she was crying. She replied that she was looking for the Lord Jesus. When others ran from the empty tomb, she stayed on. She did see Jesus, but she thought He was a gardener. Jesus asked her why she was crying.
Thinking He Was the gardener, she asked where the body of Jesus was so she could take Him away. Jesus spoke her name and immediately she realized who He was. If this had been a ghostly visitor, she would have recognized a demonic manifestation for she was well-versed in demonic activity. But she knew it was her Lord when He spoke her name. She immediately went and told the disciples she had seen the Lord. With triumphant joy she exclaimed, "He’s alive! I’ve seen Him!
Although the disciples doubted her testimony, Mary Magdalene was convinced she had seen the Lord!
She had experienced first hand Jesus' ultimate victory of the Resurrection!
2. Other Women
In Matthew 28:9 we discover that Jesus revealed Himself alive to two or more other women as well. Again we notice that the second appearance was to women whose testimony wouldn't have counted in a court of law of their day. So if this was merely a legend, why choose women as the first witnesses?
Jesus met them and said, “Rejoice!" They too saw the Lord. They came and held Him by the feet -- the wounded, bleeding feet of Jesus. He was probably bare-footed or wore sandals, so the scars on His feet would have been visible. These women worshipped Him for they knew He was their Lord! If Jesus wasn’t truly God, He wouldn’t have accepted their worship.
The risen Savior is to be worshipped!
3. Peter
In Luke 24:34 we see that the resurrected Christ had a private meeting with Peter after Jesus' death and resurrection.
We’re not told a thing about this interview. In Mark 16:7 a special mention is made of Peter because of his threefold denial of Christ. You see, Peter had miserably failed the Lord, but Jesus brought him back to Himself. The Lord went to him personally and privately and restored him. During this precious private interview, Peter confessed and was restored.
4. The two on the way to Emmaus
In Luke 24:13 we read of this encounter that happened on the day of the resurrection. Two followers of Christ were talking together of all the things that had happened. One of them was named Cleopas. As they were talking, Jesus Himself joined them. During their walk, Jesus open the Bible to them from the beginning and shared what Scripture prophesied about the Messiah. When they arrived at their home, Jesus acted as though He would go on. But they urged Him to eat with them. When He broke bread and passed it to them, their eyes were opened and they knew that this was Jesus alive!
As soon as they recognized who He was, He vanished from their sight. That's because in His resurrection body, He could be present or vanish instantaneously. These followers were convinced that they had really seen Jesus for according to Luke 24:33 -- they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem where they found the eleven. With joy they share the great good news and were informed -- the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon. The two on the way to Emmaus were absolutely convinced that Jesus was alive!
5. Ten apostles (first appearance to them).
Jesus appeared after his resurrection to 10 of his disciples at one time. This is recorded in John 20:19. Thomas was missing on that occasion. This was the same day -- resurrection day -- in the evening at the close of the day when the doors were shut. The disciples were hiding because they were afraid of what the Jewish leaders would do to them.
Suddenly Jesus appeared to them and greeted them, “Peace be unto you." Then he showed them His hands and His wounded side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw their Lord.
6. Thomas (second appearance to the apostles)
Thomas was not with the other apostles when Jesus visited them. This meeting with Thomas happened on a Sunday a week after Jesus had appeared to the other 10 disciples. Thomas didn’t go to all the meetings and therefore missed out. The ecstatic 10 men joyfully shared with Thomas that Jesus was risen! You see, they were absolutely convinced. There was no doubt about it.
"The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25).
Then saith He to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."
Jesus knew all about Thomas’ doubts. He came back and appeared this time just for him. Now it's doubting Thomas no more -- for he now believed. "My Lord and my God," he exclaimed. He was a doubter for one week only.
By the way, this section of the Bible proves the diety of Christ. If Jesus was not God, he would not have let Thomas worship him.
7. Third appearance to the apostles
After Jesus had risen from the dead, the apostles returned to fishing. They had fished all night but caught nothing. Probably they were dependent on fish for their food. Jesus appeared to them again -- this time standing on the shore. He commanded them to cast their net on the right side of the ship. Immediately it filled up with 153 great fishes. John said, ‘It is the Lord.” Then Jesus prepared breakfast for them and asked them to come and eat.
8. 500 believers
1 Cor. 15:5 was written about 20 years after the resurrection of Christ. This text states that Christ was seen of Cephas (Peter) and then the 12 and then about 500 brethren at once. Many were still alive 20 years later. You could go and ask these 500 eyewitnesses about the risen Christ whom they had seen.
If you have 500 eyewitnesses to an event -- that’s profoundly credible and compelling evidence! They were on hand for many years to give eyewitness accounts of the evidence of the resurrection of Christ!
9. James
I Cor.15:7 tells us that the resurrected Christ was also seen by James. This apparently was another personal interview. James was the head apostle in the city of Jerusalem. He was the chairman who many looked to for leadership. This disciple was convinced Jesus rose from the dead.
10. The ascension of Christ
Acts 1:10 recounts to us the ascension of Christ. While they looked steadfastly toward heaven, Jesus was taken up and covered by a cloud. Then two angels appeared and told the crowd that Jesus would return the same way He went into heaven.
Yes, this same Jesus -- with the marks of Calvary -- will come again in the same way he ascended into heaven.
Were the disciples convinced Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven? Yes, they tarried at Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. They went to the upper room and started praying. Then the Holy Spirit descended upon them and gave them power to preach the great good news of the living Christ starting from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth!
It's important to realize that prayer is based on the evidence and witness of a living Jesus. If He isn’t alive, prayer is worthless. But He is alive and He is seated in glory to hear the prayers of His people.
We are to work with the knowledge that Jesus is alive.
With great power the early believers gave witness of the resurrection. If Jesus was still dead, there would be no meaning to Christianity. But He is living and He is coming again! Think about what the ultimate victory of the Resurrection meant to these believers and what it can mean to you too!
11. Paul
Jesus showed Himself to Paul on the road to Damascus -- Acts 9:3-9 and Corinthians 15:8.
12. Other appearances after Jesus' death and resurrection:
These are implied in Acts 1:3.
According to the New Testament, Christ Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless live, healed the sick, raised the dead and preached the good news. His enemies judged , arrested and crucified Jesus Christ, but they could not keep the Lord Jesus Christ in the grave!
Three days later He rose again from the dead!
Appearance of Christ to Witnesses:
1. Mary Magdalene
The first witnesses to see the risen Christ was Mary Magdalene after Jesus' death and resurrection.
It is touching that He appeared to her after He had risen from the dead. You see, she had found out that his body was missing and she wanted to recover it. So she had really come seeking Jesus with a heart full of love. Read more about this encounter in Mark 16:9.
John 20:11 gives more information about Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Christ and the ultimate victory of the Resurrection.
These facts are from a different perspective, but they're not contradictory. She waited outside the tomb while John and Peter went into it and then left. She looked into the tomb and was startled by meeting two angels who asked her why she was crying. She replied that she was looking for the Lord Jesus. When others ran from the empty tomb, she stayed on. She did see Jesus, but she thought He was a gardener. Jesus asked her why she was crying.
Thinking He Was the gardener, she asked where the body of Jesus was so she could take Him away. Jesus spoke her name and immediately she realized who He was. If this had been a ghostly visitor, she would have recognized a demonic manifestation for she was well-versed in demonic activity. But she knew it was her Lord when He spoke her name. She immediately went and told the disciples she had seen the Lord. With triumphant joy she exclaimed, "He’s alive! I’ve seen Him!
Although the disciples doubted her testimony, Mary Magdalene was convinced she had seen the Lord!
She had experienced first hand Jesus' ultimate victory of the Resurrection!
2. Other Women
In Matthew 28:9 we discover that Jesus revealed Himself alive to two or more other women as well. Again we notice that the second appearance was to women whose testimony wouldn't have counted in a court of law of their day. So if this was merely a legend, why choose women as the first witnesses?
Jesus met them and said, “Rejoice!" They too saw the Lord. They came and held Him by the feet -- the wounded, bleeding feet of Jesus. He was probably bare-footed or wore sandals, so the scars on His feet would have been visible. These women worshipped Him for they knew He was their Lord! If Jesus wasn’t truly God, He wouldn’t have accepted their worship.
The risen Savior is to be worshipped!
3. Peter
In Luke 24:34 we see that the resurrected Christ had a private meeting with Peter after Jesus' death and resurrection.
We’re not told a thing about this interview. In Mark 16:7 a special mention is made of Peter because of his threefold denial of Christ. You see, Peter had miserably failed the Lord, but Jesus brought him back to Himself. The Lord went to him personally and privately and restored him. During this precious private interview, Peter confessed and was restored.
4. The two on the way to Emmaus
In Luke 24:13 we read of this encounter that happened on the day of the resurrection. Two followers of Christ were talking together of all the things that had happened. One of them was named Cleopas. As they were talking, Jesus Himself joined them. During their walk, Jesus open the Bible to them from the beginning and shared what Scripture prophesied about the Messiah. When they arrived at their home, Jesus acted as though He would go on. But they urged Him to eat with them. When He broke bread and passed it to them, their eyes were opened and they knew that this was Jesus alive!
As soon as they recognized who He was, He vanished from their sight. That's because in His resurrection body, He could be present or vanish instantaneously. These followers were convinced that they had really seen Jesus for according to Luke 24:33 -- they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem where they found the eleven. With joy they share the great good news and were informed -- the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon. The two on the way to Emmaus were absolutely convinced that Jesus was alive!
5. Ten apostles (first appearance to them).
Jesus appeared after his resurrection to 10 of his disciples at one time. This is recorded in John 20:19. Thomas was missing on that occasion. This was the same day -- resurrection day -- in the evening at the close of the day when the doors were shut. The disciples were hiding because they were afraid of what the Jewish leaders would do to them.
Suddenly Jesus appeared to them and greeted them, “Peace be unto you." Then he showed them His hands and His wounded side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw their Lord.
6. Thomas (second appearance to the apostles)
Thomas was not with the other apostles when Jesus visited them. This meeting with Thomas happened on a Sunday a week after Jesus had appeared to the other 10 disciples. Thomas didn’t go to all the meetings and therefore missed out. The ecstatic 10 men joyfully shared with Thomas that Jesus was risen! You see, they were absolutely convinced. There was no doubt about it.
"The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25).
Then saith He to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."
Jesus knew all about Thomas’ doubts. He came back and appeared this time just for him. Now it's doubting Thomas no more -- for he now believed. "My Lord and my God," he exclaimed. He was a doubter for one week only.
By the way, this section of the Bible proves the diety of Christ. If Jesus was not God, he would not have let Thomas worship him.
7. Third appearance to the apostles
After Jesus had risen from the dead, the apostles returned to fishing. They had fished all night but caught nothing. Probably they were dependent on fish for their food. Jesus appeared to them again -- this time standing on the shore. He commanded them to cast their net on the right side of the ship. Immediately it filled up with 153 great fishes. John said, ‘It is the Lord.” Then Jesus prepared breakfast for them and asked them to come and eat.
8. 500 believers
1 Cor. 15:5 was written about 20 years after the resurrection of Christ. This text states that Christ was seen of Cephas (Peter) and then the 12 and then about 500 brethren at once. Many were still alive 20 years later. You could go and ask these 500 eyewitnesses about the risen Christ whom they had seen.
If you have 500 eyewitnesses to an event -- that’s profoundly credible and compelling evidence! They were on hand for many years to give eyewitness accounts of the evidence of the resurrection of Christ!
9. James
I Cor.15:7 tells us that the resurrected Christ was also seen by James. This apparently was another personal interview. James was the head apostle in the city of Jerusalem. He was the chairman who many looked to for leadership. This disciple was convinced Jesus rose from the dead.
10. The ascension of Christ
Acts 1:10 recounts to us the ascension of Christ. While they looked steadfastly toward heaven, Jesus was taken up and covered by a cloud. Then two angels appeared and told the crowd that Jesus would return the same way He went into heaven.
Yes, this same Jesus -- with the marks of Calvary -- will come again in the same way he ascended into heaven.
Were the disciples convinced Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven? Yes, they tarried at Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. They went to the upper room and started praying. Then the Holy Spirit descended upon them and gave them power to preach the great good news of the living Christ starting from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth!
It's important to realize that prayer is based on the evidence and witness of a living Jesus. If He isn’t alive, prayer is worthless. But He is alive and He is seated in glory to hear the prayers of His people.
We are to work with the knowledge that Jesus is alive.
With great power the early believers gave witness of the resurrection. If Jesus was still dead, there would be no meaning to Christianity. But He is living and He is coming again! Think about what the ultimate victory of the Resurrection meant to these believers and what it can mean to you too!
11. Paul
Jesus showed Himself to Paul on the road to Damascus -- Acts 9:3-9 and Corinthians 15:8.
12. Other appearances after Jesus' death and resurrection:
These are implied in Acts 1:3.
Resurrection appearances
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the beginning of Christianity. If Christ had not been resurrected and seen by many people (more than 500), Christianity would not exist today. Jesus made twelve appearances after his resurrection:
1. His first appearance was to Mary Magdalene, on that early Sunday morning. (Mark 16:9; John 20:10-18).
2. Jesus appeared to the women returning from the tomb. (Matthew 28:9-10).
3. Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-32; Mark 16:12-13).
4. He appeared to Peter in Jerusalem. (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5).
5. He appeared to his disciples and other followers, and also a second time to the two men from Emmaus, in a locked room in Jerusalem. The apostle Thomas wasn't there at that time. (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23).
6. A week later, Jesus again appeared to his disciples behind locked doors, and this time Thomas was present. (John 20:24-29).
7. Jesus appeared to seven of his disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-24).
8. Jesus was seen by 500 believers at one time. (1 Corinthians 15:6).
9. He appeared to James. (1 Corinthians 15:7).
10. He appeared to eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee. (Matt. 28:18-20).
11. He walked with his disciples along the road to Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, and then ascended into Heaven. (Luke 24:50-53).
12. He was seen by Paul on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8).
1. His first appearance was to Mary Magdalene, on that early Sunday morning. (Mark 16:9; John 20:10-18).
2. Jesus appeared to the women returning from the tomb. (Matthew 28:9-10).
3. Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-32; Mark 16:12-13).
4. He appeared to Peter in Jerusalem. (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5).
5. He appeared to his disciples and other followers, and also a second time to the two men from Emmaus, in a locked room in Jerusalem. The apostle Thomas wasn't there at that time. (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23).
6. A week later, Jesus again appeared to his disciples behind locked doors, and this time Thomas was present. (John 20:24-29).
7. Jesus appeared to seven of his disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-24).
8. Jesus was seen by 500 believers at one time. (1 Corinthians 15:6).
9. He appeared to James. (1 Corinthians 15:7).
10. He appeared to eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee. (Matt. 28:18-20).
11. He walked with his disciples along the road to Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, and then ascended into Heaven. (Luke 24:50-53).
12. He was seen by Paul on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8).
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