MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
On the day of Jesus’ resurrection, the horrors of the cross initially gave way to fear, despair, and confusion about the empty tomb. But soon His followers again found joy and hope in His presence.
The apostle Paul believed these post-resurrection appearances were essential to the gospel. He described them in 1 Corinthians 15: 3-6, “of first importance... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time....” To those who saw Him, the appearances were undeniable proof that He was the risen Lord of Life, and their personal experiences became the driving force of the early church.
Sightings of Jesus post-resurrection occurred not to convince non-believers, but to bless those who already had faith in Him. He'd said earlier, “'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead'” (Luke 16:31).
Another reason He appeared was to prepare for sending the Holy Spirit. “'It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you'” (John 16:7). Followers down through centuries have continued the ministry of sharing salvation purchased by Jesus' death. The resurrected Jesus gave them a foretaste of what was to come. In John 20:21-22, He said to them, “'as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'”
One person who was not present at the first upper-room appearance is one of my favorite Bible characters. When the disciples told Thomas they'd seen the Lord, he retorted, “'Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.'” Not content to merely accept the testimony of others, Thomas was seeking firsthand proof. So, eight days later, Jesus took the initiative to give him that assurance (John 20:24-28). A personal meeting with Jesus convinced followers of the authenticity of His death and resurrection. Many of them had seen Him while alive, then hanging on the cross, placed in the tomb, and the resurrection appearances added an important element to their message.
Understanding scriptures is a gift of grace found in the light of Christ. Jesus met with two people on the Emmaus Road, and “Beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures'” (Luke 24:27). Later, in Jerusalem, He said, “'These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things'” (Luke 24:44-48).
He concluded in verse 49, “'I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.'” The Holy Spirit, the gift they would receive at Pentecost, enables them and us through the power of the Word to share the message. Jesus appearing after His resurrection adds validity to the ancient scriptures.
At Pentecost, followers of Jesus waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit, because their visits with the resurrected Jesus helped them realize that His calling was beyond their abilities. Suddenly, their lack of holiness was seen in a new light; they had a compelling message to tell, but they were humbled by their deficiencies. Seeing Jesus alive had brought meaning to His life and death that even they had not anticipated. His presence revealed to the disciples, and to us, that we need more - the abiding presence of the living Spirit of God.
Finally, there were two other individuals who at first did not fit the description of a believer, but both proved to be chosen apostles in the formation of the early church. Jesus appeared to his own brother James, who became leader of the congregation in Jerusalem. He came to Saul the persecutor, who became missionary, author, and church planter. Paul wrote, “... [Jesus] appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:7-8).
Even if we're saved from sins and following Jesus, we must acknowledge that our only hope of constantly and adequately following Him is by yielding to the direction and control of the Spirit. Jesus after His resurrection came back to reward, inspire, commission, and equip. We need more Upper Room experiences, where He gains access to every area of our lives.
