Over these past weeks, we have studied the Scriptures that record the events surrounding Passion Week: Christ enters Jerusalem for the last time; He pours out His heart to the people about God’s love for them; He sets aside the old covenant of Passover to establish the new covenant of the Lord’s Supper; He is arrested and taken to stand before five mock trials in the early morning; He is mocked and beaten and then crucified; Christ’s speaks seven last times from the cross, and then He gives up His spirit and dies; He is buried and on the third day He comes out of the tomb alive.

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to many of His followers over a 40 day period, before He went back into heaven to the right hand of the Father.

Today we’ll begin to look at the biblical record concerning each of the Lord’s appearances, until He ascended up into the clouds with His disciples watching.

John 20:1-10
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.
2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.
4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;
5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.
6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there,
7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.
8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.
9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

It is Sunday morning, the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb while it is still dark, and she finds that the stone covering the entrance to the tomb has been moved aside, Jesus is gone!

Mary runs to find Peter and John, and and to tell them that the Lord’s body is gone. When Peter and John had heard her report, don’t understand what it means
(Luke 24:11), “these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them,” but they immediately go to the tomb see what has happened.

Luke 24:11
11 But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.

John gets to the tomb first and looks in to see the burial cloths, but he did not go in (John 20:5), he waits for Peter to arrive, and of course Peter goes right into the tomb and finds that Jesus’ body is gone; the burial wrappings are there and the face-cloth is neatly rolled up.

John 20:5
5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.

John (John 20:8) now enters the tomb, but neither he nor Peter had really understood that Jesus would rise from the grave.

John 20:8
8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.

Luke 24:12 tells us, “Peter saw the linen wrappings; and he went away to his home, marveling at [wondering] what had happened.

Luke 24:12
12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

Let’s read John 20:11-17…
11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;
12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.
13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

Peter and John left the tomb to go to their homes; but Mary had evidently returned and was just outside the tomb weeping, when she saw two angels near where Jesus’ body had been laid (although she just saw them as men, not knowing that they were angels).

They asked her (John 20:13), “why are you weeping?” She shared her concern that the Lord had been taken away and she didn’t know where He was. Mary then turned around (we aren’t told why), perhaps she sensed someone was there? Jesus is now standing there, but Mary doesn’t recognize Him in His resurrected body.

John 20:13
13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Jesus asks Mary why she is crying, and who she is looking for? Thinking that He is the gardener she asked Him if He knows where Jesus’ body has been taken, so that she might go and get it.

At this point (John 20:16) Jesus calls her name, “Mary,” at that moment she recognizes Him (cf. John 10:27) and responds to the Lord, saying “Rabboni!” [Teacher, Master, expressing honor and reverence.]

John 20:16
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).

John 10:27
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

Mary holds tight to Jesus (John 20:17), but Jesus tells to her she must release Him, as He has not yet ascended to the Father.

John 20:17
17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

We don’t know how much of the upper room discourse Mary was aware of, perhaps the apostles had told her what Jesus had said, that He was going back to the Father and He would send the Holy Spirit, though whom He would come to live in them (see John 14:1-3, 7, 16-20; 16:7).

John 14:1-3
1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:7
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

John 14:16-20
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

John 16:7
7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

Back to John 20:17, Jesus tells Mary to go to His “brethren” [lit. brothers], speaking of His disciples. Jesus had previously referred to His disciples as slaves, and then friends (John 15:15), “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

John 15:15
15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Now Jesus refers to His disciples as His brothers, after saying, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’’

Please turn to Matthew 28:1-10…
1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Matthew records Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene, and the “other” Mary (Matthew 27:56, Mary the mother of James and Joseph). Jesus instructs them to go tell the disciples that they will see Him in Galilee.

Matthew 27:56
56 Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Please turn to Luke 24:13-35… Jesus appears to two disciples, on the day of His resurrection, as they are walking on the road to Emmaus, about 7 miles away. These two are not part of the eleven remaining disciples (who made up the original Twelve, Judas now deceased).

Luke 24:13-35
13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.
15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.
16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.
17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”
19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,
20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.
21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.
22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,
23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.
24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”
25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther.
29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.
30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”
33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,
34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.”
35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

We are given the name of one of them (cf. Luke 24:18), his name is Cleopas; and although he is named nowhere else in the New Testament, he must have been known to the followers of Christ, or he wouldn’t be named here.

Luke 24:18
18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”

These two disciples (cf. Luke 24:13-16) don’t seem to have any idea that it is Jesus who approaches them and begins to walk with them, listening to them explain to Him about the things which have happened concerning Jesus the Nazarene (cf. Luke 24:17-24), how He was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people; and that He had been arrested by the Chief Priests and turned over to be crucified, that He was buried, and yet when some of His followers went to the tomb they found it empty, but there were angels there telling them that He was indeed alive! 2

Luke 24:13-16
13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.
15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.
16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

Luke 24:17-24
17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”
19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,
20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.
21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.
22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,
23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.
24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”

Jesus now reminds them (cf. Luke 24:25-26) that the prophets had foretold how it was necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to “enter into His glory,” meaning that He would return to the Father in heaven after completing His mission here on earth: “It is Finished!”

Luke 24:25-26
25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

Then (cf. Luke 24:27), “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures,” (cf Genesis 3:1-15). 1John 3:8, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

Luke 24:27
27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Genesis 3:1-15
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”
4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!
5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”
13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
15And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

1John 3:8
8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

As Jesus and the two approach Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:28-29), it is beginning to get dark, so they invite Him to stay with them at their house. They now go in and sit at a table, preparing to having something to eat (cf. Luke 24:30-31).

Luke 24:28-29
28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther.
29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.

Luke 24:30-31
30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Jesus takes the bread and blesses it, then breaking it, He begins giving it to them and at that moment, “their eyes are opened and they recognize Him; He then vanishes from their sight!” [earlier that day at the tomb (John 20:13-18), Jesus’ appearance was hid from Mary Magdalene until Jesus called her name, “Mary,” and then she recognized that it was the Lord.]

John 20:13-18
13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

These disciples from Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:32-35) now understand that the stranger is Jesus, and they recall how their hearts burned within them as they walked along the road, while Jesus explained the Scriptures to them. They immediately head out for Jerusalem, where they find the eleven and those who are with them, gathered together saying, ‘The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon [Peter].’ [Then the two disciples from Emmaus] began to tell of their experience on the road [with Jesus] and how they only recognized Him when He broke the bread and gave it to them.

Luke 24:32-35
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai,
26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,

Just moments after the above narrative, Jesus shows up in the room, at this gathering behind locked doors (Luke 24:36), “While they were telling these things, He Himself [Jesus, the risen Lord] stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’”

Luke 24:36
36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

Next week we will explore the when and where of Jesus’ appearance to Peter. But for today, let’s consider the following as we close our time together.

The women near the tomb saw the risen Lord!

The disciples on the road saw the risen Lord!

Peter saw the risen Lord, and although we are not told where, it clearly happened sometime between the early morning appearance of Jesus to the women in the garden, and the arrival in Jerusalem of the two disciples from Emmaus, who had seen the Lord along the road in the late afternoon, and had recognized Him while at their table breaking bread, as the evening approached!

Next week we will explore the when and where of Jesus’ appearance to Peter.

But for today, consider the narratives of those we studied about today, witnesses of the risen Lord.

What is the responsibility of a witness? To tell the truth about what they have seen, heard, experienced.

Acts 1:8-11
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you are a witness of His resurrection and you need to tell others about Him.

2Corinthians 5:16-21
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Pastor Mike Hale
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Topics: ress, Resurrection, Resurrection Appearances of Jesus