After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples in a room where they had met together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. He spoke to them and explained that what had happened to Him in his crucifixion and resurrection was a fulfillment of all the things written about Him in the Scriptures.
"Now He said to them, '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 would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.'" (Luk 24:44-48)
In this passage, Jesus summarized very concisely all the key things that were written about Him throughout Scripture, which had just been fulfilled during the previous three days. I'd like to focus on the part where He said, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day." In other words, Scripture had foretold that He would suffer, die, and rise again on the third day. Where does it say that in Scripture?
Suffering
There are many places where it speaks of the sufferings of Christ. There are all the sacrifices called for in the Law that prefigure Christ's sufferings, especially the paschal lamb. And one passage in particular is Isaiah 53, which I recommend you read in its entirety. It says in part:
"Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors." (Isa 53:4-12)
That prophecy speaks of both His suffering and His resurrection. He bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, was stricken, smitten by God, oppressed, afflicted, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, chastened for our well-being, and scourged so that we may be healed. That spoke of His suffering.
Death
Isaiah clearly prophesied His death when he spoke of the Lord's Servant as a lamb led to the slaughter (Is 53:7), who "poured out His life unto death" (Is 53:12), and was "cut off from the land of the living for the people's transgression" (Is 52:8). Isaiah spoke of His death and His grave. He specifically prophesied with accuracy that the Servant would be with the wicked in His death (Is 53:9), which we know from history that the Lord was crucified between two criminals. The prophet spoke of the Servant being with a rich man in His death (Is 53:9), which we know was fulfilled by the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea burying the Lord in his own tomb cut out of rock.
Resurrection
The prophet also made a clear reference to the Servant's resurrection from the dead as well, when he said that He would see His offspring, prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord would prosper in His hand. He would ultimately see the light of life and be satisfied after the anguish of His soul was completed, and in the end He would be given a portion with the great, dividing the booty with the strong (Is 53:10-12).
While the prophet spoke of the Servant's resurrection, he did not say it would be on the third day. In fact, there seems to be no Scripture that explicitly says He will rise again on the third day. However, there is a cryptic reference to His resurrection on the third day, which is hidden in one of the prophets. In Hosea we read:
“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hos 6:1-3, NIV)
In this passage, the prophet speaks in the first person plural (ie., "us" and "we"), which pertained to Israel at that time, but it is also a double reference to Christ. He prophesied that the Lord would tear Him (Christ) to pieces and He would be injured, that the Lord would heal Him and bind up His wounds, that the Lord would "revive" Him after two days, and that He would be "restored to life" on the third day. The Hebrew word for "revive" means to give life, let live, recover, revive, or save. And the Hebrew word for "restored to life" means to "rise again", so the prophet said He would rise again on the third day! This is the Scripture Jesus was referring to when He said it was written that He must rise again on the third day. Hosea spoke further of His resurrection by saying, "As surely as the sun rises, He will appear." (Hos 6:3, NIV).
Another one of the prophets named Malachi also alluded to the sun rising when he prophesied regarding Christ: "But for you who revere my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its rays." (Mal 4:2, NIV). Also see Light of the World.
Moreover, Jesus said that He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish (Mt 12:40). In saying so, He indicated that Jonah was a type of Christ, which means that Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish was a prophetic even foreshadowing the suffering and death of Christ, followed by His resurrection on the third day. Also see Jonah as a Type of Christ.
Repentance for Forgiveness of Sins
Jesus told His disciples that the Scriptures said repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name (Lk 24:47). The Scripture speaks a lot about the need for repentance. For example, in this very same passage in Hosea, it says, "Come let us return to the Lord." The Hebrew word for "return" is "shub" meaning to turn back again, and it is often used to refer to repentance. I have covered this in more detail in my article, Repentance That Leads to Life. The nation of Israel had been unfaithful to God and was unrepentant. For the people had dealt treacherously with God, but the prophet was calling the nation to repentance.
Ezekiel also prophesied, "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live." (Eze 18:32)
The passage in Isaiah 53 says, "By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities." This means that by knowing the Lord's righteous Servant Jesus, many will be justified, since He Himself bore our iniquities.
Hosea also spoke of knowing the Lord in the passage from the sixth chapter that I have cited above. He said, "Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him." (Hos 6:3, NIV). In the NASB, it says, "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD."
Therefore, when we put these passages together with others from the Hebrew Scriptures, we find that by repenting and knowing Jesus, men receive justification and forgiveness of sins from God.
The psalmist also wrote, "Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against him."
Preached to All Nations
Jesus said the Scriptures prophesied that this gospel would be preached to all nations, when He said to His disciples that it "would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations" (Lk 24:47). Again, there are many Scriptures that say this. But just a couple will suffice to prove my point.
"Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!" (Psa 117:1-2)
"Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness And guide the nations on the earth. Selah." (Psa 67:3-4)
All the peoples of the earth and all the nations praise the Lord, because they have received forgiveness of sins through repentance and faith in Christ.
"God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him." (Psa 67:7).
Jehovah spoke to His Servant Yeshua (Jesus) in this passage from Isaiah that says: "I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations." (Isa 42:6)
In Isaiah again He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isa 49:6)
Glory to God!
Invitation
As you can clearly see from Scripture, all of the things that happened to Jesus were prophesied hundreds of years in advance, right down to the minute details, including that he would suffer, die, rise again on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all nations. That proves that He is the Son of God.
If you don't know Jesus yet, today is the day of salvation; now is the time of God's favor. Jesus is coming back soon to judge the world and take vengeance on the enemies of God, so don't wait or else it may be too late.
The Lord does not take pleasure in your perishing. Therefore, repent and live. As Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Ac 2:38, NIV).
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
As believers in Jesus Christ, our hope and faith depend on the resurrection. If the resurrection did not happen and is just a myth, then our faith is in vain. So that’s why I think it’s so important to examine the biblical evidence that proves it did occur. My goal is not to prove the sequence of the post-resurrection appearances or the exact number of appearances, since these are not important. Scholars do not agree on those minute details. But I simply want to encourage your faith in Jesus Christ.
At the very end of this post, I will share with you about some exciting appearances of Jesus that have occurred in our own day, so don't miss those! But first, let's begin with the biblical accounts.
In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, 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, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.” (1Co 15:3-8)
In this passage, Paul speaks of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And to prove that he rose from the dead, Paul cites numerous occasions when Jesus appeared to people after his resurrection.
Peter and the Twelve
First Paul states, “He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” (1 Co 15:5). Cephas was the name for Peter. Was it actually Peter who saw the Lord first?
This differs from the account of the gospels, which record that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. Matthew’s gospel states that the angel at the empty tomb told the ladies, “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." (Mat 28:7). Since the angel told the ladies to go tell Jesus disciples that He had risen from the dead, we know that the disciples had not yet seen Him.
According to Mark’s account, the “other Mary” was the mother of James (Mk 16:1). According to Luke, there was also a third woman named Joanna. Mark states that the angel specifically mentioned Peter to the women, when he said, "But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'" (Mar 16:7). Notice how Peter was called out separately from the disciples, since he had removed himself from being a disciple when he denied the Lord. That’s why the angel said, “Go, tell His disciples and Peter…”
Matthew’s account continues, “And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 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.’” (Mat 28:8-10). Jesus appeared to them after they left the tomb and told them the same thing the angel had just said. He instructed them to go tell his disciples, calling them his brothers. Just as the angel had told the women, Jesus also said He would appear to His brothers in Galilee.
Mark states: “Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping.” (Mar 16:9-10). So Mark and Matthew’s gospels agree that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene, not Peter.
She was obedient to tell the disciples and Peter. In turn, Peter and John did run to the tomb to verify her report, and later the disciples did go to Galilee, as the Lord said to do. But they did not go to Galilee right away. At first they refused to believe it.
Mark states: She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.” (Mar 16:10-13)
Luke’s account agrees with this Mark that the disciples refused to believe when they first heard the report from the women who had seen Jesus. Luke states: “But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. 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.” (Luk 24:11-12)
So after Mary Magdalene, Mark states that Jesus appeared to the two men walking on the road in the country, which was evidently the Road to Emmaus appearance described by Luke. Note that Luke also placed the Emmaus Road appearance right after the women told the disciples. He wrote: “And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.” (Luk 24:13-15)
Interestingly Luke also recorded that when the two who saw Jesus on the Emmaus Road immediately reported their experience to the eleven gathered in Jerusalem, the eleven (including Peter) told them that the Lord had already appeared to Simon Peter. “And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, ‘The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.’” (Luk 24:33-34). So Luke’s record of the statement by the eleven that the Lord appeared to Simon seems to place that appearance prior to the Road to Emmaus one. Could it be that Jesus appeared to Simon shortly after he went to the tomb, and that it was not recorded explicitly, but rather mentioned indirectly here? I don’t think so.
John’s record does not allow for that possibility. He wrote: “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. 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.’ So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 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. 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." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 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." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). 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.'" Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.” (Joh 20:1-18).
In this account from John, after Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty and reported it to the eleven. She did not yet know the Lord had risen, but she thought they had taken the Lord’s body. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see. When John saw it He believed. The he states: “So the disciples went away again to their own homes.” And the very next thing John records is the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, who saw Him first.
John records how the Lord appeared to the eleven that same day in the evening. He states: “So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you; 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. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.’ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.” (Joh 20:19-24).
That evening on the same day He appeared to Mary, Jesus appeared to the eleven in the locked room. Thomas was not there, and he doubted the others when they told him. John writes: “So the other disciples were saying to him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I 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.’ After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’ Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;” (Joh 20:25-30). So there were two appearances to the eleven on that first day of the week.
John goes on to record that “After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way.” (Joh 21:1). This was the occasion when the disciples had been fishing unsuccessfully all night, and Jesus appeared on the shore in the morning, cooking fish. He gave them instructions that resulted in a great catch, and they all enjoyed breakfast with him on the shore. It was then that he walked with Peter and reinstated him as a disciple.
I mentioned earlier that after Mary saw Him alive again, she was obedient to tell the disciples, and the disciples did go to Galilee, as the Lord said to do. But not right away. At first some of them refused to believe it. However, when they did finally do what the Lord said and they went to the mountain in Galilee, they all saw the Lord.
Matthew records their encounter with Jesus: “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain, which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.” (Mat 28:16-17). At this point, there were only eleven disciples, since Judas had committed suicide and they had not yet appointed Matthias to replace him. So Peter was there on the mountain among the Eleven. Together they saw Jesus, but some doubted in their hearts.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mat 28:18-20). This was the famous event known as the “Great Commission.”
This is the same event that Luke recorded. Luke placed the timing of it on the day when the two men were telling the eleven they had seen him on the Emmaus Road. “While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them. Now He said to them, ‘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 would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, 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. And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Luk 24:36-51)
Now Luke indicates that the Lord led them out as far as Bethany and was carried up to heaven, which is known as Jesus’ ascension. Unless there were two ascensions, this could not have occurred until forty days after his resurrection, which is when the ascension occurred. Luke explicitly states this time frame in his second account, known as Acts.
In Acts 1, he records the exact same appearance of Jesus (also see Lk 24:36-51 cited above) with these words, “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 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.’ 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.” (Act 1:1-9)
Allow me to recap. Luke stated it all in his first account as though Jesus led them out to Bethany and ascended the same day he Lord appeared to the two disciples on the Emmaus Road. That would have been on the same day he was resurrected, since that was the day the disciples saw Him on the Emmaus Road. In Luke’s second account (Acts) he later stated that it was not until forty days after his resurrection that the Lord gathered them in Bethany for the Great Commission and ascended to heaven! During that forty-day period, Jesus made many appearances, and spoke about the kingdom. Luke explicitly stated that Jesus was “appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” (Ac 1:3). He does not tell us how many times Jesus appeared or in what order those appearances occurred.
So it’s unclear from the gospel accounts and Acts whether Jesus appeared first to Peter, which Paul recorded in his Corinthian epistle. It’s possible that Jesus appeared to him at the tomb after he ran there and looked in. But that’s unlikely, since the angel that had spoken to Mary Magdalene earlier told her to “Go, tell His disciples and Peter…” If she saw the Lord right after that, then this seems to indicate that Peter had not seen the Lord before she did. However, John’s account gives the following sequence: Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty, she runs and tells the eleven disciples, Peter and John run to the tomb and find it empty, and then AFTER that Jesus appears to Mary in the garden near the tomb (Jn 20:1-15). Whether or not Peter saw Jesus when he went to the empty tomb, we do find evidence that He made a separate appearance to Peter prior to His appearance to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. This was what the eleven told the two who reported that they saw the Lord on the Emmaus Road.
Probable Sequence of Jesus' Appearance to Peter and the Twelve
What we can surmise up to this point is the following sequence of events:
1. Mary Magdalene and the other ladies visit the tomb and find the stone rolled away. (Mt 28:1-8; Mk 16:1-7; Lk 24:1-9; Jn 20:1)
2. The angel speaks to them. Matthew placed this event before the women tell anyone (Mt 28:5-8). John places this even after Peter and John look inside the tomb (Jn 20:11-13).
3. They report this to the eleven (Mt 28:8; Mk 16:10-11; Lk 24:9; Jn 20:2)
4. Peter and John run to the tomb and find it empty (Lk 24:12; Jn 20:2-8). The disciples return to their own homes. John believes (Jn 20:8), and Peter goes away to his home marveling to himself (Lk 24:12)
5. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and the other women in the garden (Mt 28:9-10; Jn 20:14-16). He does not allow Mary to cling to Him, stating that He has not yet ascended to the Father (Jn 20:17). The way Matthew records this makes it seem like Jesus appeared to her before she reported to the disciples, but there was a gap here according to the other gospels. She first reported the empty tomb to the eleven disciples, and then went back to the tomb, where Jesus appeared to her. Some disciples headed for Emmaus once they heard Mary’s report of the empty tomb and the angel’s appearance, and they did not yet know about Jesus’ appearance to Mary, or they would have told Jesus (Lk 24:22-24)
6. Mary tells the eleven that she saw the Lord alive, and that He will meet them in Galilee. By now the two disciples are already walking along the Road to Emmaus, and do not yet know that anyone has seen the Lord alive (Jn 20:18).
7. Some of those who hear Mary’s report that she has seen the Lord alive refuse to believe (Lk 24:11).
8. The Lord appears to Simon Peter on Resurrection Day, before He appears to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus that afternoon, or to the eleven later that evening. The eleven indirectly mentioned this personal appearance of Jesus to Peter, and so did Paul in his account. (Lk 24:34; 1 Co 15:5).
9. The Lord appears to the two on the Road to Emmaus on Resurrection Day (Lk 24:13-32; Mk 16:12-13).
10. While the two men who saw him on the Emmaus Road are telling the eleven about it, the Lord appears to the eleven altogether for the first time in the locked room the evening of the same day He appeared to Mary (Lk 24:36; Mk 16:14; Jn 20:19-21). Thomas was absent (Jn 20:24). (This places the Road to Emmaus appearance earlier that afternoon.) After Thomas later hears of it, he has doubts in his heart (Jn 20:25).
11. The Lord appears again eight days later to the eleven in the locked room, and Thomas is there this time (Jn 20:26). The Lord tells Thomas to touch his wounds in his hands and his side (Jn 20:27).
12. Over the coming weeks, the disciples go to Galilee. (Mt 28:16a). If we understand that Matthew was recounting the events in broad strokes, not fine detail, we realize that there was a space between this first part of verse 16 and the second half of it. He covered a large span of time in few words.
13. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in the Bible (Jn 20:30).
14. While they were in Galilee, they went fishing. Seven of the disciples saw him on the shore while they were fishing in the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21:1).
15. The eleven disciples proceed to the mountain in Galilee (Mt 28:16b) and while they are there, Jesus comes up the mountain, where they see Him again, and He speaks to them. He leads them out to Bethany and commissions them to take the gospel to the whole world (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:16-19; Lk 24:50-51).
(Note: In Matthew’s account, the Great Commission appears to happen very soon after Mary Magdalene gave Jesus’ instructions to the eleven to go to Galilee, where they would see Him. In Matthew’s account, it seems as though it is the first time they see Him after His resurrection, but the Great Commission is recorded there, which Jesus did not give until forty days later, right before his ascension. There was obviously a gap of time that occurred between verses 16 and 17 in Matthew 28, or between verse 17 and 18. This is the way Matthew writes. In other words, even though it runs together in Matthew’s concise telling of it, the Great Commission occurred a few weeks after they first saw Him on the mountain in Galilee. For more about this, I suggest "Understanding the Gaps in Scripture.")
(Note about Bethany and Mount Olivet: Bethany is near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs, according to Jn 11:18. It only takes about a half hour to walk there from Jerusalem. You have to walk over Mount Olivet to get to Bethany. Mount Olivet is near Jerusalem, and Bethany is near the Mount of Olives according to Mk 11:1. Jesus instructed them to go to a mountain in Galilee where they would see Him, and that is where they saw Him AFTER they had seen Him in the locked room in Jerusalem. Galilee is not close to Jerusalem. It is unlikely that on the day of his resurrection they saw Him on a mountain, since they were still in the locked room in Jerusalem for fear of the Jews, in the evening on the day of His resurrection. It is also not possible that the mountain in Galilee where Jesus appeared to his disciples was Mount Olivet, since that is located near Jerusalem, not in Galilee. According to Luke, Jesus finally led them out as far as Bethany, and there he was carried up to heaven – he ascended -- before their eyes. This was not a private ascension. This event occurred forty days after His resurrection. And Luke added in his second account in Acts 1:12 that after Jesus' ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. When we put this together with Luke's first account in Lk 24:50, we can surmise that the ascension occurred in Bethany, and they had to walk over the Mount of Olives on their return trip to Jerusalem. This means that his appearance to the disciples on a mountain in Galilee occurred during the forty days after his resurrection, not the day he ascended. To summarize the appearances of Jesus to the eleven, His appearances in Jerusalem occurred first, then His appearances to them in Galilee, and finally came His appearance in Bethany immediately before His ascension. So there was a progression from Jerusalem to Galilee, and then back toward Jerusalem, with the ascension occurring in nearby Bethany, with the disciples returning to Jerusalem afterward.)
(Note about Jesus’ ascension: When Jesus appeared to Mary the morning of His resurrection, she wanted to cling to Him. But He told her not to do so, explaining that He had not yet ascended to the Father. 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.'"
This is the only recorded instance where Jesus told anyone not to cling to Him. Only a few hours later, he specifically told His disciples in the locked room to touch Him. Luke states: “But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’" (Luk 24:37-39). Some believe that Jesus ascended privately to the Father shortly after he rose on that first day, in order to be glorified, and a change occurred in His body. This, they believe, was prior to the public ascension seen by his disciples forty days later, and explains why He allowed no one to touch Him until later during the day of His resurrection.
If it were true that Jesus ascended privately on resurrection day, then it would also explain why Jesus said to Mary that first morning that she was to tell His disciples that He was ascending to His Father and God. If He did not ascend twice, the first time being soon after his resurrection, then we need to explain why He said on resurrection day that He was ascending to the Father. Was He referring to the public event that would occur forty days hence? It’s an interesting matter to consider, but certainly not an essential belief for our salvation.)
So the gospel record essentially agrees with Paul’s record that Jesus appeared first to Simon and then to the eleven altogether. That sequence is correct. Paul simply left out the fact that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene before He appeared to Peter. Whether this was intentional or not makes no difference. He had the sequence right, and did not explicitly deny the fact that Mary had seen the Lord before Peter did.
More than Five Hundred
Paul went on to describe what happened after Peter and the eleven saw Jesus. He states, “After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.” (1 Co 15:6)
So again, Paul does not mention that the Lord appeared to the two on the Emmaus Road, choosing instead to highlight Peter and the eleven. And after that came His appearance to more than five hundred people at once time. This rules out any possibility that these people could have been hallucinating. It is impossible for hundreds of people to experience the same hallucination simultaneously.
At the time that Paul wrote this to the Corinthians, around 54 or 56 AD, most of these folks were still alive. So several hundred of these witnesses were still available to be contacted, if the Corinthians wanted to verify Paul’s account of the resurrection.
It is very likely that this appearance to more than five hundred occurred in Galilee during the weeks following his resurrection, prior to his ascension.
James
After Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, Peter, the men on the Emmaus Road, the eleven and the more than five hundred at one time, Paul states, “Then He appeared to James…” (1 Co 15:7)
Since there were two disciples named James, we need to clarify which one Paul was referring to here. There was the apostle James the son of Zebedee, who was the brother of the apostle John. And then there was James the brother of Jesus, who wrote the book of the Bible called James. I don’t think Paul meant the apostle James, because he was one of the eleven who saw the Lord after Peter did. Paul had just mentioned that the eleven saw Jesus. So it would not make sense to mention James again. I think rather that Paul was referring to James the brother of Jesus.
James was one of the elders in Jerusalem who rendered important decisions for the church, such as the one made in Acts 15. Did you ever wonder how he got to be an elder in the Jerusalem church, even though he was not one of the original apostles? Well, Paul says the Lord appeared to him, and it is likely that this also occurred in Galilee, since James lived there.
What an amazing experience that must have been! James had not believed in the Lord during His earthly ministry. But he came to believe in the Lord later, probably after His resurrection. And he was blessed to see the Lord, who had been his earthly brother, after His resurrection. After that, James simply referred to himself as the bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All the apostles
Paul stated that after Jesus appeared to James, “Then to all the apostles…” (1 Co 15:7). This is also a noteworthy statement. We usually think of the apostles as synonymous with the Twelve, which later became the eleven after Judas “quit.” But Paul had already mentioned Jesus’ appearance to the eleven. Now he indicates that Jesus appeared to “all the apostles.” This makes it clear that there were in the early church more apostles than just the eleven. In fact, in his epistles, Paul mentions other apostles, so this is well established. And there are still apostles today, since this gift has never ceased to exist since that time.
This event when Jesus appeared to all the apostles was most likely on ascension day when he commissioned them to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. But there were others who also saw Jesus after that event, like Stephen, on the day he was stoned to death (Ac 7:55).
Paul
Finally Paul comes to the end of his list of those who saw the Lord alive after His resurrection. He states, “And last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.” (1 Co 15:8). Here he refers to his own experience seeing the Lord on the Road to Damascus (Ac 9:3; 26:13).
On that day, Paul’s travel plans were changed abruptly. He was headed to Damascus for one purpose – to persecute Christians – and when he got there, he had a completely opposite purpose – to preach the gospel. This itself is proof the Lord appeared to him. Why else would anyone go from being a hater of Christians, imprisoning them and approving their deaths, to being a die-hard gospel preacher, suffering persecution and imprisonment himself for the Lord’s sake?
Putting it All Together
So what Paul covered concisely in two or three sentences just took me ten pages to cover. He highlighted only six of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. But we know there were many more.
Jesus made many appearances during the forty days between His resurrection and His public ascension to heaven, where He was seated at the right hand of the Father. These include His appearance to Mary Magdalene with Joanna and Mary the mother of James, as well as His appearances to Peter, the two on the Emmaus Road, the eleven, James, and all the apostles.
When we speak of Jesus’ earthly ministry, this was a part of it we often forget. His earthly ministry did not end after his death on the cross, but continued for forty days afterward until his public ascension. In fact, His earthly ministry continued after His ascension.
Jesus appeared to Stephen while He was being stoned to death with Saul’s consent. Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Ac 7:55). Jesus appeared to the apostle Paul himself, on the Road to Damascus. And He appeared to the apostle John on the isle of Patmos (Rev 1:12-20).
In fact, the earthly ministry of Jesus continues to this day. The gospel of Mark ends with the statement that, “They went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.” (Mk 16:20). This is a concise summary of the entire book of Acts, and all that the Lord continues to do today to confirm His Word by signs and wonders.
Jesus continues to appear to people on earth today, whether or not anyone wants to believe it or report on it. For example, many say a supernatural dimension is at work throughout the Islamic world. There is an unseen revolution in Iran, in which many Muslims are coming to know Christ. Jesus has appeared to many of these Muslims.
If you would like to see some amazing, true testimonies of Muslims who gave their lives to Jesus Christ after seeing Him in a dream or vision, then I want to encourage you to visit "More Than Dreams: From Dreams to Reality." There you will find video dramatizations of five Muslims from the nations of Turkey, Iran, Nigeria, Egypt, and Indonesia, who each had such a supernatural encounter with Christ. I also highly recommend a book by Korean brother Yong-Doo Kim, called Baptize by Blazing Fire. It documents how Jesus appeared to him and the members of his church in January 2005, during an all-night prayer rally that lasted for thirty days. These are just examples, but there is much more happening than I could possibly cover here in this one blog.
Why should we doubt that He is doing this, when it is consistent with His character and past behavior? He’s alive, He’s wonderfully personal, and loves to reveal Himself to us. He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you
repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible
says?
“Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and
believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.
He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as
well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who
multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
Most people love the sunshine. It’s so beautiful to look at and it warms the air. When the sun is shining, people are in a better mood than on a cold, dark rainy day. The sunshine brightens our world and makes all the colors so pleasant to see – the blue sky, the green grass, the red flowers and the white puffy clouds.
Many people spend a lot of time sunbathing and playing in the sun. When people go several days or weeks without sunshine, in times of bad weather, they often become rather depressed and long for sunshine once again.
Yet in the darkness, when there are no lights on, there’s not much to see. I recall when I was in the Mohave Desert during my days in the Army Infantry. During the day, the sun was shining brightly and blazing hot. But at night, there were no lights from the city or from artificial sources, since we were in lights-out, tactical combat mode. So when the moon was not visible in the sky, it was pitch-blackness. If you put your own hand in front of your face, you could not see it.
Jesus Christ is referred to in Scripture as the Sun of Righteousness. That’s a very interesting name, and it has wonderful implications for your life. I’d like to explore this name with you. Let’s take a look together and find out what this means.
Sun of Righteousness
The prophet Malachi wrote: "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. (Mal 4:1-2).
The word for sun in this passage is the Hebrew word , שׁמשׁ, “shemesh” (sheh'-mesh). It comes from an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun. So while the expression “Sun of Righteousness” sounds like the English expression “Son of Righteousness,” this is not the case in the original Hebrew language the Scripture was written in.
This Hebrew word shemesh is the same word used for the actual sun in our sky, which is the closest star to the earth. But the Scripture does not confuse God with the sun, and never does it teach that the sun is God or that we should worship the sun.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psa 84:11)
God Created the Sun in Our Sky
The sun is one of God’s creations. It is not God or even “a god” as the sun worshippers believe. In the beginning, when all was dark, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Gen 1:3). And "God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also." (Gen 1:16)
The psalmist wrote: “Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: The sun to rule by day, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psa 136:3-9). Clearly we are to give thanks to the one who made the sun. We are to give our thanks and praise to Him alone.
In fact, the sun itself is commanded to praise the Lord. “Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light!” (Psa 148:3)
The Lord gives the sun to light up our day. “Thus says the LORD, ‘Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar? The LORD of hosts is His name.’” (Jer 31:35)
The Sun Will One Day Cease to Shine
In the age to come, we will no longer need the sun. "No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory.” (Isa 60:19)
“And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.” (Rev 22:5)
Jesus is the Light
We know that God dwells in unapproachable light. The apostle John wrote: “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1Jo 1:5) The apostle Paul also wrote, God is the One “who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” (1Ti 6:16)
Jesus proclaimed that He Himself is our Light. “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’" (Joh 8:12). He also said about Himself:
"We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."
(Joh 9:4-5)
So Jesus said to them, “‘For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.’ These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.” (Joh 12:35-36)
"I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. (Joh 12:46)
The apostle John wrote this about Jesus: “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (Joh 1:4-5). He also wrote: “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” (Joh 1:9)
The apostle Paul put it like this: “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2Co 4:6). Paul meant that the very One who created the light is the One who shone in our hearts. He is the One that gave us the Light in our hearts to know the Lord and see the glory of God in the face of Jesus.
Visible Light
The light of Jesus is sometimes manifested so that men can physically see it with their eyes. This was the case when Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up on the mountain and He was transfigured before them.
“Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. (Mat 17:1-6)
The apostle Paul saw the light of Jesus when he was heading to Damascus to persecute Christians. “As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” (Act 9:3). In fact, Paul said the light was brighter than the sun. “At midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.” (Act 26:13) You’re Either Full of Light or Darkness
More important than the light we see outside our bodies is the light that is within us. It can be completely dark outside and yet our whole body can be full of light. On the other hand, it can be as bright as the noon day sun outside and our body can be filled with darkness. Jesus said, "The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays." (Luk 11:34-36).
When we are light and our bodies are full of light, there is a certain fruit in our lives. “For the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” (Eph 5:9). The apostle John wrote: “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” (1Jo 2:9,10).
Walk in the Light
We need to live in the light once we have it. This lifestyle is compared to walking. Jesus taught about walking in the light rather than the darkness and compared it to how men walk in the natural light as well. "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." (Joh 11:9-10).
The apostle John put it this way: “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jo 1:7). When we walk in the Light, we have fellowship and relationship with the Light and with the sons of the Light. We’re cleansed from all our sin.
And as we continue to walk in the Light, our path grows brighter each day! As the Scripture says, "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day." (Pro 4:18). The Light within the righteous is ever-increasing. The personal revelation of Jesus Christ, as well as the personal knowledge of Him grows daily. This continues until there is no darkness remaining at all.
Let Your Light Shine
When Jesus lives inside of you, you are the Light of the world. That’s exactly what He said, so we need to act like it, too! "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 5:14-16)
"Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. (Luk 8:16). Jesus was warning us not to hide our light or keep people from knowing that we have the light within us. We need to let it shine so they can see it.
We also need to tell others about Jesus the Light. This was the apostle Paul’s mission in life once he came to know Jesus. The Lord said that Paul’s purpose was “‘to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'” (Act 26:18). People Love Darkness
We know that Satan blinds many, so that they cannot see the Light right now. The apostle Paul wrote that “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2Co 4:4)
People are living in darkness and actually prefer the darkness. Jesus said, "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” (Joh 3:19)
"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (Joh 3:20). This is the reason so many reject the gospel. It’s because they know their deeds are evil and they fear their deeds will be exposed.
Why not bring our evil deeds into the light and confess them and turn away from them? “But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.” (Eph 5:13). Why not become accountable to others for the way we live and become transparent?
Called into His Marvelous Light
The people of God have been called to live in His marvelous light. As Peter wrote: “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1Pe 2:9). Can you hear the Lord Himself right now, calling you into the Light?
Morning Star
The apostle Peter wrote about that time when he was on the mountain with James and John when Jesus was transfigured before them. That was the time when a light shone around Jesus and his clothes became dazzling white, brighter than anyone on earth could bleach them. Peter wrote: “For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’-- and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” (2Pe 1:17-18)
You see, Peter and the other two apostles saw the Majestic Glory and heard the Heavenly Father’s voice come from the Majestic glory, which honored Jesus. That’s why Peter could say that all the prophetic words in Scripture about Jesus the Messiah are now confirmed and made more certain by what the apostles have seen and heard. He said, “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2Pe 1:19). You need to pay attention to the prophetic words about Jesus written in the Holy Scriptures. You should pay attention to them like you would if you were in a dark place and paid close attention to a lamp burning near you. Peter said that if you do this, then eventually the day will dawn for you personally and the Morning Star will arise in your heart. When the day dawns, the morning star that arises is the sun.
Putting it All Together
Jesus is the Morning Star. He's the Sun of Righteousness. He's the Light of the World. When you come to know Him, you never have to walk in darkness again. And even when the sun is not shining, He lights up your world, because you are full of Light.
Those of us who know Him should walk in that Light. Goodness and righteousness and truth are the fruit that should be evident in our lives. Rather than hatred, there should be love. There should be an ever increasing aspect to the righteousness within us.
That should spill over into other people's lives around us, so that we're shining our light. We need to point people to Jesus, and that includes using words, too. Then they too can turn from darkness to light.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you
repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible
says?
“Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and
believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.
He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as
well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who
multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
