Many people who try to argue that Jesus is not God have failed to understand that there were three stages to Jesus' mission on earth. Let's review those together from Scripture:
1. Self-Humiliation
The first stage was His self-humiliation. This is the one that many people overlook or fail to understand when they erroneously deny the deity of Christ. They try to argue that if Jesus had to pray to God, then He could not be God. They also argue that if He could die, then He cannot be God, since God cannot die. But let me explain it to you like this.
The Word was with God and was God eternally, but then the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. This is called the incarnation.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being...And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (Joh 1:1-3,14)
In order for that to happen, the Word had to empty Himself of all His glory (including all of His divine attributes). That is called the kenosis or emptying (Phil 2:7), which was part of His humiliation.
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." (Php 2:5-7)
Notice that Paul said Christ emptied Himself. That word "emptied" comes from the Greek word "kenoo" meaning to abase or to empty. The word "kenoo" comes from the Greek word "kenos", which is where we get the English theological term kenosis. We use the word kenosis to refer to the fact that Christ first emptied Himself of all His glory.
Thus He limited Himself in His human form to the same limitations every person has, so that He could be tempted in every way just as we are yet without sin (Heb 4:15). He was the divine Son of God completely dependent upon the Heavenly Father for everything. He only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). He only said what the Father commanded Him to say (Joh 12:49). And in the garden of Gethsemane, He suffered under the weight of what He was about to go through, which was to carry all the sins and infirmities of the whole world in His body on the cross, and feel complete separation from the Father (Mat 27:46). But each time He prayed about it, He submitted to the Father's will and said to Him, "Yet not as I will, but as You will" and "...My Father... may your will be done." (Mat 26:39,42; cf. Lk 22:42). Hence He did go to the cross and die for the sins of all mankind, which was the Father's will. For it was the Lord's will to crush Him (Isaiah 53:10).
His humiliation also included His experiencing temptation (Mt 4), experiencing hunger, thirst, fatigue, rejection, suffering, rejection, betrayal, His passion, shame, disgrace, being beaten and spat upon, His crucifixion, and death. All of that was part of His humiliation. All four gospels record this historical fact that He was crucified, died, and was buried (Mat 27; Mk 15; Lk 23; Joh 19).
Some people mistakenly think that Jesus did all of His miracles simply by virtue of the fact that He was God. But that is not true. Scripture tells us that after He was baptized in water, He received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is how He became endued with power. He did all of His miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit, the same way that we do them by faith in Jesus' name as His followers. He showed us the way that we should walk in all things including this.
2. Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the second stage of His earthly mission, and it is well documented in all four gospels (Mt 28; Mk 16; Lk 24, and Jn 20), as well as the epistles and the Apocalypse of John. He is the One who was dead and behold He is alive forever and ever (Rev 1:18). He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End (Rev 22:13). And He still refers to the Father in Heaven as "My God" (Rev 3:2, 12).
After His resurrection, He appeared to many people. The apostle Paul summarizes these appearances:
"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 (Peter), 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. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." (1Co 15:3-9).
His appearances did not end with the ones recorded in Scripture. He has continued to appear to many people in these last days, including to many Muslims around the world and others from all nations.
3. Exaltation
The exaltation of Christ is the third stage of His earthly mission, which includes his ascension into heaven, His glorification, and His coronation as King of Kings, where He sat down at the right hand of God. This is also well documented in Scripture, including in the gospels (Mk 16:19; Lk 24:51) and the epistles (Heb 10:11-14; Acts 7:55–56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Rev 3:21). Paul puts it like this:
"Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Php 2:8-11).
That last part of the passage speaks of the fact that He is coming back again as Judge of all men.
Closing Words
I have explained from Scripture that there were three stages to Christ's earthly mission, which included His self-humiliation, His resurrection, and His exaltation. Moreover, I have emphasized that His self-humiliation included His kenosis, incarnation, temptation, suffering, rejection, betrayal, crucifixion, and death. I have also explained that His exaltation included His ascension, glorification, and enthronement at God's right hand. But let us never forget that He is also coming back to judge the earth in righteousness. I pray that He would find me ready on that day, and hope the same is true for you, too.
Attribution notice: Most Scriptures quotations taken from the NASB, copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Graphic image courtesy of Eric Echols, used per the Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.
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 G-d's Word, the Bible says?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of G-d, 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.
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.
When you look at some of the paintings and images of Jesus around the world, it's no wonder people have a wrong understanding of Who He really is. If you want the most recent picture of Jesus, you need to read the book of Revelation.
While the apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos, he saw Jesus in His glorified body. John said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, ‘Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.’ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.’” (Rev 1:10-18)
John also said, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.’” (Rev 19:11-16)
As John said, the Lord has eyes that are a flame of fire, and a sharp sword proceeds from His mouth.
The apostle Paul saw Jesus face to face. Luke wrote of the incident: “As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…’” (Act 9:3-5)
Personal Testimonies About Jesus
Now I would like to share with you some extra biblical testimonies of people who have seen the risen Lord Jesus.
Anna Rountree describes what the Jesus Christ is like in her books, “The Heavens Opened” and “Priestly Bride.” She said, “Jesus
came to reveal the Father…Jesus appears in heaven in a burning light.
Hundreds of spirits surrounded this brilliance, darting in and lifting
out like eagles catching heat currents. They were flying with the light
as if escorting it. So bright was this great light that it reduced
the spirits to silver outlines of themselves in its radiance. It
reminded me of figures passing in front of bright headlights on a dark
night, although here there was no surrounding darkness. Everything paled
that was near this intense brightness.”
Anna saw Him standing in the sanctuary of a church several times before over a period of years. She said, “One
time He was standing twenty-four feet high in the sanctuary of a
church. At that time He stood in the sanctuary, a rainbow encircling
Him, clothed in a shimmering, multicolored cloak. The light radiating
from Him looked alive. Suddenly He telescoped to the size of a man and
spoke. His eyes, though far away, suddenly were near and riveting, as if
aflame.”
She continued, “His eyes are clear
blue but as deep as a bottomless pool. It seems that if you could travel
into those eyes, you would understand all mysteries, that in plunging
toward the bottom of that deep pool, you would pass the answers to all
things. He embodies love, light, and truth. When you stand before
Him, a kaleidoscope of understandings floods your spirit, computing
faster than lightning.”
Michael Thomas Sambo said in his book, “Divine Revelation of God's Holiness and Judgement,” states:
"While walking on the street of gold along with the angels, in a moment of time, the angels led me to where Jesus was sitting. He was sitting on the throne.
No tongue can describe how the throne looked like. The floor of it was
built with precious stones. The throne was high and lifted up. The ray
of light coming out of the throne was brighter than the sun shining in
its full brightness. When I arrived at the throne I bowed down along
with the two angels and worshiped the Lord Jesus Christ. I tried to look into the throne but could not because of its brightness."
“And
since we were worshiping Jesus, I said, ‘Oh, I haven't seen Jesus yet!’
I quoted to you Hebrews 1:3 when he had by himself purged our sins, he
sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. And I knew if I found
the majesty on high, which is God the Father, I would find Jesus. And I
could personally tell him how much I love him and how much I appreciate
him. Now I was going through this maze of colors there was a changing
process. I don't know why, I can't describe it or even give you any
scripture for it. But there was a changing process. And presently I
came out into the brightest, whitest, clearest, cleanest, purest, most
intense light that I had ever even imagined in my entire life. Oh I
was seeing things that I had never dreamed of. And there, anywhere I
would look in the upper level of this city 1500 miles square, with that
rainbow or that oval type dome for a roof of this city, in there was the
throne of God. In any direction I looked, there He was! I could not
make any physical being, you know, I couldn't make out any physical
being because His Glory filled the throne. But I knew, I knew that Jesus
was sitting at his right hand because the word of God said so.”
He continued, “Presently I saw him. A massive, light, shaft of light. And I seemed so small in comparison to Jesus. I worshipped Him. Now when I say I saw Jesus, I knew it was Jesus. I
could not make (out) any physical form…the light was so bright that I
could not make out any physical being. The only way I could describe
that, if you were to take an about 3 million candle power search light,
one of these arc lights, you know, that you shine way up into the
heavens to advertise the grand opening of a place. During the war
particularly when they were searching for planes in the heavens. (That)
went way up there for miles it seemed like, in the heavens. Those same
lights if you would turn one of those down on a dark night and get
out there in front of it, and look at that searchlight, at that 3
million candle power arc light and try to distinguish the filaments in
that light, you would have the same success in trying to distinguish the
physical being of Jesus. But there exuded from that being Love,
Compassion, Tenderness, Purity, Power, Glory but yet so tender.
There was a gaze that I sensed. Have you ever just felt somebody just
gazing at you? And you looked and you saw them gazing at you. And even
while they were gazing at you, you couldn't stop it, they were there all
the time? That's the way I sensed the presence of Jesus.”
Lastly I would like to share two testimonies from the world famous evangelist, Brother T.L. Osborn. He stated:
"The
next morning at six o'clock, I was awakened upon a vision of Jesus
Christ as He came into our room. I looked upon Him. I saw Him like I
see anyone. No tongue can tell of His splendor and beauty. No language
can express the magnificence and power of His person."
"I
lay there as one that was dead unable to move a finger or toe,
awestricken by His presence. Water poured from my eyes, though I was
not conscious of weeping, so mighty was His presence."
"Of
all I had heard and read about Him, the half of it had never been told
me. His hands were beautiful; they seemed to vibrate with creative
ability. His eyes were streams of love, pouring forth into my innermost
being. His feet, standing amidst clouds of transparent glory, seemed
to be as pillars of justice and integrity. His robes were white as
light. His presence, enhanced with love and power, drew me to Him." (Healing the Sick, T.L. Osborn, p. 276).
Sister Ayo from Sierra Leone saw in Heaven and Hell. When she saw the Lord, she said He was shining as a Light. She said, if you were to take all the energy in the world and put it all together, it would not compare with the Light of Christ.
He said, "I AM that I AM that I AM. Before Abraham was, I AM. I created the heavens and the earth.”
"It took place in the jail. The Lord Jesus appeared in great light and clouds were around Him. He was clothed in a white robe with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool. His eyes were like blazing fire and His voice like the sound of rushing waters. I heard Him clearly saying, 'I am the first and the last... Fear not, for I am with you. There is no power against my power, there is no strength against my strength. He who touches you, touches my eyes. Be bold in your heart... all power is given to me in heaven and on earth, don’t forget... ' and many other encouraging words. I felt holy fear in my spirit. I could not look in His face; it was awesome and wonderful. I was strengthened in my soul and I was able to boldly proclaim the Gospel further on.”
"At that moment I heard the Lord's voice, a beautiful voice with thunder and love, 'Fear not, Daughter, for I am Jehovah, Your God, and I have come here to show you what I have promised you. Arise, for I am Jehovah, who holds you by your right hand and tells you, Fear not, I will help you.' Suddenly, I arose. I had been kneeling down, looking at my body, wanting to get back in but not being able to. When I heard His voice, fear had left me, and I was no longer scared."
"As I started walking, the angels began to open a path. There was a strong light shining, and as I gazed at it, I felt peace. As I looked, I saw a beautiful, tall, elegant, muscular man. Light was projecting from Him. There was too much light for me to see His face! But I could see His beautiful hair of brilliant gold and a white garment with a wide golden girdle that crossed His chest. It read, 'KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.'"
"I looked at His feet, He was wearing shiny golden sandals, of brilliant gold. He was so beautiful! He extended His hand to me. When I took His hand, it wasn't like when I touched my body, my hand did not go through it. I asked, 'What is happening?' And He said, 'I am going to show you hell, so that you return and tell humanity that hell is real; that hell exists. And also, My glory will I show you, for you to tell My people to be prepared, for My glory is real and I am real.' He said, 'Daughter, do not fear'- He said it again and I said, 'Lord, it's just that I want to go to heaven, but not hell, because I've heard that it's horrible!' He said, 'Daughter, I will be with you. I will not leave you in that place and I am going to show you that place because there are many who know that hell exists, but they have no fear. They believe it's a game, that hell is a joke, and many don't know about it. That is why I am going to show you that place, because there are more that perish than those that are entering My glory.' When He said that, I could see tears streaming down to His garments. I asked Him, 'Lord, why are you crying?' He replied, 'Daughter, because there are more that perish, and I will show you this, so that you will go and tell the truth and so that you will not return to that place.'"
Putting it All Together
As you can see from Scripture and personal eyewitness testimonies, Jesus still has a body made in the likeness of man, which is made in the image of God; but His glory is no longer hidden. He looks just like His Father, God, whose bodily form I have written about in another post. He is arrayed in majesty, robed in splendor, awesome in glory! He is worthy of all your worship and praise. He expects nothing less than a total surrender of your life to Him, and allows absolutely no idols to remain in your life. He's the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He's coming back again very, very soon!
Author's note: Please prayerfully watch and review these testimonies in their entirety, and use the Testimony Review Process
adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has
spoken to these people. For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with
the Lord, whether something is valid or not.
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.
God is so amazing. Often we try to understand Him using our human intellect, and we limit Him. We need spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we can have a true revelation of Him. Jesus Christ reveals the Father to us.
The Firstborn of All Creation
Paul said He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Col 1:15). I love this verse. Jesus is the image of God. If you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus. He said, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." (Joh 14:7). He also said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (Joh 14:9a)
It says He is the “firstborn of all creation” (Col 1:15b). The word for firstborn is the Greek word prototokos. It means “first born (usually as noun, literally or figuratively): - firstbegotten (-born).” -- Strongs.
So how can He who is the image of the invisible God, who is without beginning, also be the firstbegotten?
In the heart of the Triune God, Elohim, before He created the first Adam, He already planned for the Word of God to become flesh.
The Lord Jesus Christ created all things, including things in heaven, both the invisible things and the visible. He created all thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities, including satan. “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col 1:16-17).
In His all-wise, all-knowing mind, do you think He didn’t know that satan would rebel? Just as Jesus knew Judas was a traitor, the Lord knew what satan would do before He created him. The Lord also knew how He would defeat, dethrone, and destroy satan before He ever created him. He knew that He Himself would do it through the cross. First He banished satan and his demons from heaven. Then He decided to make something called man in His own image. Adam became the image of the invisible God.
In the beginning, when the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, we know that satan was already on it, because he was already around when Adam and Eve were in the garden (see Gen 1:1 and 3:1-5).
The Lord gave him dominion over all creation on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” (Gen 1:26). Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth included the serpent and all his subordinate minions. “God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” (Gen 1:28). Man was authorized to rule of every living thing that moves on the earth. That included satan, that old serpent, whom the Scriptures says “was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” (Gen 3:1).
But before the Lord ever created man in His own image, He knew that satan would attack man with temptation. And you can be sure the Lord already knew that man would fall into sin, thereby distorting the image of God in which he was created. And the Lord already had the rescue plan to save fallen mankind. As I have already mentioned, before the Lord created the first Adam, He already planned for the Word of God to become flesh. He knew that He Himself would then be the One to defeat, dethrone, and destroy satan through His work on the cross. God actually mentioned this plan of His to satan in the garden, when He cursed him saying, “And 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." (Gen 3:15). The seed of the woman Who would bruise the head of satan is the Lord Jesus Christ and His holy offspring.
The apostle Paul said, "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." (Col 2:15) Jesus has stripped satan of his authority and spoiled him through the power of the cross!
Now through faith in Christ, those who come to Him have their dominion over all creation on earth restored as it was before the fall. Jesus said, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.” (Luk 10:19)
God’s rescue plan was not an afterthought. It was premeditated. He knew that the Word would become the firstbegotten of the Father, Jesus our Lord, who is Christ eternal. So when the apostle says that Christ is the firstbegotten (prototokos), it means that in the heart of God, before He created man, Elohim intended that Jesus would be the firstbegotten of the Father. He would be the first, direct human offspring of the heavenly Father.
When Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, there was no seed of man involved. There was no human insemination of her womb, but rather a divine one that came through the Holy Spirit. “Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.’” (Luk 1:34-35). It was a virgin birth. This is why He was called the only begotten Son of God, because He was the first human Son the Father had ever directly begotten.
But God wanted a big family, so through Jesus He brought many sons to glory. The apostle says, "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings." (Heb 2:10)
Now there are many sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. So the apostle refers to Jesus as the firstbegotten. Surely He has now begotten other children, but Jesus was the firstbegotten. The firstborn son in any Jewish family always has the inheritance rights, and holds a place of preeminence above all the other children.
As far as God is concerned, He was the firstborn even before the first Adam was created. He already had the solution to man’s woes before man ever had a problem. God is in control!
The apostle Paul said, "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him." (Col 1:17-19)
This is such an awesome description of Jesus. Before anything else existed, He was. As the eternal God, He is the beginning. Not only did He create all things, but all things are held together by Him. That includes everything from the smallest atom to the largest galaxy.
Once He became flesh, He was then fully man (Son of Man) as well as fully God. As such, when He rose again after His vicarious death on the cross, He became the firstborn from the dead. He was the first one ever to be resurrected and receive a glorified body, so he became the first fruits of the coming resurrection. Like an athlete who places first in every competition, He will come to have first place in everything!
Putting it All Together
When you know Jesus, you don’t need to worry about your troubles. Just pray about everything, and the Lord will take care of you. He had the solution long before you ever knew you had a problem. He Himself is the solution.
He's not only the firstborn of all creation, He is prior to all things, before all, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, and He will ultimately have the first place in everything. Everything that exists was created by Him and for Him, and is held together by Him.
Therefore this helps explain how the Creator of all things could be called the firstborn of all creation. It was God’s intent before He created anything that Jesus Christ would be the firstborn Son of God to save mankind from perishing.
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.
In my previous post titled, "Ongoing Earthly Ministry of Jesus" (see here), I wrote about how the ministry of Jesus on earth continued after his resurrection, and continues even now, as we hear testimonies from around the world of His appearances in our own day. I also spoke about His ascension. Based on my very thorough research of the matter in the Scriptures, I came to the personal conclusion that there must have been two ascensions. In other words, Christ must have first ascended privately on resurrection day, without any human audience on earth to witness it. And then he came back to earth later that day to appear to His disciples, and continued to make many appearances for forty days until he ascended to heaven in full view of them all. But I didn't want to start teaching something I could not be sure of, so I merely stated it in parentheses as a side note that I found interesting. Here's what I wrote:
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.
That is an excerpt of the article I posted last December, which was nine months prior to writing this present article.
He Stripped satan of his authority The Scripture says of Jesus, "Having stripped rulers and authorities, He made a show of them publicly, triumphing over them in it." (Col 2:15) And this is exactly what happened! Hallelujah! Our enemy is a defeated foe, who stands condemned already.
Multiple Descents and Ascents
It may seem radical to talk about two ascensions, since we have always been taught that there was only one ascension of Christ -- that is, of course, the public one recorded in Acts 1:3. However, it would not surprise me, if Jesus actually ascended to heaven multiple times, during the forty days after his resurrection, following each of His appearances. Allow me to explain.
He appeared to His disciples on earth alive at least three times before the appearance He made on the day He ascended publicly to heaven (Jn 21:14). The first was to Mary (Jn 20:10-18), then to Peter and the twelve in the upper room (Jn 20:19; 1 Cor 15:5), then a third time to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (Jn 21:1). "After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time...then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles." (1Co 15:6-7). If you count all of these appearances, there may have been as many as six of them!
We know that Jesus did not cease to exist each time He disappeared, because He lives (see Jn 14:19), therefore, we know that He continued to live somewhere. So we need to ask, "Where did He go?" Well, we know that from the time of His resurrection, His home was in heaven, not on earth. For according to His own words to His disciples, they would no longer see Him, because He was going to the Father, although He did assure them that they would see Him again after a little while (see Joh 14:19; Joh 16:10,16). And according to His own words to Mary, after He spoke with her, He ascended to the Father in heaven. And He sat down at the right hand of God. But He must have descended each time He appeared to people on earth, and then ascended back to His home in heaven afterward. He certainly wasn't camping out by Himself on earth for forty days. So this means there may have been six ascensions, culminating with the public one that was seen on top of the Mount of Olives by those who returned to the upper room where they were staying; that is, "Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James...along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers." (Act 1:13-14)
And since Jesus continues to appear to people on earth today, He continues to descend to earth each time He does so, and then He ascends back to heaven each time afterward, even though they don't see Him do so.
Putting it All Together
You may not agree with my findings, and you don't have to. But this was the conclusion I had come to through my own, independent study of God's Word. I believe there was a private ascension of Jesus Christ on resurrection day, and another one that was seen publicly by His disciples only ten days before Pentecost. There were also likely several other private ascensions between these two. Likewise, Christ has descended and ascended many times since then.
Jesus has overcome sin, sickness, disease, and death for us, and has stripped satan of His authority through the cross. Indeed, He has overcome the world. If you need forgiveness, healing, deliverance or salvation today, it is available for you right now! God wants you to be forgiven, cleansed of sin, saved, healed, and completely delivered of bondage in your life. Don't live another minute without having your need met by Jesus. Call upon Him and cry out to Him in your place of need. He cares and will answer your cry.
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.
