Jesus repeatedly told His disciples (and by extension you and I) what would happen after He was crucified. And that after He was taken up, He [Jesus] THROUGH the Holy Ghost would give commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen. (Acts 1:2-3) But note, after Jesus died on the cross and His lifeless body placed in the tomb for three days and three nights, Jesus rose again. And between rising from the dead and His ascension, it is important to know that Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples multiple times. (Acts 1:2; I Corinthians 15:1-8)
Moreover, during this time, Jesus appeared to different groups of people including Mary Magdalene and other women at the tomb, Peter in Jerusalem, His disciples behind closed doors, the two travelers on the road, Jesus' brother James, the disciples with Thomas, and seven disciples while fishing, eleven disciples on the mountain, a crowd of five hundred, and then -- last of all, apostle Paul. Yes, Paul was the last to see Jesus.
"And last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that man not meet to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (I Corinthians 15:8-10)
Indeed, Paul declared unto us the gospel, which also ye have received and wherein ye stand, "by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures." (I Corinthians 15:1-4)
But Paul was not the only one to see Jesus for the last time. (I Corinthians 9:1; I Corinthians 15:8)
"And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome" had come to the sepulcher where Jesus was buried. It was early on the first [day] of the week, and indeed, yet dark. By this time, the earthquake had caused the stone to roll away. Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene, "out of whom He had cast seven devils." And she went and told them that had been with Him as they mourned and wept. (Mark 16:1-11; John 20:11-18)
"But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher. And sees two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, "Woman, why weep thou?" She saith unto them, "Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid Him." And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus said unto her, "Woman, why weep thou? Whom seek thou?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, "Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him and I will take Him away." Jesus said unto her, "Mary." She turned herself, and saith unto Him, "Rabboni" which is to say, "Master."
Jesus said unto her, "Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father, and to My God, and your God." (John 20:1-18)
In Matthew's account, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the sepulchre, and the angel of the Lord said unto the women, "Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and, behold, He goes before you into Galilee. There shall ye see Him. Lo, I have told you." (Matthew 28:1-8) But as they departed quickly, Jesus met them saying, "All hail." And they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then said Jesus unto them, "Be not afraid. Go tell My brethren that they go into Galilee and there they shall see Me." (Matthew 28:9-10)
Luke includes Joanna, and other women with them which told these things unto the apostles. (Luke 24:10)
Peter was one of those apostles told, and although the women's words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not, Peter still ran unto the sepulcher. And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem. While they communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. And He said unto them, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?"
And the one of them (whose name was Cleopas) answering said unto Him, "Art Thou a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?" And He said unto them, "What things?" And they said unto Him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and have crucified Him. But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel; and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done." (Luke 24:20)
"After that He [Jesus] appeared in another form unto TWO of them, as they walked, and went into the country, and they went and told unto the residue; neither believed they them. Afterward He appeared unto the ELEVEN as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen." (Mark 16:12-14)
"And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself spake and saith unto them, "Peace be unto you." But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit, and He said unto them, "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have. And when He had thus spoken, He showed them [His} hands and [His] feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, "Have ye here any meat?" And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and of a honeycomb. And He took and did eat before them ..." (Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-25)
The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to SIMON. (Luke 24:34)
"And after eight days again, His disciples were within, and Thomas with them, [then] came Jesus the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be unto you." Then saith He to Thomas" who had not been with the disciples earlier, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into My side, and be not faithless, but believing." And Thomas answered and said unto Him, "My Lord and my God." Jesus saith unto Him, "Thomas, because thou hast seen Me thou hast believed. Blessed they that have not seen and [yet] have believed." (John 20:26-29)
Seven disciples were fishing -- Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. This is where Jesus tells them to cast the net on the right side of the ship and they shall find. (John 21:1-14)
Eleven disciples were on the mountain, where Jesus had appointed them, "and when they saw Him they worshiped Him. Note that some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth ..." (Matthew 28:16-20)
A crowd of 500 and James the brother of Jesus (I Corinthians 15:6-7)
Those who watched Jesus ascend to heaven in Acts 1:2-8) "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James," where these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus and with His brethren." (Acts 1:1-14)
And to summarize, Paul clarifies who was last to see Jesus again in I Corinthians 15:1-8:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, He was seen of James; then of all the apostles, and last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." (I Corinthians 15:1-8)
Let him who has ears to hear, hear. Stand in the offering plate.
No comments:
Post a Comment