Victorious Resurrection

Christ's Victorious Resurrection

After the resurrection of Jesus, He appeared to many people. This proves the power that Christ has over the realm of death. In fact, it had absolutely no hold on Him whatsoever!

Luke 24:13 records an encounter which occurred on the day of the resurrection. Cleopas and another of Christ’s followers were walking along a road to the city of Emmaus. They were talking of all the things that had happened. As they were talking, Jesus secretly joined them. Jesus began to open the Bible to them and shared what the Scriptures said about the Messiah. When they arrived at their destination, Jesus bade them goodbye and said He would go on his way. They pressed Him to stay for supper. When He broke the bread and passed it to them, their eyes were opened to who He really was. This was Jesus alive!

When they recognized who He was, He vanished instantly. That's because Jesus was in His resurrection body and could be present or vanish instantaneously. These followers knew they had really seen Christ alive. According to Luke 24:33 – “they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem where they found the eleven. With joy they shared the great good news and were informed” -- the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus knew that Jesus was alive!

As recorded in John 20:19, ten of the eleven remaining disciples saw the resurrected Christ. On this occasion, Thomas was not present. This occurred the same day -- resurrection day -- in the early evening when the doors were shut for the evening. The 10 disciples were in hiding for fear of what the Sanhedrin would do to them if they were found.

Jesus appeared and greeted them with the words “Peace be unto you." He showed them His nail-scarred hands and feet and His wounded side. This made the disciples glad.

Thomas was not present when Jesus visited the disciples. Afterwards Jesus visited Thomas.

According to John 20:25, "The other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the Lord. But Thomas said to them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe".

Jesus said to Thomas, "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."

Jesus knew all about Thomas’ doubts. After this appearance of Christ to Thomas, he doubted no more... but believed. "My Lord and my God," Thomas exclaimed.

These scriptures are proof of the deity of Christ. He had risen from the dead, appeared to many and allowed a disbelieving Thomas to physically see His wounds up close and personal.

Jesus appeared to quite a few people after the crucifixion. These witnesses of His resurrection saw that He had truly risen from the dead!

1 Corinthians 15:1-10

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached 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.
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
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.