May 27
“(Jesus) was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also . . . who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God,” 1 Corinthians 15:5-9.
After announcing to his hearers that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion, the apostle Paul speaks of a number of eyewitnesses who saw the resurrected Jesus alive. First, he mentions Cephas – that is another name for the apostle Peter. Sometime on the first Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to Peter, as the evangelist Luke also reported: “The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon,” Luke 24:34. Simon is also another name for the apostle Peter.
Then Jesus was seen by the Twelve, which was the group-name for the apostles. This appearance took place on Easter evening when Jesus appeared to the eleven apostles (Judas had committed suicide) who were hiding behind locked doors somewhere in Jerusalem. They were filled with fear. Their Lord and Master had been crucified. They were asking themselves, “What will the hate-filled Jews and the Romans do to Jesus’ followers?”
Then Jesus was seen by a group of men and women numbering over five hundred at one time in some unnamed place. By the time of Paul’s writing to the Corinthians, some of the five hundred had died, but most of them were still alive. After that, Jesus was seen by the apostle James. When that appearance took place and where, we are not told in Scripture.
Then Jesus was seen by all the apostles. This is a reference to the appearances of Jesus to all the apostles during the forty days after Easter and on the day of His ascension into heaven, as it is reported in the Book of Acts: “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me . . . You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight,” Acts 1:1-9.
Last of all, Paul says, “He was seen by me . . . who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.” Paul is referring to the time when the Lord Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, when he was called to quit persecuting the Christians and to instead become an apostle for the Lord Jesus Christ.
The purpose of reporting all of these appearances of the risen Jesus is to give evidence to silence the voices of all of the Bible critics who deny the resurrection of Jesus. Bible critics, atheists, agnostics, and all the unbelievers have no evidence for any of their lies. They speak of things about which they know nothing! Our call to them is, “Humble yourselves and repent and accept the true Word of God!”
Christians believe in a risen Redeemer and an ever-living Lord, who suffered, died, and rose again to conquer sin, death, and the devil for all people. Don’t make the foolish mistake of denying Him who loved you and who lived, died, and rose again to save you. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” Acts 16:31. Lord, keep this saving faith in our hearts! Amen.