The Many Appearances of Jesus After the Resurrection, According to Scripture

Christ did not just rise from the dead and then 40 days later, ascend into heaven. He appeared multiple times to many people during that 40-day period.

From ChurchPOP

By Caroline Perkins

Did you know that Jesus appeared multiple times after His resurrection, but before He ascended into Heaven?

Below you will find a list of each visit alongside the scriptural account, as well as additional references when available.

The Empty Tomb in Jerusalem

Here’s an account from Mk. 16:1-8:

“When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large. On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. He said to them, ‘Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him.'”

Find additional recordings in Matt. 28:1-20, Lk. 24:1-12, and in Jn. 20:1-10.

To Mary Magdalene in the Garden

Here’s an account from Mk. 16:9-11:

“When he had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.”

Find additional recordings in Jn. 20:11-18.

To the other women who had gathered in the holy city of Jerusalem

Here is an account from Matt. 28:9-10:

“And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.’”

To two disciples walking along the road to Emmaus

Here is an account from Mk. 16:12-13:

“After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.”

Find additional recordings in Lk. 24:13-35.

To the Apostle Peter in Jerusalem

Here is an account from Lk. 24:33-34:

“So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, ‘The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!'”

Find additional recordings in 1 Cor. 15:3-5.

To 10 disciples gathering in the Upper Room

Here’s an account from Jn. 20:19-25:

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. [Jesus] said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’ Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’”

Find additional recordings in Lk. 24:36-53.

To eleven disciples who had gathered in the Upper Room

Here is an account from Mk. 16:14:

“[But] later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised.”

Find additional recordings in Jn. 20:26-31 and 1 Cor. 15:5.

To seven disciples who had returned to fishing in Galilee

Here is an account from Jn. 21:1-14:

“After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’

“They said to him, ‘We also will come with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you caught anything to eat?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ So he said to them, ‘Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.’ So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’

“When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you just caught.’

So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come, have breakfast.”’And none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they realized it was the Lord.

Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

To eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee

Here is an account from Matt. 28:16-20:

“The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.’”

Additional recordings can be found in Mark 16:15-20.

To more than 500 people at an undisclosed place (referenced in Paul’s letter)

Here is an account from 1 Cor. 15:6:

“After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.”

To James

Here’s an account from 1 Cor. 15:7:

“After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.”

To His disciples and the Blessed Virgin Mary as He ascended to Heaven on the Mount of Olives

Here is an account from Acts 1:1-14:

“In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

“While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for ‘the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ When they had gathered together they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’

“He answered them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

“When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.’

“Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they entered the city, they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”

Find additional recordings in Lk. 24:44-53.

May the Risen Christ bring you joy this Easter Season!