The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central tenet of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christianity collapses into just another in a long list of fake religions the world has known. The real symbol of our faith isn’t the cross, it’s the empty tomb of Jesus, because he is risen. Satan tried unsuccessfully to stop Jesus from completing his work on earth for the Father. Satan then had no other choice but to try to discredit the resurrection of Christ by any means necessary. From God’s perspective, what good would it do to send his Son to die on the cross for our sins and be raised from the dead if nobody knows about it and it can’t be proven. God knew Satan’s moves to discredit the resurrection of Jesus beforehand and countered by making sure the sightings of the resurrected Christ were numerous and well documented.
Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared no less than 17 times after he was resurrected from the dead. Five times during the first Easter Sunday. Six more times between then and Pentecost, fifty days later when Jesus ascended back to heaven. The last six appearances of the risen Christ appeared between Pentecost and the end of the Bible. Taken as a whole, the appearances of Jesus are of such various character and to so many people under so many different circumstances that the proof of the resurrection of Christ is as solid as any historical fact that could be cited in the first century.
APPEARANCES OF THE RESURRECTED JESUS:
1. To Mary Magdalene as she remained at the tomb after Peter and John had left – John 20:11-17
2. To the other women who were also returning to the tomb and saw Christ on the way – Matthew 28:9-10
3. To Peter in the afternoon of the resurrection day – 1 Corinthians 15:5
4. To the two disciples of Christ as they walked on the road to Emmaus – Mark 16:12
5. To the ten disciples – Mark 16:14
6. To the eleven disciples a week after his resurrection – John 20:26-29
7. To seven disciples by the Sea of Galilee – John 21:1-23
8. To a group of 500 people – 1 Corinthians 15:6
9. To James, the Lord’s brother – 1 Corinthians 15:7
10. To eleven disciples on the mountain in Galilee – Matthew 28:16-20
11. To his disciples at the time of his ascension – Acts 1:3-9
12. To Stephen just prior to his martyrdom – Acts 7:55-56
13. To Paul on the road to Damascus – Acts 9:3-6
14. To Paul in Arabia – Acts 26:17
15. To Paul in the temple when Paul was warned concerning the persecution which was to come – Acts 22:17-21
16. To Paul while he was in prison in Caesarea, where the Lord told him he would bear witness in Rome – Acts 23:11
17. To the Apostle John at the beginning of the revelation given to him – Revelation:1:12-20