When we talk about the life of Jesus Christ, one of the most fascinating aspects is His resurrection. After being crucified on the cross, Jesus rose again from the dead on the third day.
However, what many people don’t know is that after His resurrection, Jesus actually appeared to His disciples multiple times before ascending into heaven. Let’s take a closer look at how many times Jesus came back to His disciples.
The First Appearance
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene outside the tomb where He was buried. She was shocked and went to tell the disciples that she had seen Him.
Later that same day, while the disciples were gathered together in a room, Jesus suddenly appeared among them. They were terrified at first, thinking He was a ghost. But then He showed them His hands and feet, where they could see the wounds from His crucifixion.
The Second Appearance
A week later, Jesus appeared to His disciples again in the same room. This time Thomas was there with them and he had previously expressed doubts about Jesus’ resurrection.
When he saw Him in person and touched his wounds, he declared “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
The Third Appearance
After this second appearance, Jesus went to Galilee where He appeared to seven of His disciples while they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. They did not recognize Him at first but when they caught a large number of fish at his direction they realized it was Him.
The Fourth Appearance
At some point after this third appearance in Galilee but before his ascension into heaven described in Acts 1:9-11; Jesus appeared to James who was one of his brothers (Galatians 1:19). We do not have any further details recorded about this appearance.
The Fifth Appearance
During one of His appearances to His disciples, Jesus told them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. After He ascended into heaven, they returned to Jerusalem and waited as instructed.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon them with power and they began speaking in tongues and preaching boldly. This event marked the beginning of the church age.
Conclusion
In total, Jesus appeared to His disciples at least five times after His resurrection. Each appearance was significant in its own way and helped to solidify their faith in Him as Lord and Savior. These appearances remind us that Jesus is alive and active in our lives today, just as He was in the lives of those who witnessed His resurrection nearly 2000 years ago.