Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of humanity, appeared to His disciples several times after His resurrection. These appearances were crucial in strengthening their faith and reinforcing their belief in Him as the Messiah. In this article, we will explore how many times Jesus appeared to His disciples and what happened during these significant encounters.
The First Appearance
The first appearance of Jesus after His resurrection was to Mary Magdalene. According to the Gospel of John (20:16-18), Mary visited the tomb on the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion and found it empty. While crying outside the tomb, Jesus appeared to her and spoke with her.
At first, Mary did not recognize Him until He called her by name. She then recognized Him and exclaimed, “Rabboni!” which means “Teacher” in Hebrew.
Appearances to The Disciples
After appearing to Mary Magdalene, Jesus appeared to His disciples several times. In one instance, He appeared to them while they were gathered behind locked doors (John 20:19-23).
He greeted them with peace and showed them His hands and side as a sign that it was indeed Him who had been crucified. He then breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This encounter strengthened their faith in Him.
In another appearance (John 21:1-14), Jesus revealed Himself to some of His disciples while they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. He instructed them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, which resulted in a miraculous catch of fish. When they came ashore, Jesus had prepared breakfast for them.
Appearance to Thomas
One of the most significant appearances was when Jesus appeared to Thomas (John 20:24-29). Thomas had doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead unless he saw Him with his own eyes and touched His wounds. Jesus appeared to him and invited him to touch His wounds, which resulted in Thomas confessing, “My Lord and my God!”
Appearance to The Eleven
Jesus also appeared to the eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20). He instructed them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is known as the Great Commission.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Jesus appeared to His disciples several times after His resurrection.
They also served as a reminder that death has no power over Him. The appearances of Jesus are recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. As believers, we can take comfort knowing that Jesus is alive and is with us always.