The Appearance of Jesus
The women went to tell the apostles what they had learned. Immediately Peter and John ran to the sepulchre to confirm their report. A little later Mary Magdalene stood weeping near the tomb. Suddenly, Jesus appeared to her, but she did not recognize Him until He called her by name. He told her to go to His brethren to tell them that He would ascend unto the Father. This she quickly did.
About this time Jesus appeared to the other women, possibly including Mary Magdalene. The stories of His appearances raised the hopes of the apostles who had been lost as sheep without a shepherd after the crucifixion. Other reports came to their ears. Christ had shown Himself to two disciples walking in the countryside on the road to Emmaus and had been seen by Cephas (Peter).
Even so they must have been startled when later that day Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst as they were gathered in a closed room. But the lacerations of His body soon convinced them that the One who stood before them was their Master in the flesh. He showed them that He was not in the form of a spirit by eating a broiled fish in their presence. (Luke 24:43) The apostles no longer doubted the resurrection of Jesus, that is, except Thomas who was absent. When told of these events he declared, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."(John 20:25) Just a week later Jesus again appeared to the disciples. This time Thomas was present. Christ addressed Himself to Thomas:
"Put your finger here; See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."(John 20:27) Thomas did believe as he cried out, "My Lord and my God." The fact that the apostles, and especially Thomas, were turned from skepticism to belief is one of the strongest proofs of the bodily resurrection of Jesus.
Later Jesus appeared to seven disciples at the Sea of Galilee and again to the eleven on a mountain. We are told that He presented Himself to 500 at one time and also to James. (1 Cor. 15:6, 7) Finally, He appeared to all the apostles at His ascension into heaven, forty days after the resurrection. As Jesus spoke with them, giving them His final words of exhortation, He ascended into the clouds of heaven and was seen by them no more.
The Significance of the Empty Tomb
The importance of the resurrection of Jesus is summed up by Paul, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God... And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins."(1 Cor. 15:14, 15, 17) Jesus died to atone for our sins. But we could not know that He did so unless we also knew that He arose from the grave, for one who did not have the power to conquer death would not have power to forgive sins. Only in the light of the empty tomb does the cross have significance.
Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus demonstrates the possibility of our resurrection. If He could conquer death for Himself, He can overcome it for His disciples. The Christian's hope of eternal life is inseparably connected with the resurrection of Jesus.
The resurrection of Christ also shows that Jesus brought an end to the old covenant and its law when He died on the cross. The Mosaic Age in which Israel had been living for 1500 years ended at Calvary. There Jesus blotted out "having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us... he took it away, nailing it to the cross."(Col. 2:14) From that time forth all men, Jews and Gentiles, have lived in the Christian Age and are subject to the laws of Christ as recorded in the New Testament.
The Great Commission
Before His ascension Jesus gave His disciples a commission. It is recorded in different forms in the first three gospels. Although He had previously given them a limited commission to go only to the Jews. His new commission was worldwide.
Let us read the three accounts of the Great Commission. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."(Matt. 28:19, 20) "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."(Mark 16:15, 16) "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."(Luke 24:46, 47) The chart shows the sum of the three accounts of the Great Commission.
Matthew - "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." (Matthew 28:19-20)
Mark - "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)
Luke - "and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47)
SUM - Teach(Proclaim); Gospel; All (nations); Believe; Repent; Baptize in the Name of Father, Son, Holy Spirit; Saved(forgiveness), Teach
Christianity is aggressive. Jesus insists that His disciples take the gospel to others. Therefore He instructed the apostles to go. They were to teach or preach the gospel, which, as we shall later learn, includes the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. They proclaimed Christ, not politics, science, or economics. Their message was to be taken to all nations. Unlike the Law of Moses, the gospel story is intended for those of every race or nationality who will accept Jesus as their Savior. Christians cannot allow racial prejudice to confine their efforts to proclaim Christ.
The conditions of salvation as given in the commission are simple. A sinner must believe in Christ, repent and then be baptized. Baptism is to be into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit) rather than into the name of Jesus only. The blessings of forgiveness of sins and salvation come as a result of one's baptism rather than preceding it. Jesus states, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved."(Mark 16:16)
The Great Commission concluded by instructing the apostles to teach the converts all of those things which Christ had commanded them. It is not enough to show the lost how to come to Christ. They also must be taught how to live for Him that they may receive the eternal reward at the end of the way.