CrossTalk: Resurrection Realities

Now that the Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs have been put away, the stores are already redecorated for the next holiday. But some of us are not so ready to move on. After all, the first Easter was not over after a single day.

It’s true that Easter Sunday was huge! Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene at the tomb (John 20:14-17; Mark 16:9). There, He also showed Himself to several other women (Matthew 28:9-10). Later that same day, Jesus appeared to Simon Peter (Luke 24:34). In the late afternoon, He spent some hours walking and talking with Cleopas and another disciple (Luke 24:13-32; Mark 16:12). That evening He appeared again to Peter and to the women and to Cleopas and his friend -- together with a whole roomful of disciples at once. There He talked with them, ate with them, and generally rubbed shoulders with them (Luke 24:36-49; Mark 16:14; John 20:19-23). But that doesn't end the story!

On the following day Jesus was still alive. His followers didn’t pack up the decorated eggs and start looking forward to Mothers’ Day. On the contrary, they continued to see dead men walking! It wasn’t the Zombie Apocalypse. These were saints, holy people of God, who came back to life at the earth-shattering moment of Jesus’ death. These people left the graveyard and entered into Jerusalem to walk and talk and be seen by many different people (see Matthew 27:52-53).

Nor did Jesus stop His Easter activities on the day after Easter. A week later, He appeared again to the disciples gathered in the upper room. But this time, Thomas was there, too (John 20:26-29). About a week after that, Jesus appeared to Peter, James, John, Thomas, Nathanael and to other apostles who had left Jerusalem and were fishing on the sea of Galilee (John 21:1-14). In fact, Jesus kept appearing to various and sundry people for almost six weeks after Easter until He withdrew His visibility on the day of Ascension. “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:13).

Paul sums up the list of Jesus’ appearances like this, “He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles." Notice the phrase, "most of whom are still alive” (1 Corinthians 15:5-7). Paul wrote these words in 56 AD only about 25 years after Easter. So recently that most of the 500 people who saw Jesus during the 40 days after Easter were still around to tell and retell their stories, to fill in details and to answer questions. Think back to something important that happened to you in 1989 and you will have an idea how vivid and reliable their memories were.

I rehearse all these details for three reasons. First, I thought you might appreciate knowing how many eyewitnesses there were to the resurrection. Your confidence should grow knowing that they were cross-examined and checked out by so many people, for so many years. The trustworthiness of the Bible is also strengthened when you know that it was written during the life-times of thousands and thousands of people who saw and heard the events themselves. Knowing all this, you will either be strengthened in what you already believe or you will need to re-examine why you don’t believe it.

Second, the extended time of Jesus’ appearances after His resurrection, can help you understand why the Christian Church doesn’t celebrate Easter on one day only. We keep the Easter celebration going for seven full weeks! Even then, Easter is never really ever “over.”

Still, we are living in a world where Jesus is arisen. This is the third point. The resurrection is not merely ancient history. It is a present reality. The passage of time has not tarnished the brightness of the resurrection in the least. We may get distracted from thinking about it. But the energy and joy of Easter is still every bit as fresh as it was on that first Easter two millennia ago. Nothing has changed. Jesus is still risen from the dead. Satan has still been conquered. The risen body and blood of the Risen Lord is still available for you.

For this reason, your life today can and should be lived as though Christ died yesterday, arose this morning, and will come again tomorrow. Happy Easter!