April 17, 2022- The year was approximately 33 A.D., and the season was about to change. There was an unusual darkness that fell over the land in the afternoon witnessed by many. The day would be a peculiar one indeed. Yet, there was not a feeling of a physical storm, but a metaphysical doom, brought to the people by their own doings. The coming days would reveal the plans of God and fulfill the prophetic words spoken by prophets from many years before. Were the people going to be witness of a death, or a life renewed? Many did not know, and all they could do is watch what was happening and wait it out.
The darkness continued for three hours, and historical documents narrates the story. At the ninth hour, a crucified man that was condemned by His own people cried out from the cross at Calvary “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). Those that were nearby, thought that the man, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, was calling for a prophet that lived long ago, named Elijah. They stood by and waited to see if Elijah would appear. However, what they witnessed instead were His last words, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My Spirit” (Luke 23:46). When He died, the veil in the temple was torn from the top to the bottom. The crowd that was there beat their chests (a sign of repentance) and returned home.
The guard appointed to watching Jesus at Calvary witnessed what had happened, and said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54, and Mark 15:39). Other accounts recalled the guard saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” (Luke 23:47). Little did the guard know, he had not seen everything yet. God’s plan would be on display over the next few days and beyond.
The Events After Jesus Christ’s Death
When evening came, a wealthy man came named Joseph, who was a disciple of Jesus, went to the governor of Judaea, Pilate (a Roman man) and asked for Jesus’s body. Pilate commanded that the body of Jesus Christ be given to Joseph (Matthew 27:58). Joseph wrapped Jesus’s body in linen and laid Him in a new tomb that was made from rock, and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb. A few women were present witnessing this, and that included Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses. This was the Preparation Day, and the Sabbath drew near.
On the next day, the chief priests and pharisees went to Pilate said, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise’ [John 2:19]. Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:63-64).
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” So, they went to the tomb and sealed the stone to the door and set a guard.
The Resurrection
Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, and James came to the tomb three days after Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. They were coming with spices to anoint Jesus. Along the way to His tomb, they discussed “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” (Mark 16:5).
However, the earth shook breaking rocks and opening graves. Those sleeping bodies that had followed God’s laws in their lifetime, called saints, came out of their graves after Jesus Christ’s Resurrection. The saints then went into the holy city and appeared to many people (Matthew 27:51-53).
When Mary Magdalene and Mary looked up, they saw that the stone on the door of the tomb had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a man in white clothes sitting to the right. The man told them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples- and Peter- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” (Mark 16:6-7).
The women fled out of the tomb because they were both afraid and amazed. Yet hope and faith came to their hearts. However, their fear gripped their tongues, and they told no one of what they saw until Jesus Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Jesus Christ told Mary Magdalene to tell His disciples that that “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.” (John 20:17). She then went to Galilee and told His disciples what she had witnessed, but they did not believe her.
Jesus would appear to many others for 40 days.
Jesus’s Appearances
The same day, and on the road to Emmaus, a village seven miles from Jerusalem, Jesus Christ appeared to two of His disciples. The disciples could not recognize Him because their eyes were restrained (Luke 2:16). Jesus Christ asked them why they were sad.
These disciples explained the events that happened in Jerusalem over the past few days, who Jesus Christ was, and what they hoped He would be (a redeemer for Israel). The disciples also explained what Mary Magdalene said, and that they had gone to the tomb and saw for themselves that the tomb was as she had described. For the body of Jesus Christ was not there.
Jesus told them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” He spoke to them all the scriptures that spoke to Jesus as the Messiah (Luke 24:13-35). However, He was not sent to redeem only Israel, but all the people within the world itself, and not just for that time, but for the future generations within the world as well.
As they came to Emmaus, Jesus told them that He would have gone farther, but the disciples invited Him with them as the day was spent, and the evening would descend upon them. Jesus accepted their invitation and sat at a table with them. He took bread, broke it, and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they now recognized that the man on the road with them had been Jesus Christ the whole time. Jesus then vanished from their sight. The disciples then discussed these events from the road to the table, and within the same hour they went to Jerusalem where they would find the rest of the disciples.
Then, Jesus appeared to most of His disciples in the place that they were staying and greeted them with peace. Jesus showed them His hands and His side, and the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus breathed on them and told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:2-23). However, Thomas was not there.
Thomas doubted Jesus’s resurrection and His appearance to His disciples. Thomas said that he needed to see the prints from the nails in his hands and place his hand in Jesus’s side to believe it. Eight days later, Thomas would see these things for himself. Jesus told him, “Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” (John 20:29).
Afterwards, Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, and the sons of Zebedee (James and John) were at the Sea of Tiberias. Simon said he would go fishing, and the rest of the disciples said that they will go with him. They got into the boat at night but caught nothing. As the sun rose, Jesus stood on the shore, and the disciples did not recognize Him. Jesus Christ asked them if they had any food, and they told him no.
Jesus then suggested that they should, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” (John 21:6). There were so many large fish, 153 in fact, that they were not able to draw it in.
Then it hit John and he said to Peter that it was Jesus on the shore. When Peter realized this, we swam to shore, but the rest of the disciples took a small boat to the shore. When they arrived, Jesus had fish and bread ready for breakfast. Jesus then instructed Peter to feed His lambs, tend His sheep, feed His sheep, and follow him (John 21:15-19).
During the Resurrection, Jesus would appear to His disciples many times, and before His last day in His resurrected form, Jesus would tell them something particularly important.
After the Resurrection.
Jesus Christ told His disciples, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” In that moment, Jesus gave them understanding so that they may comprehend the scriptures. (Luke 24:44-45).
Jesus explained to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,” and He instructed them, “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:46-29).
Then, Jesus Christ of Nazareth led His Disciples to Bethany, where He blessed them and ascended into heaven. The disciples would start going into cities preaching the gospel, and preaching Jesus Christ and His teachings. They would be persecuted, but God would be with them always.
Preaching the gospel was essential and it still is now. Perhaps this article suggests that you should preach the gospel too?