Several appearances of the resurrected Jesus are recounted in the gospels and Acts – some to individuals and others to groups, some indoors and others outdoors, some to softhearted people, and others to skeptical doubters. Some persons touched Jesus or ate with Him so there is no doubt that He was physically present. The appearances occurred over a forty day period between his resurrection and the celebration of Pentecost. And there are good reasons to trust these accounts as they are not only – as we have proved – by credible witnesses, they are also quite to the fact, devoid of typical “mythical tendencies” one might expect if the account was written to  impress the readers. As one can argue: as the Bible is true, so is the resurrection.

The following (table 21-2) is a list of all the appearances of Jesus as listed in the Bible: [18]

Table 21- 2 : Resurrection Appearances in the New Testament

Locations of the Biblical Appearances of Jesus

These ten different accounts of the appearances of Jesus by five different witnesses are strong compelling evidence. Especially, as we should realize – and this cannot be overemphasized:

·         We have five (including Paul) independent and reliable eye-witnesses.

·         Even with a liberal approach to dating the gospels, all documents were written before the end of the first century (and likely much earlier).[19]

·         The accounts are consistent in timing and experience, and they support each other in all the main events. There are variations in the details of the sequence, some involving individuals of the appearances, but those differences support the credibility of individual, independent testimony, and can be harmonized.[20]

·         The appearances are to various individuals or groups of people, including numerous non-believers.

Also the writings of the Early Church Leaders include accounts of the resurrection. Of greatest interest are letters written by the disciples of the apostles.  These men had been personally taught by and were in close fellowship with the apostles. Their writings are not eyewitness testimony, but these personal accounts reveal what the apostles shared regarding their resurrection experiences and how it impacted their lives:[21]

Jesus' Resurrection Confirmed by the Early Church
Source	Text
Clement of Rome writing to the Corinthians (ca. 95 AD)	“Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a future resurrection, of which He has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits by raising Him from the dead.” [22]
	“Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ. Both these appointments, then, were made in an orderly way, according to the will of God. Having therefore received their orders, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and established in the word of God, with full assurance of the Holy Ghost, they went forth proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand.” [23]
Polycarp writing to the Philippian church (ca. 110 AD)	“……and in Paul himself, and the rest of the apostles. [This do] in the assurance that all these have not run in vain, but in faith and righteousness, and that they are [now] in their due place in the presence of the Lord, with whom also they suffered. For they loved not this present world, but Him who died for us, and for our sakes was raised again by God from the dead.” [24]

Table 21- 3 : Resurrection Confirmations by the Early Church

Read on about: (7) The resurrection creed: 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

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