40 Days Jesus Appeared

Did you know that for 40 Days Jesus Christ appeared at various times to His disciples AFTER He was crucified and rose from the dead?!! Let's journey with Him through the eye witness accounts found in the gospels of the New Testament. Imagine you are actually there seeing the events unfold. What did the disciples experience that changed their lives forever? How can that change your life today and forever?

 

You will find the eyewitness accounts beginning with the Resurrection and continuing to the Ascension recorded in:

Matthew 28:1- 20
Mark 16:1- 20
Luke 24: 1- 53
John 20: 1- 25
Acts 1:1- 11

However before we open these amazing texts, let's ponder these two questions:

Why is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ important to all people? What is so significant about the forty days He appeared to His disciples and many more people?

As human beings most of us have a sense of value of our own individual life and the thought of death is unthinkable... we simply don't like to think about it. We find death to be an uncomfortable, troubling reality. When a loved one dies, we are shaken to the core. Our hearts are broken, knowing that we will never see or talk to our loved one again in this life. Furthermore, it is a reminder that our death will come someday as well. This fact of life has impacted people for thousands of years. Is there a religion or philosophy that could answer that troublesome question of  "What happens to me when I die?"

Most religions attempt to answer that question. They each believe that they are the one true religion. But is there any proof for their claims? New Age believers today prefer to create their own beliefs, picking and choosing whatever philosophies "rings true" or seems good to them. They reject the concept that any religion could hold exclusive truth. However, that seems to be a flimsy answer to a very real question. Since I have no control over when I will die or when the people I love will die; it stands to reason that I am not qualified, if you will, to pick and choose a life (and death) philosophy that will stand the test of time. If I want to answer the question of where will I go when I die; perhaps I need to consider; how did I get here in the first place? Is there a Creator? Is there someone who knew me before I was born and had a purpose for my life? And if so has He communicated with people over the ages? With so many religions to choose from; then how do we know which one is true? Which one can I depend on that will help me to answer that troubling question "What happens to me when I die?"

Since this blog is a Christian blog; we will examine Christianity and the question, "Is Christianity true?" Is there any proof that will stand the test of time and historical accuracy? Simply stated, The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is THE one and only event in all human history that is completely unique and is completely documented by eye witness accounts. Many, many books have been written stating the historical accuracy of this one remarkable event. It can stand the scrutiny of any other historical event that is held to be true. Furthermore, the other world religions can not prove their claims in a real, tangible, physical and historical sense; as the Resurrection can. A movie came out in the Spring  of 2014 titled Risen. It is a novel story about these 40 Days after Jesus rose from the dead. The main character in this movie is a Roman Centurion who was tasked with the job of producing the body of Jesus Christ. Here is the trailer to this compelling movie.

This year another faith building movie came out called "The Case for Christ". It is based on the true story of how Lee Strobel transitioned from being a staunch atheist to becoming a believer in Jesus Christ. Both he and his wife were atheists, until a life changing event happened, which brought his wife into faith in Jesus Christ. Lee was not pleased and it drastically affected their marriage; so he set out on a course to disprove Christianity in the hopes that his wife would abandon the folly of faith in Christ. Here is the trailer for this amazing movie.

Why is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ significant to all people? Because each of us will die someday.  What will happen when we die? Is there something more? Is there a hope of life after death?

What is so important about the forty days He appeared to His disciples and many more? He raised from the dead and He had a physical body. He appeared to his disciples, talked to them and even let them touch him. He could even eat. He was as real and tangible as you and I are now, only He could disguise Himself and even just appear in a room with locked doors. Just before He raised Lazarus from the dead he said; "I Am the Resurrection and the Life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying." He asked Martha, "Do you believe this?" John 11:25, 26  When He Himself rose from the dead, He proved that His claim was true and we who believe also will live even after dying! Now the question remains, Do you believe this?

So in these 40 days after He first rose from the dead, we have recorded in the New Testaments the:

EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS!!!

I will put up eyewitness accounts in these posts over the next 40 days up to the Day of the Ascension when Jesus ascended into heaven.