2010_Session 5 Who is Alive

Who is Alive?

Jesus Christ who rose from the grave is alive!

Jesus was born; Jesus ascended to Heaven; in between Jesus teaches, heals, suffers, dies and comes back to life. The life of Jesus is a story of triumph that confirms and validates His identity as God incarnate.

There are five recorded occasions when Jesus specifically stated He was going to die:

Faith Service Worship Vision There may be times when you find it difficult to reconcile God’s truth to your own opinion or worldview, God’s truth is eternal, it does not change, our understanding of the truth does change as we allow God to work in our hearts and minds.

These sessions are not about opinion, they are about learning truth, the truth contained in the Bible, together we are going to focus on how we apply God’s truth, black & white in a grey world. To set godly priorities, grow in Christian character and live according to God’s standards so that we are a living witness to others.

Who you believe: Session 5

Ashingdon Elim Bible Study 16 February 2010

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Matthew 16:21 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. Matthew 17:22-23.

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

Mark 8:31.

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” Mark 10:32-34.

And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Luke 9:22.

Jesus described in detail His crucifixion and was explicit in stating that He would rise from the dead three days later. His disciples reaction to Him sharing His destiny with them was mixed. Often the statements Jesus made mystified the disciples, sometimes they even protested about His words.

With the benefit of hindsight we can look back at what Jesus said and see that He was 100 percent accurate in His description of what would happen. Jesus was crucified. Jesus was laid in the tomb. Jesus was resurrected. The accuracy of the fulfilment of prophecy is part of the strong evidence of who Jesus was and is.

Why is the resurrection important?

The resurrection is on the list of reasons for recognising the deity of Christ. It is an event that validates His identity, His miracles, His power over nature, His hand in creating the world and us.

His resurrection confirms His compassion for each of us.

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An illegal arrest!

Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. John 19:38-40.

All of the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – record this incredible event. Jesus was with His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane praying.

The Chief Priests (the ones who taught the law to the people) sent Roman soldiers and some of the Hebrew elders to capture Jesus. After a series of illegal night trials, in the morning soldiers took Jesus outside the city of Jerusalem to the hill of Golgotha to be crucified.

Why 75lbs of spice? It is important to note that the amount of spice used in the burial (75 pounds / 34 Kilograms / In Greek 100 litrai) was the amount that was normally used for royal burials.

Roman soldiers then rolled a heavy stone weighing several tonnes across the opening of the tomb.

Rock‑hewn tombs in Palestine were usually closed with a circular stone set in a slanting groove; when pushed its own weight would close the door - to open it again would require several strong men. His enemies were fearful that the disciples may attempt to steal the body and they were not going to take any chances. They asked that a seal, the symbol of Roman authority, be placed on the stone. In their paranoia they also asked for Roman soldiers to guard the seal and the tomb around the clock.

Calvary or Golgotha (ˈgoɫ.gə.θɘ) are the English language/Western Christian names given to the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early 1st century walls, ascribed to the crucifixion of Jesus. The name Golgotha is the Greek transcription given by the New Testament, of an Aramaic name, which has traditionally been presumed to be Gûlgaltâ; the Bible refers to it as place of [the] skull Κρανίου Τόπος (Kraniou Topos) in Greek, and Calvariae Locus in Latin, from which we get Calvary.

On Sunday morning three days after the burial, several women who were follower of Jesus went to the tomb. When they got there they found the tomb open and the stone rolled away. The body was gone. The tomb was empty. The guards had gone.

Jesus had left the grave alive, not dead. This was the authentication that He was not just a good man, He was not just a prophet, He was the One who conquered death.

The location itself is mentioned in all four canonical Gospels: Mark - And they brought him to the place called Gol’gotha (which means the place of a skull) Matthew - And when they came to a place called Gol’gotha (which means the place of a skull)

The next chapter

Luke - And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left

The religious leaders were desperate. They had to hide the event of the empty tomb. They even bribed the soldiers and told them, “Tell everybody the disciples stole the body while you were asleep” (see Matthew 28:12-13).

John - So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol’gotha

What would happen to a Roman soldier asleep at his post? The Roman historian Flavius Josephus recorded that the Roman army believed in punishment. If a guard was found asleep at or left his post then he would be stoned or beaten for putting fellow soldiers at risk. The outcome of that was usually death.

His hands and feet were nailed to a wooden cross and He died from asphyxiation. Jesus died before sunset on Friday afternoon and two of His disciples took His body to a newly carved tomb.

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews.

With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.

Why is it that even today, so many people want to disprove or discredit the resurrection?

Why are there so many theories about “the truth” that have no historic or biblical reality attached to them?

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For over two thousand years people have been arguing that the resurrection did not happen, and the record of it is just a story, because if they acknowledge the truth of the resurrection, they need to acknowledge the truth about sin and the need for a personal saviour.

What about the experience of Thomas?

Thomas, the classic sceptic. Thomas, the classic example of unbelief. Even when the other disciples told him about the resurrection and what they had seen he refused to believe. Thomas said, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, place my finger in that mark, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). Thomas would not accept hearsay; he would only believe what he could see for himself. Eight days later Jesus appeared again to the disciples, He said, “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus turned to Thomas: “Put your fingers here and see my hands; and place your hand in my side. Don’t be faithless, but be believing.” It was the same crucified Jesus and the scars were visible. Thomas did not doubt any longer, Thomas fell to his knees and exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). The life of Thomas was changed from that moment. He became an evangelist who spent most of his life preaching about Jesus in India.

One theory that has been promoted in various forms is that Jesus did not die on the cross, He ‘only fainted’ and then ‘escaped’ from the tomb (after his embalming with 75 pounds of spice!) when He had regained His strength.

The German sceptic David Friedrich Strauss who spent most of his life arguing against the fundamental truths of Christianity famously discounted this theory in his book, The Life of Jesus for the People. He wrote: “To conceive of man hanging on a Roman cross in a blistering sun for six hours, a spear put through his side, taken down from a cross and wrapped like a mummy, as was their custom, sealed into a tomb without air, that such a person could have found his way out this, rolled away a stone of more than a ton, fought his way past a Roman guard and appeared as a hero eight miles away to his disciples is more fantastic than the resurrection itself!”

How many appearances of Jesus are recorded in the Bible after His resurrection?

In another of the 12 recorded appearances of Jesus after His resurrection, the disciples were on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Bible records that the men were startled and “Fear shook them,” Jesus spoke to them and asked, “Why are you troubled? See my hands and feet it is I, myself.” His next words were “Do you have anything to eat?” They gave him a piece of cooked fish and He ate with them.

Another theory often promulgated but easily discounted, is that it was the enemies of Jesus that stole His body. The details of them carrying this out without discovery by soldiers and mourners are a problem. The enemies of Jesus wanted both Him and His teachings destroyed. They could have easily demolished all of His messianic claims by parading His dead body round the streets of Jerusalem.

The truth of the resurrection transformed wimps into roaring lions. Peter preached the truth of the resurrection in Jerusalem, the very place where he had denied Jesus 50 days earlier.

If His enemies had stolen His body they would have used it to prove that He was dead.

What if it was the disciples that stole the body?

Three thousand people believed the message that day. Peter had the courage to tell them truthfully, “This same Jesus, whom you crucified, God has raised from the dead, whereby we have become eyewitnesses” Acts 2:36.

Circumstantial evidence disproves this. The two women who discovered the tomb was empty were carrying more spices to anoint the dead body. When Jesus appeared to one of them in the garden, she was frightened and did not recognise Him. In fact many of the disciples were so frightened that they ‘huddled together in fear.’ Peter was so fearful that he had even denied he knew Jesus. The behaviour of the disciples suggests that they were not expecting to see Jesus again.

The reaction to seeing the risen Jesus changes the disciples and 120 other followers who joined them on one occasion, as many as 500 people saw Jesus in His resurrected body.

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The Apostle Paul writes about several postresurrection appearances: “to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living…. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all to me” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Paul also wrote about the importance of the resurrection: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” 1 Corinthians 15:14.

Jesus is Alive!

Timeline

The resurrection of Jesus was not just a spiritual resurrection; Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead, and eyewitness testimony of many prove this.

Jesus Christ is alive today, and because He lives, He continues to work in us, through us and for us.

1 am - Jesus was taken before Annas 2 am - Jesus was taken before Caiaphas 5 am - Jesus was taken before Pontius Pilate 6 am - Jesus was taken before Herod 7 am - Jesus was taken back before Pilate 8 am - Jesus took up his cross 9 am - Jesus was nailed to the cross 3 pm - Jesus died for our sins

At the end of the John’s Gospel, John tells us that Jesus did many other things that went unrecorded; if they were written down the “whole world would not have room for the books that would contain them.” The life, death and resurrection of Jesus authenticate His power to transform lives.

Jesus’ arrest and conviction were illegal His arrest at night was illegal. Jewish law forbade arrests at night unless someone was in the act of committing the crime. His arrest using an accomplice was illegal. It was against Jewish law for a traitor to be used in an arrest. His arrest without a warrant was illegal. No court had indicted him, let alone give an arrest warrant.

His examination before Annas was illegal. It was against Jewish law to be questioned at night. It was illegal for one man (Annas) to sit as sole judge in His hearing. It was illegal to conduct a preliminary examination. There was no such thing under Jewish law.

The indictment before the Sanhedrin was illegal. The charge was vague, it did not state the crime. Jewish law required the crime to be stated. It was illegal for the Sanhedrin to institute proceedings.

The Sanhedrin were judges, not a law enforcement agency. It was illegal for the Sanhedrin to assemble without the first offering the morning sacrifice. It was illegal for the Sanhedrin to meet on the day before the Sabbath Day. It was illegal to conduct a trail on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Friday was the first day of the Feast. It was illegal to conduct any trial on the eve of the Passover. The Sanhedrin had no right to convene. It was illegal to sentence a man on the same day as his trial. If someone was found guilty, under Jewish law, the court was required to meet on another day to pronounce sentence. It was illegal to convict a man based upon his own confession under Jewish law. Jesus’ trial was illegal because the verdict was unanimous. The Sanhedrin, which was basically a Supreme Court, had to have at least one person to defend the accused. It was illegal for the Sanhedrin to hand down a death penalty anywhere except in its regular meeting place. The Sanhedrin was in the house of Caiaphas. The balloting was illegal because it began with the High Priest. The balloting was supposed to start with the youngest and move to the oldest, with the High Priest being last so the votes could not be unfairly influenced by anyone. The Jewish Sanhedrin was not competent nor were they qualified to hear this trial. Some members were not elected, they had been placed there illegally through bribery. The court was prejudiced. They prejudged Jesus before any evidence was heard, nor was the accused ever allowed to defend himself. The Sanhedrin used perjured testimony against Jesus. Two witnesses, both unnamed, said Jesus threatened to tear the temple down. According to John 2:19, Jesus said He would rebuild it, not tear it down.

Jesus took His disciples from where they were and transformed them. Jesus accepts us and transforms us.

When the Apostle Peter was asked, “By what power or what name were these men made whole?” he gave a straight answer. “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead” Acts 4:10.

The life of Jesus, His death and resurrection prove how much God values us: “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him” 1 John 4:9.

Jesus died and rose again “so as to be just an the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” Romans 3:26.

Jesus has power over death and gives eternal life: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live” John 11:25.

Because He is alive, talk to Him – He is listening!

For personal reflection Which evidence for the resurrection do you find most convincing?

The Sanhedrin did not have the authority to execute. They went to Pontius Pilate, who could crucify a convicted person. Pilate went back to the Jews and said he could find no fault in Jesus. The Sanhedrin used a Galilean label to brand him a radical. Herod and Pilate had been feuding, so Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. Herod, who ordered the execution of John the Baptist, ridiculed Jesus and placed the scarlet robe on Him. Herod returned Jesus to Pilate. Pilate condemned Jesus to death with no one to defend Him or stand with Him. Pilate sought to release Him, but the people wanted Barabbas.

Pilate, wanting to be popular with the people, acquiesced. Then they led Him away to be crucified.

Which evidence for the resurrection do you find most comforting?

How can the truth of the resurrection help you in your prayer?

“In His great mercy [God] has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3 4

Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus Christ

his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Event: The Empty Tomb Place: Jerusalem Matthew 28:1-10 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

John 20:1-9 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!” So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Mark 16:1-8 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don't be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Event: To Mary Magdalene in the garden Place: Jerusalem Mark 16:9-11 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

John 20:11-18 But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don't know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Luke 24:1-12 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered 5

Event: To other women Place: Jerusalem

1 Corinthians 15:5 ...and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

Matthew 28:9-10 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Event: To the ten disciples in the upper room Place: Jerusalem Luke 24:36-43 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

Event: To two people going to Emmaus Place: Road to Emmaus Mark 16:12-13 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.

These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

Luke 24:13-32 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.

And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

John 20:19-25 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “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.”

Event: To the eleven disciples in the upper room Place: Jerusalem Mark 16:14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

John 20:26-31 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.

Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Event: To Peter Place: Jerusalem Luke 24:34 ...and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

1 Corinthians 15:5 ...and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

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Event: To seven disciples fishing Place: Sea of Galilee

he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

John 21:1-23 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I'm going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We'll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven't you any fish?” “No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Event: To the eleven disciples on a mountain Place: Galilee Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the 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.

Mark 16:15-18 He said to them, “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. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Event: To more than 500 Place: (unknown) 1 Corinthians 15:6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

Event: To James Place: (unknown)

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.

(This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)

When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die;

1 Corinthians 15:7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

Event: To His disciples at His ascension Place: Mount of Olives Luke 24:44-49 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “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.

You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 1:3-8 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with 7

water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ “ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.

My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. Then he said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

Event: To Paul Place: Damascus Acts 9:1-19 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?”

Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.

Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord - Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here - has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Acts 26:9-18 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme.

In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ "

Acts 22:3-16 Then Paul said: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained

1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle?

Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?

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