Greetings Saints and Friends,
​”Mother, I’m hungry. Do you have anything to eat?” “Ha-ha!” “What’s so funny?” “Oh sweetie, I am not laughing because you are hungry. I am working on the ladies Bible study for this week. I was just reading one of the passages in the Bible where Jesus appeared to His disciples in the upper room after His resurrection. Jesus asked them the same question you asked me, ‘Do you have anything to eat?'” Luke 24:41 “Were the disciples surprised to see Jesus?”
“Yes, they were at first. They even thought He was a ghost. See, it says here in the Bible, ‘But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”‘” Luke 24:37-39
​”Didn’t Jesus tell them He was going to come back to life on the third day?”
“Yes, He told them more than once, to prepare them for all that was going to happen. Jesus told them that He would be betrayed, arrested, made fun of, spit on, scourged, and crucified. And the third day He would rise again. Mark 10:33-34
When all of those things actually happened to Jesus, the disciples were really shaken up. They may have thought nothing like that could ever happen to Jesus because of who He is. Then when they did happen, they were shocked.” “Why do you think the disciples decided to go back to the upper room after Jesus died?” “It could be that when Mary told the disciples that she had seen Jesus alive and what He said to her, even though they did not believe her, that they had to go somewhere and discuss what they were going to do. The Bible tells us that the disciples were already afraid of the religious leaders. Now that a story was being circulated that Jesus was alive, it put more fear in the disciples. The apostle John would later write, ‘Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, ‘for fear of the Jews’, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.””‘ John 20:19
“How did Jesus get into the room where the disciples were if the doors were locked?” “The same way He left the tomb without rolling away the stone – He just passed right through it in His resurrected body!” “You mean Jesus didn’t leave the tomb when the angel rolled away the stone?” “No. The stone was rolled away so people could see that Jesus had already left.” “When Jesus appeared in the upper room, is that when He asked the disciples for some food?” “Yes, it is.” “What did they tell Jesus?” “The Bible says, ‘They gave Him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.'” Luke 24:42-43
“Were all the disciples there to see Jesus?” “No. For some reason, Thomas was not there. Later, when the disciples excitedly told Thomas that Jesus was alive, he would not believe them. He doubted it.” “Sounds like he was a ‘doubting Thomas.'” “Yes, but not for too long. The Bible says, ‘After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!”‘” John 20:26-27 “Sounds like Thomas believed.” “Yes, but Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'” John 20:29 “Did Jesus appear to anyone else after His resurrection?”
“He sure did. For the next forty days, Jesus made many appearances to many people. He appeared again to His disciples a number of times. One time, He even fixed breakfast for them by the sea. John 21:12-13 He was seen by James, His half-brother, who now also believed. Paul says on one occasion, Jesus was seen by over five hundred people. 1 Corinthians 15:6 Jesus was sure to leave a great number of people here to truthfully say, ‘I saw Jesus alive after He rose from the grave.’ Whoever trusts in Jesus, who died for our sins and rose again, can tell Jesus from their heart, ‘Thank You, Jesus, for paying for my sins when You died for them and rose again. I look forward to seeing You in person as my Savior. Amen'”