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The history of Israel in the wilderness is one of supernatural demonstrations by the
hand of Moses of God's existence and power and purpose. Yet the people repeatedly
ignored or forgot this supernatural testimony and rebelled. Paul writes ". . . . . these
things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon
whom the ends of the world are come" (I Cor. 10: 11). Let us not therefore think lightly
on the resurrection of Christ but carefully ponder all the witness of the event and then all
the implications that follow.
The witnesses of the Resurrection.
Paul is doing this very thing in I Cor. 15: where he gives a list of witnesses:
". . . . . He rose again according to the Scriptures: and that He was seen of Cephas
(Peter), then of the twelve: after that, He was seen of above five hundred at once; of
whom the greater part remain unto this present but some are fallen asleep. After that, He
was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all He was seen of me also, as of
one born out of due time" (I Cor. 15: 4-8).
One of the functions of the twelve apostles, including Matthias, was to witness to the
resurrection. Their qualification was to have been with Him throughout His ministry so
that they could testify that it was really He Who had risen. Christ says "Behold My
hands and My feet that it is I Myself" (Luke 24: 39). Mary Magdalene coming from
seeing the empty tomb recognizes His voice in the garden and exclaims Raboni--Master.
John (that other disciple) sees the grave clothes in the tomb in the position that they
would have been, wrapped round the body and separately round the head begins to
perceive the miracle and reality of Christ's resurrection, emphasizing his witness he
records ". . . . . he saw, and believed" (John 20: 6-8). The chief priests and Pharisees
suspecting trickery by the apostles had the tomb sealed and their own watchmen set, but
all to no avail. Their failure merely highlights another aspect of witness to the event.
The history of those times is silent as to any claims denying the event. Such denial is left
to some in the present time who dare to confront all this testimony.
The Circumstances of the Resurrection.
We have already referred to John's discovery of what can only be described as a
process of vanishing from human eyesight in rising from the dead. A similar process is
evidence in verse 19 ". . . . . the doors were shut . . . . . came Jesus and stood in their
midst". Again in verse 26 ". . . . . the doors being shut, and stood in the midst". "Two
went to Emmaus . . . . . And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He
vanished out of their sight" (Luke 24: 13-21).
Yet though He had the power of appearing and disappearing, He Himself reassures
His disciples when they were affrighted at His sudden appearance: "Behold My hands
and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones,
as ye see Me have" (Luke 24: 37-40). Again in John 21: 9 the Lord Jesus has a meal
prepared for Peter in which presumably, our Lord was going to share.