What Happened After The Resurrection?

Another Easter sans large gatherings at Church to give a rip roaring – Alleluia! – in celebration of the resurrection. I hope you celebrated at home or with a socially-distanced congregation near you. I pray wherever you were, you joined your voice with the voices of nations and languages sweeping across the globe for over two thousand years, singing this truth: “He is Risen!” 

 I pray this truth is sinking deeper into your soul these days: He is Risen! And it actually means something to me. 

But what happened next? What happened after the disciples’ discovery of the empty tomb? 

Well, there was a lot of drama. 

Chief priests and elders were paying off soldiers and scheming to perpetuate a lie about Jesus’ body being stolen by the disciples (Matt. 28:11-15). Imagine the ripple effects of that lie, bumping up against the disciples’ experience after the resurrection. No. No, we did not steal His body. And to the disciples, that lie was dust on their feet they could easily shake off in light of what actually was true: Jesus kept appearing to them. For about 40 days, He would show up in the flesh and do something as physical and unambiguous as eating with them. He appeared to over 400 people over those 40 days, and would do things that were unmistakably Him. 

People’s responses varied. Some were elated. Some doubted. Some worshipped. Some wept. (Although, each person probably experienced all those things at different times.) And fear. Such fear.

But post-resurrection, Jesus proved He was definitely alive, and these encounters and responses were teeing up a great and mighty movement to change the world.

Question: What difference does the fact Jesus was raised from the dead (as proven by over 400 eyewitnesses) make? What difference does the resurrection mean to you?

I’m real because God is so real.

~ Nancy