Who Do You Say Jesus Is? Part Three
Who Do You Say Jesus Is: The Final Response
The Question
In the last two weeks, we have looked at many who walked at the same time as Jesus walked. First, we saw those who watched Him from afar – the Jewish multitudes and the religious leaders. Next, we saw those who walked closely with Him – the women of His day and the twelve disciples. The ways they responded to Him before the crucifixion varied greatly. Some believed He was the Messiah and loved Him to the end. However, none of them understood His true purpose in coming to this earth up to that point. Today we will look at their responses after the resurrection. Who did they all say Jesus was now? What did they believe about Him now?
The Stories
Jesus had told the multitudes and the religious leaders, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (John 2:20). However, they did not understand He was talking about His death and resurrection. I Corinthians 15:6 says that after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to over 500 people. Later, the Holy Spirit came on the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. As a result, thousands of people believed and joined in the movement to spread the Gospel. One of the most notable people who believed later was the Apostle Paul, who initially persecuted the believers.
After Jesus’ death, the religious leaders remembered He had said He would rise again after three days, so they asked Pilate to secure the tomb with guards (Matthew 27:62-66). Then, when the guards reported to them about what happened after the resurrection, they paid off the guards to spread the rumor that Jesus’ disciples stole His body away during the night (Matthew 28:11-15). There is no mention in Scripture that Jesus appeared to any of the religious leaders after He rose from the dead.
However, as the early church movement began, the book of Acts tells us they beat, reprimanded, and imprisoned the disciples many times after they began to go out and preach the Gospel, and eventually they began to kill believers to stop the movement. The only two religious leaders we know of who believed in Jesus were Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. They risked everything to take His body off the cross and bury Him properly (John 19:38-42). They showed their love for Him by doing that, but we don’t hear any more about them after the resurrection.
One of my favorite resurrection stories is about Mary Magdalene being the first person to see the risen Lord, face to face. She was so upset that the tomb was empty, she did not even realize He stood there talking to her until He spoke her name out loud. What a treasured moment that must have been! Other women went to the tomb with her that morning, but the Scriptures do not state that any of the rest of them saw Him. However, the book of Acts and the New Testament letters tell of many women in the early church who believed in Jesus, supported the apostles, opened their homes to believers, and used their gifts in the church, playing a vital role in the spread of the Gospel.
Lastly, after the crucifixion, the disciples were afraid and hiding in a room with locked doors when Jesus made His first appearance to them, but they were filled with joy as soon as they saw Him (John 20:19-20). Thomas, one of the disciples, wasn’t at Jesus’ first appearance, and he didn’t believe He was resurrected at first, but when Jesus came to them again eight days later, he believed too. Jesus appeared to them several times before He ascended into heaven.
One of the most touching moments was when Jesus recommissioned Peter, the one who would become the rock and foundation of the early church. Jesus met him and six of the other disciples along the Sea of Galilee one morning. After performing another miracle by overflowing their fishing net with 153 fish, He served them breakfast along the shore. After breakfast, He walked Peter through the process of restoring Him gently three times. This was in response to the three times Peter had denied Him. Then, He told him what He had said in the very beginning: “Follow Me” (John 21:19).
Right before He ascended into heaven, Jesus called the eleven disciples to Galilee. There He commissioned all of them to go and preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20). While they were very different from each other, they were united in one purpose. They went from being afraid and hiding from the religious authorities to boldly proclaiming the Gospel after being filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Thousands of people came to believe in Jesus because of their testimony. The Gospel spread from Jerusalem to Judea and to the ends of the earth.
The Final Response
Friend, where do you find yourself in all these stories? Are you still wondering if Jesus is worth following? Is He trustworthy? Is He really Who He says He is? As you can see from the stories I have shared, He made a difference in the lives of many people.
I can tell you He has also made a difference in my life. I have witnessed many miracles firsthand in my own life and the lives of others around me. He has given me hope and peace in circumstances that don’t make sense. He has proven Himself faithful to Who He says He is in the Bible over and over. Because of this, I believe God is Who He says He is, and He can do what He says He can do. Even when I can’t see what He is doing, I know I can trust His ways are perfect. He is on time all the time. Will you join me in believing Jesus is the only One Who can satisfy your every longing? Will you believe He will be with you, no matter what?