Peter said to the High Priest and to the Council in Jerusalem: “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, having hanged Him on a tree. God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those obeying Him.” (Acts 5:30-32)

Following His resurrection, Jesus appeared to various individuals and groups. These appearances were primarily to His followers, reinforcing their faith and commissioning them as witnesses. The nature of these encounters and their implications for discipleship are profound and warrant thorough exploration.

1. Jesus’ Appearances to Believers

The New Testament records multiple instances where the resurrected Jesus appeared to His followers:

  • Mary Magdalene: Jesus appeared to her outside the tomb (John 20:14–17). 
  • Other Women: He met Mary, the mother of James, and Salome (Matthew 28:9–10). 
  • Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus: Jesus joined them and revealed Himself during the breaking of bread (Luke 24:13–35).
  • The Eleven Disciples: He appeared to them in a locked room, offering peace and showing His wounds (Luke 24:36–49; John 20:19–23).
  • Thomas: A week later, Jesus appeared again, addressing Thomas’s doubts directly (John 20:26–29). 
  • Seven Disciples by the Sea of Tiberias: He appeared during a fishing expedition (John 21:1–14).
  • Over 500 Brethren: Paul mentions that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at once (1 Corinthians 15:6).
  • James: Jesus appeared to His brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7).
  • All the Apostles: He appeared to them before His ascension (Acts 1:3–9).
  • Paul (formerly Saul): Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, leading to his conversion (Acts 9:1–19). 

Exception made for St. Paul, these appearances were to individuals who already believed in Him. There is no scriptural record of Jesus appearing to non-believers or skeptics post-resurrection. When the apostles needed to replace Judas, they chose a disciple who was with them from the beginning. “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22)

2. The Role of Witnesses

Jesus emphasised the importance of His followers bearing witness to His resurrection:

  • In Luke 24:48, after appearing to the disciples, Jesus states, “You are witnesses of these things.”
  • In Acts 1:8, He tells them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.”
  • In John 15:26–27 the Lord says “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify (witness) on my behalf. You also are to testify (witness) because you have been with me from the beginning.” In John 16:13–14 he then explains how this can work:“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears… He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

This commissioning underscores the responsibility of those who encountered the risen Christ to testify about Him, forming the foundation of Christian witness and evangelism.

In the Acts of the Apostles, and in all the accounts of the Resurrection in the Gospels, we clearly see that, on the one hand, the Lord appears only to disciples who believed in Him, who knew Him from the beginning of His journey; and, on the other hand, there is no proof, so to speak, offered to non-believers of the appearance of the Lord. Despite this, the core message of Christianity, from day one, is to announce the Resurrection and to do so as witnesses—that is, as people who saw Him risen.

This means that any person who, in the first generation of Christianity, became a Christian had to believe those who claimed to have seen the Lord after His Resurrection, while He was no longer visible. In a way, for them, there was no other “proof”, so to speak, of the Resurrection except belief in the words of these witnesses. Believing their words would then open a new world for them, in which they would certainly experience the Risen Lord’s multiple interventions in their lives through the Holy Spirit.

It is truly striking—this choice made by the Lord. He purposefully chose to have “intermediaries”, so to speak, between Himself Risen and newcomers to the Faith. He appeared or manifested Himself to the disciples, and we need to believe this. There is no other way (at least in the Lord’s evident intention) to meet the Risen Lord. He wants the Church, His Bride, to be present and to witness. His action—His personal action—is through His Bride.

This is why, when He appears to Saul (the future Paul)—and he is the exception here—He says to him: “Why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4) The Risen Lord identifies Himself with His Church. He wants His Church to continue His mission and to be almost the exclusive means through which to meet Him. He will give His Holy Spirit to the persons who believe His disciples. This is why He solemnly declares: “As the Father sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21)—that is, you are My extension, My continuation; this is My choice and this is My will.

Note: One might feel that, after the Resurrection and the evangelising of the world, there is a kind of barrier between the Risen Lord and the people, given His choice to appear only to His disciples, the witnesses of His Resurrection. What we have in our hands—the New Testament—is the account of these close witnesses. We might be tempted to prove the Resurrection through other “sources,” and, in doing so, feel frustrated. But will this frustration lead to doubt about the Resurrection? Can we accuse or describe the first community as being so disheartened by the death of the Lord that they had to invent His Resurrection? Sadly, this theory was proposed by biblical scholars in the last century and before. Here, we must clearly distinguish between two things:

Understanding that this was a choice made by the Lord.

Acknowledging that this does not imply the disciples were lying or invented the Resurrection, as some have suggested (even the Jewish authorities themselves, as seen in Matthew 28:11-15).

It is not the Christian community that invented the Resurrection; rather, it is the Lord’s choice to invite us to believe, and faith is the only true entrance into the experience of the Risen Lord. Believing the witnesses (and each generation has its own witnesses) leads to an experience of the Risen Lord (see this article: Doubt no Longer But Believe). Believing the words of the witnesses in our generation opens us to the world of the Risen Lord through the Holy Spirit. The Incarnation in its profound consequences did not cease when the Lord ascended into Heaven; it continues to this day, and we tend to forget this. The Lord left us His witnesses, and believing them is essential because they are sent by Him. Believing what they say opens the way for us: “As the Father sent me, I send you” (John 20:21) “As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world” (John 17:18) “But I do not pray for these only, but also for those believing in Me through their word” (John 17:20). The Incarnation continues, and each generation of future believers must confess the Incarnation and its extension (the witnesses of the Resurrection). The Lord is truly alive among us today, but He wants us to have the humility to open ourselves to Him through the Holy Spirit, believing the witnesses, to receive Him, and to experience Him. A community cannot invent such an experience, nor the trust the Lord has in those He sends. “Whoever listens to you listens to me” (Luke 10:16).

3. Discipleship According to John and Luke

Subsequently, any future disciple must first believe the Church’s witness and take it to heart. This will then open the way to an encounter with the Risen Lord. As a result, one becomes a disciple through this path. Both the Gospels of John and Luke present discipleship as a journey of faith that leads to witness.

  • In John, belief in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God is central (John 20:31).
  • In Luke, the narrative progresses from understanding the Scriptures to recognizing Jesus in the breaking of bread, culminating in the disciples’ mission to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in His name (Luke 24:27–47).

Thus, true discipleship involves a personal encounter with the risen Lord, understanding His teachings, and actively bearing witness to His resurrection.

4. The Necessity of a Personal Spiritual Encounter

Still, one has to acknowledge that without a genuine personal spiritual encounter with the risen Jesus, the message of the resurrection may lack authenticity and transformative power. Such an encounter leads to:

  • Conviction: A deep-seated belief in the truth of the resurrection.
  • Transformation: A changed life reflecting the teachings of Christ.
  • Witness: A compelling testimony that can inspire faith in others.

This personal experience ensures that the message of the resurrection is not merely a historical claim but a living reality impacting lives today.

Conclusion

The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were primarily to His followers, serving to strengthen their faith and commission them as witnesses. For believers today, encountering the risen Christ is a spiritual experience mainly triggered by other witnesses which preceded them. This encounter and experience form the basis of authentic discipleship and effective witness. This personal spiritual encounter is essential for conveying the transformative power of the resurrection to others.