Appeared

Jesus having been resurrected was discovered by two women who went to the tomb. Then Mary Magdalene "went and reported to those who had been with Him . . . [and] when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it" (Mk 16:10-11). When the Emmaus disciples related their experience to the Apostles "they did not believe them either" (Mk 16:13). Jesus responded, "'Why do doubts arise in your hearts?'" (:37). It's as if he was saying that they should know better. How could they disregard all they had learned and experienced the last three years since even Jesus had said "'you have been with Me from the beginning'" (Jn 15:27)? Their depth of understanding was such that "Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God'" (Jn 6:68-69). "He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen" (Mk 16:14). Jesus "said to Thomas, 'Reach here with your finger, and see My hands . . . and do not be unbelieving but believing'" (Jn 20:27). "'Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed'" (:29). Jesus began to refresh what he had taught them. "He said to them, 'These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you'" (Lk 24:44). He said, "'All things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled'" (:44). He also reminded that, "'Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day'" (:46). Then "He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (:45).