The Yale expositor., 1908-06-05
JESUS APPEARS
TO THE APOSTLES
Sunday School Lesson for June 7. 1908
Specially Prepared for This Paper


LESSON TEXT.-John 2O;ls-Sl. Memory
| verses 49, 20.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Thomas answered
and said unto him: My Lord and my
God."-John 20:2s.
RECORDED APPEARANCES OF
JESUS.-First appearance OF Jesus after
the resurrection. to Mary Magdalene:
Mark 1911; John 20:11-1S. Second APP
| perance. TO the other women: Matt, Is:
-. 10. Third appearance, to Peter: Luke
A:34. Fourth appearance, to two disciples
| on the way TO Emmaus: Luke A:13-31;
Mark 1912. 10. Fifth appearance. to ten
disciples, Thomas absent: Mark 1914;
Luke A:36-43; John 20:l9-25. Sixth APP
pearance, to the Eleven, including
Thomas: John 20:26-29. Seventh appear
ance after his resurrection, to seven
disciples by the Sea of Galilee: John 81:
lbs Eighth appearance. to the Eleven on
a mountain in Galilee: Matt. 2S:l6-2O;
Mark 16:15-1S. Ninth appearance, to 800
at once: Cor. 1876 (perhaps the same
as I'D. Tenth appearance, to James. /
| Cor. 1857. Eleventh appearance, to the
| Eleven, on the Mount of Olives; the as
cension: Luke 24:44-53; Mark 1918, 20;
| Acts I'LL.
| TIME-The appearance to the ten dis
ciples and others was on Sunday evening.
April 8. A. ID. 30. The appearance when
Thomas was present was on the following
Sunday. April IS.
PLACE.-In Jerusalem. probably the
| upper room of the Last Supper. Emmaus,
a village seven and a half miles from
Jerusalem.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
We have seen how poorly prepared
were the disciples for Christ's resurrec.
ton, how slowly they believed, how
little they understood the meaning of
the great event THE resurrection of
Jesus Christ is the turning point in
human time, changing it may be the
trend OF divine eternity itself 1t gives
us, first, a certified Christianity, an ac-
credited salvation; and, secondly, 1t
gives us a present, living, communing
| Saviour. '-Boardman 1t was the main
purpose Of Christ's appearances
through the 40 days between the resur-
rection on April and the ascension
on May Is to teach his disciples what
this resurrection meant to them and
to the world, that It might become the
power OF their preaching in all lands.
The risen Lord first appeared to his
assembled disciples on the evening of
Easter day, the resurrection Sunday.
For a time the Christians observed
both the Jewish Sabbath and this
first day of the week." but when
obliged to choose between the two,
they naturally settled upon the day
when Christ roes from the dead, rath-
err than that when he lay in the grave.
Our Sunday is therefore a standing
evidence of the reality OF Christ's res
direction.
The disciples were perhaps in the
same upper room in Jerusalem where
they had eaten the Lords Supper.
They were brave, for in spite of the
Jews they dared to assemble; they
were timid, for they barred themselves
in for fear of the Jews. Alexander
Maclaren, ID. d. They were eating
their evening meal together MARK
with what sal thoughts of the meal
eaten with their Lord only two days
| before!
The eleven disciples were there,
except Thomas, who had zap
parently thrown away all hope"
-CC-hbridge Bible. Other disciples
were also present duke 24:33),
and the two from Emmaus were tell.
ing their joyful story when the risen
Lord appeared in the room and was
at once recognized by the company.
Christ's risen body was different from
the body he had before death. Il. 1t could
not have been no body, since it was
handled and ate food. 2. It was, in
some respects, the same body that had
been crucified, since 1t carried the
wounds of the cross, while the cruel
fed body had disappeared. 3. 1t was,
in some respects, a changed body, for
1t manifested powers which IL had
never before mai Tested" j. M.
Wilton, Ph.D. 1t appears and disap-
pears suddenly and mysteriously, and
can quickly move from one place to
another. 1T can eat; but il no longer
needs to eat; it can reveal itself in
one place, but is not bound to this one
place. Oosterzee.
Thomas doubt was met by our
Lords sixth appearance-one week
later 1.-THE Eight days" including both
Sundays, according to the Jewish
| mode or reckoning), in the same upper
room, and under quite the same cir
cumstances. The closed doors, the
mysterious entrance, the quiet opening
address, repeat the first occurrence.
Thomas alone is addressed this time,
and hidden to test in his own way the
reality of Chrst's body; land be not
faithless, but believing"
Christ's reply to Thomas confession
has been called "the last Beatitude."
Thomas believed, but only because he
had seen with his eyes: Blessed are
they that have not seen, and yet have
believed"
The first conclusion of the Gospel is
with verses 80, 81. John might go on
indefinitely, recording the wonderful
deeds and words of his Lord John 81:
25l He had written enough however