John 20:25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Matthew Henry Commentary 20:19-25 This was the first day of the week, and this day is afterwards often mentioned by the sacred writers; for it was evidently set apart as the Christian sabbath, in remembrance of Christ's resurrection. The disciples had shut the doors for fear of the Jews; and when they had no such expectation, Jesus himself came and stood in the midst of them, having miraculously, though silently, opened the doors. It is a comfort to Christ's disciples, when their assemblies can only be held in private, that no doors can shut out Christ's presence. When He manifests his love to believers by the comforts of his Spirit, he assures them that because he lives, they shall live also. A sight of Christ will gladden the heart of a disciple at any time; and the more we see of Jesus, the more we shall rejoice.

He said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, thus showing that their spiritual life, as well as all their ability for their work, would be derived from him, and depended upon him. Every word of Christ which is received in the heart by faith, comes accompanied by this Divine breathing; and without this there is neither light nor life. Nothing is seen, known, discerned, or felt of God, but through this. After this, Christ directed the apostles to declare the only method by which sin would be forgiven. This power did not exist at all in the apostles as a power to give judgment, but only as a power to declare the character of those whom God would accept or reject in the day of judgment. They have clearly laid down the marks whereby a child of God may be discerned and be distinguished from a false professor; and according to what they have declared shall every case be decided in the day of judgment. When we assemble in Christ's name, especially on his holy day, he will meet with us, and speak peace to us. The disciples of Christ should endeavour to build up one another in their most holy faith, both by repeating what they have heard to those that were absent, and by making known what they have experienced.

Thomas limited the Holy One of Israel, when he would be convinced by his own method or not at all. He might justly have been left in his unbelief, after rejecting such abundant proofs. The fears and sorrows of the disciples are often lengthened, to punish their negligence. The Disciples Who Didn’t Get It | Bible Gateway Blog The Disciples Who Didn’t Get It Senior manager of content for Bible Gateway. The disciples encounter the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, as depicted by William Hole, 1908. One of the most perplexing things about the Easter story is that Jesus’ own disciples just didn’t get it. All the way up to (and even beyond) Jesus’ resurrection, his disciples—who had traveled, studied, and ministered under Jesus for most of his public ministry—seem remarkably confused about what’s happening. During the events of Easter week, we see many examples of the disciples failing to comprehend what Jesus was plainly telling them.

For example, note the disciples’ reaction to Jesus’ direct statement that Judas would betray him: After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.

— John 13:21-29 (emphasis mine) This is a typical scene; the disciples fail to believe or understand what they are plainly told about the events of Easter week. Even after the resurrection, Jesus’ disciples were unclear about what had happened until Jesus explained it to them . Despite the miracles they had seen Jesus perform, they refused to believe Jesus had returned until Jesus repeatedly demonstrated that he was not a “ghost.” Why did the disciples struggle to believe and understand? Had Jesus failed to warn them in advance about what was going to happen to him? Actually, Jesus had been predicting his death and resurrection for some time before the actual events of Easter week. Sometimes he spoke in deliberately vague terms; it’s perhaps understandable in these cases that the disciples wouldn’t have picked up on Jesus’ meaning without help.

For example, Jesus predicted his death and resurrection early in the gospel of John using a metaphor: The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” — John 2:18-19 However, in other places, Jesus speaks plainly and directly about his imminent arrest, death, and resurrection: From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. — Matthew 16:21 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified.

On the third day he will be raised to life!” — Matthew 20:17-19 If they had been so specifically forewarned—and especially if they knew in advance that Jesus would rise from the dead—why were the disciples so confused and frightened during the drama of Easter week? Ultimately, we don’t know the answer. Surely, much of their confusion was simply the result of their being, well, human—like everyone else, they were prone to forgetfulness and misunderstanding. Consider that Jesus’ teachings profoundly challenged the religious assumptions they had grown up with. Because Jesus taught both in plain speech and in parables, the disciples might have had trouble understanding when he was speaking literally and when metaphorically. Perhaps, even though they’d seen him work many life-giving miracles, the disciples couldn’t bring themselves to believe Jesus’ most dramatic claim—that he would die and rise from the grave. And the events of Easter week were stressful, to say the least. Some Scripture passages also hint at other possibilities. When Jesus made predictions about his death and resurrection, he wasn’t doing so just to warn the disciples in advance. Consider these passages: Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand….

I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.” — John 13:7,19 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. — John 2:22 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. — Luke 24:25-27 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. — Luke 24:44-45 Like many prophecies throughout Scripture, Jesus’ predictions weren’t always understood and believed by those who first heard them. Today, we tend to think of predictions purely as “advance warning” about coming events.

But the passages above specifically note that understanding often comes after the prophesied events have come to pass. The predictions were made so that when the disciples finally got around to remembering Jesus’ words, they’d see in them further confirmation that Jesus was who he claimed to be. It’s tempting to scoff at the disciples for their weak faith and ignorance. But to do so is to miss the point: we’re no different. Like the disciples, we don’t always understand what God is doing in our lives. We read God’s clear promises in the Bible, yet often succumb to stress and doubt when life gets tough. Sometimes it isn’t until after God has brought us through a trial that we are able to look back at Scripture and understand that He was with us from the beginning. God loves us, as He loved the disciples; He wants to bring us into understanding and belief. He wants us to look back at events in our lives, then examine Scripture to see His words and promises confirmed. And while we sometimes want to roll our eyes at them, we can be grateful to Jesus’ hapless disciples for providing us an object lesson in human ignorance… and divine patience. Related posts: Who were the TWELVE APOSTLES (disciples)?

Who were the twelve apostles? Submit questions - New Articles QUESTION: Who were the twelve apostles or disciples who Jesus selected to follow him? ANSWER: Actually, there were thirteen (13) apostles (disciples), as Matthias was chosen to take the place of Judas after he committed suicide. What were the apostles to do? These men were more than simply students. Jesus, with the help of God the Father, chose each one of the twelve for a very special purpose (Mark 3:13 - 19). The twelve apostles were chosen to represent Jesus, the Savior of mankind, in lands far beyond Jerusalem. They were to travel and tell people everywhere about the wonderful promise God was giving to all men everywhere – that if people would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, repent and be baptized, and turn their lives toward God, they would be saved. These twelve were ambassadors or emissaries for the Kingdom of God to the peoples of the world. After his resurrection Jesus gave his apostles their mission (Acts 1:8). We have some information about a few of the apostles (disciples) and very little data on the majority of the twelve.

Below is a brief synopsis of each of them, in the chronological order Jesus called them. John is the brother of James (the Greater) and author of one of the four gospels. Also wrote three other New Testament books and the book of Revelation. Was banished to the island of Patmos by Roman Emperor Domitian in 95 A.D., where he wrote Revelation. Was released from exile by Emperor Nerva around 97 A.D. Lived to around 100 A.D. Is believed to be the only one of the original twelve disciples who did not die a violent death. Andrew is a fisherman by trade. Brother of Simon Peter. Lived in Bethsaida when Jesus called him. According to Foxe's Book of Martyrs preached the gospel to many Asiatic nations and was crucified in Edessa. What pivotal events occurred during Jesus' Last Supper? Peter was originally named Simon and renamed Peter by Jesus. A married fisherman from Bethsaida who was the third of twelve disciples Jesus called (John 1:40 - 42). He walked on water with Jesus (Matthew 14) and also denied 3 times he knew him (Matthew 26).

Was a witness to Jesus' transfiguration (Matthew 17). Raised a widow from the dead (Acts 9). Was rebuked by Apostle Paul for his hypocritical behavior (Galatians 2). Wrote 2 New Testament books. Died a martyr at the hands of Rome around 67 A.D. Philip resided in Bethsaida where also Andrew and Peter lived. Was also considered an evangelist. The apostle Paul stayed at Philip's house on his way to Jerusalem (Acts 21:8 - 10). According to Foxe's, labored diligently in Upper Asia and suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis in Phrygia. Nathanael is also called Bartholomew. James (the Greater) is brother of the apostle John, is also called 'James the Greater' to distinguish him from the other disciple named James (who is the son of Alpheus). Was a fisherman in partnership with Peter. Was with disciples Peter and John when Jesus was transfigured (Matthew 17:1). James was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa in 44 A.D., making him the first martyr among the apostles.

Matthew was born in Nazareth. Was also known by the name Levi. Occupation was a tax-collector. The gospel he wrote, in 35 A.D., was the very first book written for the New Testament. According to Foxe's, labored spreading the gospel in Parthia and Ethiopia. Suffered martyrdom. The below five out of twelve apostles were called at roughly the same time. James (the Less) is also called 'James the Less' to distinguish him from the other disciple named James (who is John's brother). According to Foxe's, at age 94, was beaten and stoned by the Jews. Judas (Thaddaeus) is also called Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus. Brother of the disciples James the Less and Simon (the Canaanite). Simon is also known as Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Zealot. Was brother of the disciples James the Less and Judas (not Iscariot). According to Foxe's, preached in Mauritania, Africa and Britain. Thomas is also called Didymus.

After Jesus' resurrection, when the other disciples had seen him alive, Thomas refused to believe Jesus was back from the dead until he literally saw and touched his wounds (Matthew 28:9 - 10, Luke 24:36 - 48). The term "doubting Thomas" comes from Thomas' disbelief in Jesus' literal resurrection. According to Foxe's, preached the gospel in Parthia and India. Judas Iscariot, who although a thief, was allowed to carry the group's money bag. Judas betrayed Jesus to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver. After his betrayal the remorse of his sin leads him to commit suicide. After his death the remaining apostles (disciples) must choose someone to take his place. Additional Study Materials #110. Jesus Appears to His Disciples (Luke 24:36-46) -- JesusWalk Text Luke 24:36-46 [36] While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." [37] They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.

[38] He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? [39] Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." [40] When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. [41] And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" [42] They gave him a piece of broiled fish, [43] and he took it and ate it in their presence. [44] He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." [45] Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. [46] He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day." Exposition Something is up. Jesus' body is missing. Women report seeing angels who say he is alive.

Two men recognize him as they walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus, but then he disappears. What is going on? If Jesus is actually risen from the dead, how can we know this isn't just a hopeful fantasy, a disciples' illusion? This week's lesson sharply defines the nature of Jesus' resurrection. I'm taking special care in this passage to look a precise word meanings, since this isn't your average narrative of Jesus' ministry, but a foundational passage on which the essential belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus is based. It is appropriate to understand exactly what Luke is telling us based on eyewitness accounts. Appearing to the Disciples (24:36) After recognizing Jesus as he broke bread in their Emmaus home, Cleopas and his friend rush back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples who have gathered and pour out their story. "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' " (24:36) According to both Luke and John, this appearance occurs on Easter Sunday evening (John 20:19).

John adds the detail that it took place "with the doors locked for fear of the Jews." "Locked" (NIV) or "shut" (KJV) is the Greek verb kleio, "to prevent passage at an opening, shut, lock, bar."[1] Imagine their shock! Thinking He Is a Ghost (24:37-39) "They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, 'Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.' " (24:37-39) They are utterly alarmed, startled,[2] and utterly terrified.[3] They think they are seeing a ghost. "Ghost" (NIV) or "spirit" (KJV) is the Greek noun pneuma, "an independent noncorporeal being, in contrast to a being that can be perceived by the physical senses, spirit, ghost."[4] Pneuma is the common Greek word for wind or breath.

It is the same word used in the phrase "Holy Spirit." But here it refers to a disembodied spirit, a ghost. We might wonder about the disciples' unbelief. After all, they have just been discussing two appearances of Jesus -- to Peter and to the Emmaus disciples. But they are understandably startled. They haven't quite yet internalized the concept of a dead Messiah now alive and appearing and disappearing at strange times and places. Jesus gently chides them that they are troubled[5] and notes their lingering doubts.[6] He seeks to reassure them. He encourages them to touch him, and satisfy themselves that he has flesh and bones -- most unlike a ghost or phantom. "Touch" (NIV) or "handle" (KJV) is the Greek verb pselaphao, "to touch by feeling and handling."[7] We don't know that any of the disciples went ahead and touched him. They were in awe. Showing Them His Hands and Feet (24:40) So he goes on to display his hands and feet to them so they can see and observe.

"When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet." (24:40) Luke doesn't tell us exactly what Jesus showed them, but the similar passage in John's Gospel makes it clear that Jesus shows them the nail marks in his hands and feet and the hole made by the spear thrust into his side (John 20:20, 25, 27). The word "mark" in John's Gospel is the Greek noun tupos, "a mark made as the result of a blow or pressure, mark, trace."[8] Luke uses the word "showed" in verse 40 as he describes Jesus displaying his wounds. The Greek verb deiknumi means "to exhibit something that can be apprehended by one or more of the senses, point out, show, make known."[9] This is not just some kind of vision or hologram, but a phenomenon that can be touched with the hands and probed with the fingers. Jesus' resurrected body has substance. Eating in Their Presence (24:41-43) But even this is too much, too soon for the disciples to grasp.

"And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, 'Do you have anything here to eat?' They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence." (24:41-43) They disbelieve out of joy and wonder. They are now suffused by joy and wonder, but are still afraid that this is too good to be true. So Jesus offers them yet another sign that his body is real and has a physical reality. He asks if they have anything edible (Greek brosimos) with which he can demonstrate his corporeal nature. They respond by giving him a broiled fish which he eats. The term "broiled" (Greek optos) refers to preparing food by direct fire as opposed to boiling it in water, "roasted, baked, broiled."[10] The clause "and of a honeycomb" (KJV) is not in the earlier Greek manuscripts and should be omitted.[11] What We Learn about Jesus' Resurrected Body Luke's account tells us several things about the nature of Jesus' resurrected body.

Jesus' resurrected body has definite physical aspects -- flesh, bones, the ability to eat food, converse intelligently, and walk for miles on a road. Jesus' resurrected body has a continuity with the previous body before death. Jesus' wounds in his hands, feet, and side are still clearly visible, and probably still open rather than healed over, since Thomas suggests putting his finger into the wounds (John 19:25). This may seem overly descriptive to the point of being gross. But the Gospel writers are making utterly clear the nature of a real body, not just the appearance or vision that is not physical or corporeal. Jesus' resurrected body is not bound to the physical sphere -- it can appear and disappear at will. While Jesus' body can relate to the physical world, it is not bound by space and time. We don't know a lot more about Jesus' resurrected body than this. But we have a promise that when Christ returns our earthly remains will be resurrected in the same way he was (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).

Fulfillment of Scriptures (24:44-46) Now he teaches all his gathered disciples what he explained in detail to Cleopas and his friend on the road to Emmaus, how his suffering and resurrection were foretold in Scripture and by Jesus' own words: "He said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.' Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, 'This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.' " (24:44-46) Some people look at Jesus as a martyr, a wonderful man in his time, but whose life was prematurely snuffed out by his enemies. Jesus makes clear that his suffering and death were not aberrations, mistakes, but part of God's plan. And that his resurrection he had told them about on several occasions previously (18:31-33). Jesus' ministry does not make the Scriptures obsolete; rather he is the fulfillment of them.

Lessons for Disciples The Eleven disciples were literal eyewitnesses of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. They saw the nails pounded into his hands and feet, the spear thrust into his side. They were there. Some of their number removed his body from the cross, tenderly washed it, wrapped with spices, and entombed it. They knew he was dead. Their disbelief indicates that they had no hope of him being alive. The chief priests and Pharisees took Jesus' prediction of his resurrection more seriously than the disciples -- so much so that they had the tomb guarded to keep the body from being stolen and a claim of resurrection being made (Matthew 27:62-66). Now Jesus is clearly alive. His body is physical. It bears marks of his suffering, identical with the body of the Jesus they have known and loved. But his body is now more than that. It can relate to space and time -- yes -- but it is no longer bound by them. Jesus can now live bodily as easily in the heavenly, spiritual sphere as in the earthly. He now transcends the physical, and someday we will also. We must be very clear.

I went to a pseudo-Christian liberal arts college at which the religion classes were taught by well-educated, ordained, scholarly unbelievers. In my lifetime I've heard lots of hemming and hawing, explaining away -- way too much balderdash about Jesus' resurrection: This is a religious myth, say some scholars. We must demythologize it. I don't believe in a "bodily resurrection," say others. It couldn't have been! It doesn't correspond with our presuppositions of what is scientifically possible. It was a "spiritual" resurrection, not a "physical" one, others proclaim. It has to be! My dear friends, if we are to take seriously the only accounts we have of Jesus' resurrection, we must conclude that Jesus' post-resurrection body had continuity with the one that was crucified and buried. This is not presented as a religious myth, but as an astounding, historical reality. Say, if you must, that you don't believe the Apostolic witnesses. Postulate about the Church teaching what they wanted to be true. But don't pretend that the Bible supports your unbelief.

Unanimously, the Gospels teach in exquisite detail the physical death, cold corpse, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus. No other explanation fits the evidence we have. The disciples were eyewitnesses. And their explicit statements as well as a record of their initial unbelief are written down for later disciples to ponder and believe. We, too, are witnesses -- witnesses of the transcripts of these events made by credible witnesses. And now we, too, are obligated to declare to our generation this astounding, amazing, overwhelming, world-altering phenomenon. Jesus IS risen from the dead! And if this is so -- and we believe it to be so -- then, the only appropriate response is: Wow! Hallelujah! Jesus, you are the Man. Jesus, you are my God! Jesus, I am your obedient and joyful servant. Forever and ever, world without end. Amen. Prayer Father, what we see in black and white is truly amazing. Jesus died and came back to life. Thank you for what you have done before the faces of the disciples who have gone before us. I ask you to renew our perception of the resurrection, so that we might have the same passion and enthusiasm for proclaiming the resurrection as they did.

Capture and re-ignite our hearts. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Key Verse " 'Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.' When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet." (Luke 24:39-40) Questions All 120 lessons now compiled as a 808-page e-book and paperback. Get your copy for easy reference Why were the disciples so terrified when Jesus suddenly was standing among them? How did they explain this phenomenon? (24:36-37) What point was Jesus trying to make by showing the disciples his hands and feet? (24:39a, 40) What point was Jesus trying to make by asking them to handle his flesh and bones? (24:39b) What point was Jesus trying to make by eating in their presence? (24:41-43) What things do we learn about the nature of the resurrection from Jesus' appearance to his disciples on this occasion?

What basics about the Messiah did he teach them on that occasion from Moses, from the Prophets, and from the Psalms? (24:44-46) References What Happened to the Body? What Happened to the Body? The disciples could not have stolen it. The type of guard posted on Jesus’ grave was a Praetorian Guard, which consisted of four hardened soldiers. During each of the four watches of the night, one would keep watch while the other three slept. Their discipline was so strict that falling asleep on duty was punishable by death. The offending soldier was stripped, tied to a stake, and his clothes were used to start a fire to burn him alive. If it could not be determined who had fallen asleep (if for example, the guards tried to conceal the identity of the offender), one of the soldiers was chosen by lot and executed. So the guards were well motivated not to let anything happen to the body. The disciples were Galileans, easily recognizable as such by their accents. The disciples were terrified of the authorities after the crucifixion; most likely they were afraid that they would be crucified as Jesus’ accomplices.

Even if the disciples had been brave enough to attempt stealing the body, the guards would have stopped them. Even if the guards had cooperated for some reason, the disciples’ efforts would have been very conspicuous, because the stretch of time between the crucifixion and the resurrection was occupied by the Sabbath. Just the effort of moving the stone would have been a violation of the Sabbath and would have made them subject to arrest—just the sort of thing they were most eager to avoid. What is truly noteworthy about the guards is that they fled the tomb and immediately went to the Jewish authorities rather than their own commanders. The only explanation is that something extraordinary had happened, and they needed the Jewish authorities’ cooperation to avoid punishment. Jesus could not have survived the crucifixion. In crucifixion, the victim hangs by his arms against the cross, making it necessary for him to pull up the weight of his entire body by his outstretched arms in order to inhale. Gradually, the victim becomes exhausted by the effort. In addition, the chest muscles are pulled from the rib cage, making it increasingly more difficult to breathe. Finally, the tortured victim succumbs to exhaustion and passes out.

Without conscious, strenuous effort, it is impossible to breathe, and the victim dies of suffocation. There are records of people being taken down alive from crosses, but only the freshly crucified survived, and then only for a few hours. The night before the crucifixion, Jesus did not sleep. He spent the first part of the night in prayer, and the rest of it being tried in various places, which required Him to walk from place to place. Finally, He was beaten and whipped and made to carry His own cross, which had to be quite heavy if it was large enough to hold Him. In fact, He was so exhausted that He couldn’t carry the cross the whole way. Then He was nailed to the cross. The cross was lifted with Him on it and dropped into a hole in the ground. The force of the impact would have been painful and injurious. He survived six hours on the cross. The Romans determined that He was dead and permitted Him to be taken down for burial. He was wrapped tightly in grave clothes. Finally Jesus was buried in a cold, dank tomb that was sealed with a boulder and guarded by soldiers who would suffer the death penalty for abandoning their post.

He lay there from Friday evening until Sunday morning without food, water, heat, or assistance to untie his hands, or to unravel the bandages. There is no way that Jesus could have survived. But even if He did manage to survive, He could not have left the tomb. Tombs were not designed to be exited from the inside. The rock that sealed it was too heavy for the women to move it even if they pooled their efforts; if Jesus had survived, He could scarcely have had the strength to move it unassisted, even if it were possible to move it from the inside. The Sanhedrin did not steal it. The Sanhedrin knew of Jesus’ saying that He would be resurrected and went to a lot of trouble to have the tomb guarded to forestall any theft of the body that would give rise to resurrection rumors. If they had stolen the body, they would have exhibited it to end the Christian movement in its infancy; which was, after all, the whole point of engineering the crucifixion in the first place. After the resurrection, the Christian movement grew even faster than before the crucifixion, yet the Sanhedrin did not parade the body around publicly.

The only explanation is that they didn’t know where it was. The women could not have stolen it. The women could not move the stone that sealed Jesus in. Since they had no access to the body, they could not have stolen it. Joseph of Arimathea could not have moved the body. Joseph buried Jesus hastily in his own tomb to honor Jesus and to assure that His body was buried before the onset of the Sabbath at sundown. It is entirely possible that he would want to move the body to free the tomb for its originally intended occupant. However, there was no time. The burial took place right at the start of the Sabbath. The work of moving the body was not possible until sunrise on Sunday. According to the gospel accounts, the women left while it was still dark and arrived at the tomb at dawn and found it empty. Joseph would have needed about a half-dozen assistants to move the stone and transfer the body and much more time than was available. In addition, he would have had to overcome the guard on the tomb. Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin. When the resurrection rumors started flying, they could have taken legal action against him for the true location of the body.

There is no evidence of any conflict between Joseph and the rest of the Sanhedrin. The disciples were surprised by the resurrection. The disciples did not believe the resurrection until they had evidence for it. When the women returned from the grave site, the men thought they were hysterical. They investigated the tomb themselves. Thomas refused to believe the others until he saw Jesus. The disciples on the road to Emmaus heard of the resurrection reports and disbelieved them until they met Jesus. These reactions are entirely normal and believable. The resurrection accounts are difficult to harmonize; something we should expect from a startling factual occurrence. If the whole thing was a fiction, the disciples would have gotten their story straight before they went around accusing the authorities. The disciples, who were demoralized, afraid for their lives, and ready to call it quits, suddenly became bold and unafraid of even the worst penalties, and the authorities could not refute what the disciples said. The authorities were at a loss how to react. The authorities did not produce a body. They seemed to be unable to answer even the most inflammatory public statements made by the disciples. The worst they did was that they arrested some of them, instructed them to stop preaching their message, and released them.

Christianity began in Jerusalem. All of the events took place in public in Jerusalem. Jesus had been in public conflict with the authorities for a week, He was arrested at night, but in the presence of a large number of people. His trial before Pilate took place with a large, unsympathetic mob outside that demanded His execution. He was paraded through town under guard and bearing a large cross. He was executed in public with a large crowd in attendance. He died in front of witnesses and government authorities who certified His death. He was buried in a nearby tomb owned by a prominent and wealthy citizen; it must have been easily recognizable. Jesus remained in the tomb for a longer period of time than any person had survived crucifixion under better circumstances. The last place we should expect the story of His resurrection to be accepted would be in the very town where He had been executed. Under normal circumstances, we should expect His disciples to withdraw from Jerusalem, regroup, and proclaim His resurrection from some other place. Yet Christianity started with great success in a city where any curious person could walk over and examine Jesus’ tomb!

Apostle Thomas in the Bible: Nicknamed Doubting Thomas By Jack Zavada Updated October 19, 2016. Thomas was one of Jesus Christ 's 12 apostles , specially chosen to spread the gospel after the Lord's crucifixion and resurrection. How He Got the Nickname 'Doubting Thomas' The Apostle Thomas was not present when the risen Jesus first appeared to the disciples. When told by the others, "We have seen the Lord," Thomas replied that he would not believe it unless he could actually touch Jesus' wounds. Jesus later presented himself to the apostles and invited Thomas to inspect his wounds. Thomas was also present with the other disciples at the Sea of Galilee when Jesus appeared to them again. Although it is not used in the Bible, the nickname "Doubting Thomas" was given to this disciple because of his disbelief about the resurrection . People who are skeptical are sometimes referred to as a "Doubting Thomas." Apostle Thomas' Accomplishments The Apostle Thomas traveled with Jesus and learned from him for three years. Tradition holds that he carried the gospel to the east and was martyred for his faith.

Thomas' Strengths When Jesus' life was at risk by returning to Judea after Lazarus had died, the Apostle Thomas courageously told his fellow disciples they should go with Jesus, no matter what the danger. Thomas' Weaknesses Like the other disciples , Thomas deserted Jesus during the crucifixion . Despite listening to Jesus' teaching and seeing all his miracles , Thomas demanded physical proof that Jesus had risen from the dead. His faith was based solely on what he could touch and see for himself. Life Lessons All of the disciples, except John , deserted Jesus at the cross. They misunderstood and doubted Jesus, but the Apostle Thomas is singled out in the gospels because he put his doubt into words. It is worth noting that Jesus did not scold Thomas for his doubt. In fact, Jesus invited Thomas to touch his wounds and see for himself. Today, millions of people stubbornly want to witness miracles or see Jesus in person before they will believe in him, but God asks us to come to him in faith. God provides the Bible, with eyewitness accounts of Jesus' life, crucifixion and resurrection to strengthen our faith.

In response to the Apostle Thomas' doubts, Jesus said that those who believe in Christ as Savior without seeing him—that's us—are blessed. Hometown References to the Apostle Thomas in the Bible Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; John 11:16, 14:5, 20:24-28, 21:2; Acts 1:13. Occupation The Apostle Thomas' occupation before he met Jesus is unknown. After Jesus' ascension , he became a Christian missionary. Family Tree Thomas has two names in the New Testament . Thomas, in Greek, and Didymus, in Aramaic, both meaning "twin." Scripture does not give the name of his twin, nor any other information about his family tree. Key Verses John 11:16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." ( NIV ) John 20:27 Then he (Jesus) said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.

Stop doubting and believe." ( NIV ) John 20:28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" (NIV) John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (NIV) The End? The Full Story! About 1960 years ago, Jesus and his friends and followers were in Jerusalem preparing for the special Passover celebrations. At the same time, the chief priests and other Jewish officials were meeting at the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, to discuss ways of capturing Jesus quietly, and killing him. They wanted to kill Jesus because they hated how popular he was with the people and thought he might take some of their power away, and also more importantly, they did not believe Jesus's claim that he was the Son of God. "But we can't do it during the Passover celebrations," they agreed, "because the people might riot." Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus's twelve disciples, went to the chief priests, and asked, "How much will you pay me if I betray Jesus to you?" They gave him thirty silver coins.

From then on, Judas watched for a chance to betray Jesus to them. On the first day of the Passover ceremonies, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where are we going to eat our Passover meal?" Jesus replied, "Go into the city and find a man carrying a water jar and tell him, 'Our Master says, my time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.'" So the disciples did as he told them, and prepared the meal there. That evening as Jesus sat eating the Passover meal with his disciples, He broke the bread, blessed it and said, "Take this and eat it, for this is my body, which I am giving for you." He then took the cup of wine and gave thanks and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my blood which is poured out for you." Then he said, "One of you will betray me." The disciples asked each other who would do that. But Judas knew he was talking about him and slipped out as soon as he could.

Jesus and the rest of the disciples finished the meal and when they had sung a hymn, they went out to a local beauty spot, the Mount of Olives, and Jesus said to them, "This very night all of you will run away and leave me." Peter, one of Jesus's best friends, said to him, "Even if everyone else leaves you, I never will. Even if I have to die with you, I will never let you down. I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "Tonight, before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me." Then Jesus took his disciples to a place called Gethsemane and said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray. Pray for strength against temptation." He went a little way from them, knelt down and started to pray. "God, my Father, if it is possible, please take this burden from me. But do what you want, not what I want." Jesus stayed there and prayed for about an hour. When he returned to the disciples, he found them asleep and asked them, "Why are you sleeping? Couldn't you stay awake for one hour?

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation, for your spirit is willing, but your body is weak." Then he went away for a second time to pray, "My Father, if it is not possible to take this painful thing from me, and if I must do it, I pray that what you want will happen." Jesus went back to his followers and found that they had fallen asleep again, so he went and prayed a third time. When he came back the last time, they were still asleep so he told them, "Wake up! It is nearly time for the Son of Man to be betrayed by sinners! Here comes my betrayer." After he left the meal, Judas had gone to the high priests and made arrangements with them and the soldiers about how they would know Jesus. "The one who I kiss is the one to arrest.", he said. When they arrived where Jesus and his disciples were, Judas went up to Jesus and kissed him and said, "Greetings, Teacher." And with that, the soldiers arrested Jesus. Jesus was taken to the court of Caiaphas (the High Priest), the teachers of the law and the Jewish Elders. Peter followed at a distance into the courtyard.

He sat down with the guards to see what would happen. The priests and the Sanhedrin (the name of the Jewish parliament) brought lots of witnesses who told lies about Jesus. But nothing could be proved and Jesus would not say anything to defend himself. Finally the High Priest said to him, "I ask you under oath: Are you the Son of God?" Jesus replied, "You say that I am." Then the High Priest said, "He has spoken against God!!

Do we need anymore witnesses?" The other priests replied, "He should die for what he has said!" Meanwhile, in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to Peter and said, "You were with Jesus of Galilee." Peter said, "I don't know what you're talking about." Then he went out to the gateway where another girl saw him and told the people around her, "This man was with Jesus of Galilee." Peter said, "I swear I don't know him!" After a little while, the people standing around the gate came up to Peter and said, "Surely you were with him, your accent gives you away." (People from Galilee had a different accent to people in Jerusalem.) Now Peter became angry and said, "I don't know the man!!" Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went outside and cried. He had denied knowing Jesus because he was scared that he might be arrested. To sentence someone to death, the Jewish leaders had to have the Roman Governor's permission.

So even thought it was now getting towards dawn (and against Jewish law!) they took Jesus before the Roman governor, Pilate, who asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Those are your words." The priests and chief elders then began accusing him and still, Jesus did nothing to defend himself (much to the amazement of Pilate). The governor said, "Don't you hear how they're accusing you?" But still, Jesus didn't say anything! Pilate didn't know what to do with Jesus. Because he didn't think he had done anything wrong, he sent him to the Jewish King Herod. Herod was pleased that Jesus had been arrested and questioned him, but again, Jesus said nothing. So Herod made fun of him and Herod's soldiers beat Jesus up. Then Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate as he didn't know what to do with Jesus either! It was the custom, at the time Passover, for the Roman governor to release one Jewish prisoner chosen by the ordinary people. At that time, they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. When Pilate asked the crowd who they wanted released. The Priests stirred up the crowd so they called for Barabbas.

Pilate asked them, "What do you want me to do with Jesus, who is called King of the Jews?" They answered back, let by the Priests, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate asked them, "Why? What crime has he committed?" But, they shouted even louder, "CRUCIFY HIM!! CRUCIFY HIM!!" When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. (This is where we get the phrase 'washing our hands of something' when we want to show that we don't want the blame if something goes wrong!) Then Pilate released Barabbas. Jesus was flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. The governor's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's palace and gathered around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him and then twisted together a crown of thorns and rammed it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" They spat on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.

After they had beaten him up, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. As the soldiers led him away, they grabbed a man named Simon, (who was from Cyrene and on his way in from the country) from the watching crowd and made him carry the cross because Jesus had been beaten so badly, he was too weak to do so. When they came to the place where they executed people, called Golgotha or 'The Place of the Skull', they offered Jesus cheap wine to drink to help stop the pain, but after he tasted it, he refused to drink it. When they had nailed Jesus up on to the Cross, the Jewish rulers among the crowd sneered at Jesus, saying, "If you are so wonderful and the King of the Jews, save yourself." An inscription, in Greek, Latin and Hebrew, was written on a bit of wood and put over Jesus' head on the cross.

It read, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS." Jesus prayed to God, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." Two thieves were being crucified at the same time as Jesus, one on the right and one on the left. One of the criminals who hung next to Jesus hurled insults at him, "Aren't you the Christ? Why don't you save yourself and us, too!!" But the other thief disagreed with him and said, "Aren't you afraid of God since you are under the same sentence? We are being punished because we did wrong things. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Remember me when you come into your Kingdom." Jesus told him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in heaven." This happened about 12noon, and from then until 3pm it was dark because the sun did not shine! At 3 o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "My God, My God, why have you left me?" Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice again, "It is finished!" And he died.

A Roman centurion, was standing in front of Jesus and heard his cry and saw how he died. He said, "Surely, this man was the Son of God!" Because the next day was the Sabbath (Saturday, the Jewish Holy Day), the Jews didn't want the bodies left on the crosses. Later, an important Jewish council member called Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus's body. Pilate gave his permission for Joseph to remove his body. He and Nicodemus (another council member) took Jesus' body and wrapped it in strips of cloth (which was the Jewish burial custom). Near the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden that Joseph owned and in the garden was a tomb that no one else had ever used. So they buried Jesus in this tomb. The Romans put their best guards at the tomb and the Jewish Leaders had a massive stone rolled in front of it to stop Jesus's followers stealing the body and saying that he had come back to life. Early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdelene, one of Jesus's followers, and some other women went to the tomb to put spices onto the body to stop it smelling.

When they got to the tomb, they discovered that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. They wondered what had happened! Suddenly two men dressed is white robes that glowed appeared in the tomb. The women were very frightened, but the men said "He is not here! He has risen just as he said." Then the women remembered what Jesus had said. The women left the tomb and went to tell the other disciples about what had happened. The others did not believe the women because it sounded like rubbish! But Peter and John got up and ran to the tomb and found it empty with only strips of cloth lying in it. When they saw the empty grave,they believed that Jesus had risen. Then the disciples went home Mary stayed at the tomb and was very sad and crying. She turned away from the tomb and saw Jesus there, but she didn't know it was Jesus. "Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Jesus asked her. She thought it was the gardener so said to him, "If you took Jesus's body away, please tell me where he is so I can go and see him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned to look at the man properly and saw that it was Jesus.

Said said to him, "Rabboni!" (this means 'teacher' in Hebrew) She when to hug Jesus, but he said, "Don't hold on to me, because I have not gone back to heaven yet. But go and tell my disciples that I am going back to heaven." So Mary went back and told the disciples all about what had happened and that she had seen Jesus alive! Jesus Appears to the Disciples Later on the same day, two of Jesus's followers were walking from Jerusalem to a town called Emmaus (about 11 kilometres or 7 miles). They were talking about what had happened over the last few days. They were joined by a stranger on the road and started walking with him. It was Jesus but they didn't recognise him. Jesus asked them "What are you talking about?" They told Jesus all that had happened and about the women going to the tomb, the Angels telling them that Jesus was Alive and the other disciples finding the tomb empty. Jesus then explained to them about what the old Jewish prophets had said about Jesus coming back to life (although they still didn't recognise him!) When they had finished talking, they were near Emmaus.

It was getting late, so the two men asked Jesus to stay the night with them. They sat down to dinner and Jesus said grace. As he broke the bread to eat, the disciple realised it was Jesus. (They might have seen the holes in Jesus's hands where the nails had been.) They were amazed and ran all the way back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples in Jerusalem what had happened! They found the other disciples in a locked room because they were scared of being found by the Jewish leaders. While the two disciples were saying what had happened, Jesus appeared in the room and said "Peace be with you!" They were scared and thought Jesus was a ghost. But Jesus said "Look at my hands and feet, it is me. Touch my hands where the nails went in. A ghost doesn't have a body!" He showed them his pierced hands where the nails had gone in and they believed it was him, Alive! Jesus ate some fish with them and explained why he had died and that he would soon go back to heaven. He also explained that he would send a helper, the Holy Spirit, to live in and help all of Jesus's followers. He told them not to leave Jerusalem until the Helper had come.

He also told them to go and tell other people about him and that he loves everyone so much he died for them. But there was one disciple who wasn't there when Jesus first appeared, his name was Thomas and he doubted that Jesus really was alive. He said that unless he saw the holes in Jesus hands, he wouldn't believe that he was raised from the dead. The next week, the disciples were in the room again. This time Thomas was with them. Even though the room was locked, Jesus still appeared to them. He showed Thomas his hands. Thomas touched him and said, "My Lord and My God!" And believed that Jesus was alive. 40 days after Jesus rose from the dead, he got his followers together and took them out to Bethany. He prayed for them and while he was doing so, he was carried back up into Heaven. A shining cloud covered Jesus, but suddenly two men dressed in white shining clothes stood next to Jesus and said "Why are you looking into the sky? Jesus who you saw going into heaven will return the same way!" The disciples went back to Jerusalem as Jesus had told them to do. A while later, the disciples were in a house waiting to celebrate Pentecost (the Jewish harvest festival).

Suddenly there was a sound like a strong blowing wind in the house. They saw things like flames of fire that came and rested on each of the disciples. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, the helper just as Jesus had promised. They went outside and to tell people about Jesus and found that people from lots of different countries could understand what they were saying. (People from different countries were staying in Jerusalem then for the Pentecost festival.) The people didn't understand this was possible, some people thought they were all drunk! But Peter said "How can we be drunk? It's nine o'clock in the morning!" The disciples found that by the power of the Holy Spirit, they could speak lots of different languages. They told all the people about Jesus and what he did for everyone. Over 3000 people became Christians that day! People have been telling others about Jesus all over the world ever since. John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Matthew Henry Commentary 20:26-29 That one day in seven should be religiously observed, was an appointment from the beginning.

And that, in the kingdom of the Messiah, the first day of the week should be that solemn day, was pointed out, in that Christ on that day once and again met his disciples in a religious assembly. The religious observance of that day has come down to us through every age of the church. There is not an unbelieving word in our tongues, nor thought in our minds, but it is known to the Lord Jesus; and he was pleased to accommodate himself even to Thomas, rather than leave him in his unbelief. We ought thus to bear with the weak, Ro 15:1,2. This warning is given to all. If we are faithless, we are Christless and graceless, hopeless and joyless. Thomas was ashamed of his unbelief, and cried out, My Lord and my God. He spoke with affection, as one that took hold of Christ with all his might; My Lord and my God. Sound and sincere believers, though slow and weak, shall be graciously accepted of the Lord Jesus. It is the duty of those who read and hear the gospel, to believe, to embrace the doctrine of Christ, and that record concerning him, 1Jo 5:11.

Question: Which disciple did not believe Jesus was alive until he had touched the hole in his hands
Answer: Thomas