RESURRECTION APPEARANCES- JERUSALEM, GALILEE AND OUR LIVES
The Rev. Harold Shepherd, CD, M.A., LL.B., S.T.M., LL.B., LL.M., Ph.D.
Sermon from May 5, 2003

THE JERUSALEM TRADITIONS
Luke: 24:13-32- Two disciples on the road to Emmaus 24:33-49- Same two disciples with the twelve apostles in Jerusalem Acts: 1:3: “To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father...” John 20: 19-25- Easter evening/ the disciples behind a locked door in Jerusalem, minus Thomas. 26-29- Eight days later, in Jerusalem, with Thomas. The Marcan Appendix (16:9-19): 12-13- two followers walking in the country 14-18- The eleven disciples at table

THE GALILEAN TRADITIONS
Matthew 28: 7: At the grave, the angel says: “then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you in Galilee; there you will see him...” 10: Jesus appears to the two Mary’s and says: “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers and sisters to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” 16: The disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. Jesus appeared to them and gave them the great commission- to make disciples of all nations. John 21 (Appendix): 1-23: Jesus appears by the Sea of Galilee to Peter, Thomas (the twin), Nathanael, the two sons of Zebedee (James and John), and two other disciples. As they were fishing, Jesus appeared on the shore and asked them to bring in the net. Miraculously, it was full of fish. When they came ashore, they had breakfast with Jesus and Peter received the charge to feed Jesus’ sheep. Mark 16:7; 14:28: 14:28: “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 16:7: “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him....” PAUL- I Corinthians 15:5-8: “... he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

COMMENTARY:
Many scholars note that the two traditions relating to Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances are not easily harmonized. According to Luke/Acts, Jesus appears to his disciples in Jerusalem, then tells them not to leave town until Pentecost. John’s Gospel, which originally ended at chapter 20, records two appearances of Jesus in Jerusalem shortly after Easter. Mark 16:9-19, which is not found in some of the most ancient manuscripts, records appearances by Jesus to his disciples in Jerusalem and in the country. In Matthew, the disciples are told that Jesus will appear to them in Galilee, where he did. John 21 recounts Jesus appearance at the Sea of Galilee, and Mark 14 and 16 affirms that the disciples will meet Jesus in Galilee. Paul does not say where the appearances occurred, but asserts that Jesus was seen by Peter, the twelve, 500 disciples at one time, James, and then by Paul himself. One possibility as to how these two traditions relate to each other is that the Christian communities in both Jerusalem and Galilee retained recollections of local appearances that were handed on without reference to the other. Each took on an independent life. Peter and the other disciples had come to Jerusalem for the Passover with Jesus, not to live. It is not implausible that they remained in Jerusalem for a few days after Jesus’ death behind locked doors to reconsider their options, and that Jesus appeared to them there. On the other hand, it is also not unreasonable to assume that, given that their leader had been killed by the Romans for treason, they would have left town in a hurry and returned to Galilee. The appearances to Peter and the sons of Zebedee at the Sea of Galilee are quite in keeping with this scenario. The first appearances (after Easter morning) could have taken place in Galilee, as recorded in Mark, Matthew and the addition to John in chapter 21. With renewed courage and hope, they returned to Jerusalem before Pentecost where they met Jesus and witnessed his ascension. The traditions relating to these appearances are recorded in Luke/Acts, John and the Marcan appendix. Although each community passed on the tradition in a form that appears exclusive, this may just be a reflection of a preoccupation with local appearances to the Apostles by those who perpetuated the traditions. The state of these accounts makes it difficult to reconstruct the appearances sequentially, nor can they be harmonized into one flowing account. If this were the case, it may look like the stories had a common literary source. But this is not so. This collection of independent sources gives voice to a chorus of voices of eye-witnesses proclaiming- Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!