He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 1st Corinthians 15:5-6
When trying to solve a mystery or understand a sequence of events, one of the first sources we turn to is eyewitness accounts. That is because someone who has seen the events unfold and what exactly happened with their own eyes can tell the story with far greater accuracy and credibility than someone who has only heard the sequence of events second-hand. When it comes to the resurrection of Jesus, the apostle Paul points us to those who experienced seeing Jesus’ resurrected body on earth with their own eyes before He returned to heaven in 1st Corinthians 15. The remarkable truth is, it was not just a few people; more than 500 people saw Him!
As he wrote about Jesus’ resurrection in 1st Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul said, “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said” (verses 3-4). Paul explained that this good news was the most important truth that he could ever teach anyone (verse 3). To this day, it is the most important truth we could ever hear or share with those around us. Next, Paul explained that after Jesus had risen from the grave, He was seen by many. Paul explains that Peter and the rest of Jesus’ disciples saw Him (verse 5). He was also seen by “more than 500 of His followers” (verse 5). How amazing that so many people had an opportunity to see Jesus’ resurrected body with their own eyes! The detail that “more than 500 of His followers” saw Jesus after He had risen from the grave is significant. This fact that over 500 people saw the resurrected Jesus, not just one or two people, makes the truth of His resurrection impossible to ignore.
How do we know over 500 people saw Jesus risen from the grave? First of all, Paul tells that truth to us in 1st Corinthians 15. Additionally, many of them must have gone on to share what they had seen. We know that at least some of Jesus’ disciples, such as Matthew and John, did because they wrote about what they had seen first-hand in the books of Matthew and John. They shared what they had seen and experienced. Many of the other followers likely shared what they had seen with their own eyes, too.
Still today, our stories of how we have experienced God’s work in our lives first-hand are powerful. One cannot dispute what we have seen and experienced firsthand. All of us have seen God at work in our lives in big and small ways, and we cannot keep what we have seen and experienced firsthand to ourselves. We must tell others how God has been at work in our lives. As we do, we will spread His hope in the world around us, and our world is in great need of hope today.
Your challenge today is to share your story of how Christ has made a difference in your life with someone who is far from Christ. This is the story of what your life was like before you came to know Christ, how you came to know Christ, and the difference Christ has made in your life. Let’s be conduits of hope today by telling at least one person how God has worked in our lives and that He can do the same thing for them, too.
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.
“God, as I remember the difference Christ has made in my life, I thank You for…”
Going Deeper
1st Corinthians 15:1-11
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
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