Title: The Resurrected Lord’s Three Appearances

Scripture reading: Mark 16:9-14

“Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. ¹¹ And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.”

Main idea: The resurrected Jesus appearances teach the believer that in the darkest circumstances there is always hope.

First, our Lord appeared to one witness, Mary Magdalene – then to two witnesses, two disciples walking into the country – and lastly to eleven witnesses, the apostles.

Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9).
What we have in this passage is a summary of John 20:11-18. The summary here given is brief, to the point, comprehensive. This is the fourth time that Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the last two chapters of Mark (15:40,47; 16:1). She witnessed the crucifixion, and saw where His body was laid. John tells us that Mary Magdalene stayed around the tomb after the appearance of the angels to the women (John 20:11-18).

Here, as in the other Gospels (John 20:11-17), it is clear that people do not simply “catch sight” of the risen Lord; rather, the Lord takes the initiative in appearing to whom he chooses. And significantly, the first person to whom he appears is a woman out of whom he had driven seven demons (Luke 8:2)—someone who by human standards might be considered the least reliable witness (like the healed demoniac of Mark 5:19-20).

Mary, the mother of our Lord, was still alive. John, the beloved disciple, was still living. Yet both were passed over on this occasion in favor of Mary Magdalene. For one thing, that by appearing “first to Mary Magdalene” our Lord meant to show us how much he values love and faithfulness. Last at the cross and first at the grave, last to confess her Master while living, and first to honor him when dead, this faithful disciple was allowed to be the first to see him when the victory was won. It was intended to be a perpetual memorial to the church that those who do honor Christ, he will honor. May we always remember that for those who leave all for Christ’s sake there is “a hundred times as much in this present age” (Mark 10:30).

Our Lord’s appearing “first to Mary Magdalene” was intended to comfort all who have become penitent believers after having run into great excesses of sin. It was meant to show us that, however far we may have fallen, we are raised to complete peace with God if we repent and believe in Jesus. Though before far off, we are brought near. Though before enemies, we are made dear children. The old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Disciples’ unbelief (Mark 16:10-11).
Three times in this very passage we find Mark describing the unbelief of the eleven apostles. Once, when Mary Magdalene told them that our Lord had risen, “they did not believe it” (Mark 16:11). Again, when our Lord had appeared to two of them as they walked, “they did not believe them either” (Mark 16: 13). Finally, when our Lord himself appeared to them as they were eating, we are told that “he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe” (Mark 16:14). These men had been told repeatedly by our Lord that he would rise again. And yet, when the time came, all was forgotten, and they were found unbelieving.

When Mary Magdalene reported that He was alive, what did they do? They were weeping and hurting. Why? Because of unbelief. It has been said that a little faith will get you to heaven, but a larger faith will bring heaven to you. If the disciples had believed at that moment, like Mary, they would have moved into joy. But they chose not to believe and remained in their sorrow longer than necessary.

Maybe you’re weeping today because of a mountain you facing in your life. In reality, none of those are the source of your tears. Because the living Lord has said to you everything is working together for good, because He has said we are to give thanks in all things, because He has given us promise after promise that He is with us and will never forsake us.

Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12-13).
The full account of this appearance is found in Luke 24:13-31. Jesus appeared to the two men who were walking into the country—that is, to Cleopas and his companion (Luke 24:18)— “in a different form” we are told. To Mary He had appeared as a gardener. Now He seemed like a fellow-traveler. But it was the same Jesus in His glorified body.

In their conversation about Jesus, they first identify him as a prophet (Luke 4:24; 7:16, 39; 13:33). Second, since Jesus was crucified, their hopes that he would redeem Israel (Luke 1:68; 2:38) are lost. They thus lack proper understanding of Jesus’ mission. They fail to recognize that by his death he has accomplished a different kind of redemption, ransoming captives enslaved to sin by bringing them liberty —that is, forgiveness of their sins. Third, they remain unconvinced by the report of the women (Luke 24:9). The two disciples thus lack faith that Jesus is alive, risen from the dead.

Resurrected Jesus came to their home and sits with them at the table. Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. We are told, “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:31). “Their eyes were opened.” This exact expression (of three consecutive words in Greek) occurs elsewhere in Scripture only in the account of the fall in Genesis, “the eyes of both of them were opened” (Genesis 3:7). Through this allusion, Jesus is presented as the new Adam (Luke 3:38; 4:1-13; 22:44; 23:43), who here gives the food that brings not death but life.

The Appearance to the Eleven (Mark 16:14).
This appearance to the eleven took place that same Sunday evening (Luke 24:36; John 20:19-24; 1 Cor. 15:5). Jesus wanted them to know that the witnesses of his resurrection could be trusted. The phrase the Eleven means the apostles because there were only ten of them together at the time, since Thomas was absent (John 20:19-25).

Jesus rebuked them for their refusal to accept the reports of His resurrection from Mary and the others. With this rebuke the Mark highlights for all his readers the crucial importance of believing the testimony to the resurrection. The distinguishing mark of a Christian is accepting and believing the word of God, he is alive, and we have seen him (Acts 2:32).

Let us note in these verses how much weakness there is sometimes in the faith of the best Christians. Let us learn from the unbelief of the apostles a useful practical lesson for ourselves. We must not think it strange if our experience is sometimes like theirs, and if our faith, like theirs, sometimes gives way. Let us resist unbelief strongly. Let us watch, and pray, and strive to be delivered from its power. Our Lord doesn’t want us to doubt about his resurrection for it is attached to our salvation. Romans 10:9 declares, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Application
Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene whom he had driven seven demons. God chooses the lowly and the despised. Throughout the Bible God has always chosen the lowly and the insignificant to accomplish his plan and purpose. A Moses who had trouble speaking in public, an Elijah who fought depression, a Simon Peter who was prone to say the wrong thing at the wrong time—all were turned into the heroes of history by the power of God at work in and through them.

The women would not have been accepted in the Jewish world as official witnesses, but God chose them and through their witness changed the world. Like Paul, we should glory in our weaknesses so that “Christ’s power may rest in” us (2 Cor. 12:9) and be made manifest in us.

Satan’s great defeat took place on the cross, and Christians are victorious over him “by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 12:11). The disciples completely abandon Jesus (Mark 14:50-52). However, Jesus has promised to meet them in Galilee as their risen Lord (Mark 14:28; 16:7), and he will give the strength to overcome their failures. That is the key for us as well.

What is your relationship to the risen Lord? Have you heard the good news? Have you believed it? Have you trusted in him? This is the heart of Christianity.

I leave you today with these words taken from Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Let’s pray together
heavenly Father, I thank you, that, you gave me this opportunity to prepare and deliver this devotional. Let all the readers and hearers turn to you Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.