Appearing to His Disciples — December 22 [Description]Overview of the Passages:Mark 16:13-14After Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples report seeing Him alive, but the rest of the group doesn’t believe them. When Jesus finally appears to the Eleven, He rebukes them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they didn’t believe the earlier eyewitness accounts of His resurrection.Luke 24:33-48The two disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus rush back to tell the others. As they’re sharing, Jesus appears to the whole group. At first, they’re frightened and think He’s a ghost. But Jesus shows them His hands and feet, eats in front of them, and opens their minds to understand how His death and resurrection fulfilled the Scriptures.John 20:19-25The disciples are hiding in fear, but Jesus enters their locked room and says, “Peace be with you.” He shows them His wounds and gives them the Holy Spirit. Thomas, who wasn’t there, later refuses to believe unless he sees and touches Jesus’ wounds himself.Central Themes Across All Passages:- The reality of Jesus’ bodily resurrection- The disciples’ initial fear, doubt, and unbelief- Jesus’ personal, patient, and physical confirmation of His identity- The transition from confusion to mission: “You are witnesses”These moments capture Jesus lovingly confronting doubt, offering peace, and commissioning believers to spread the truth

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Mark 16:13-14365D 356.1

13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.365D 356.2

14 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.365D 356.3

Luke 24:33-48365D 356.4

33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,365D 356.5

34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”365D 356.6

35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was ^{[i]recognized} known to them in the breaking of bread.365D 356.7

36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”365D 356.8

37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.365D 356.9

38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?365D 356.10

39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”365D 356.11

40 ^{[j]Some printed New Testaments omit v. 40. It is found in nearly all Gr. mss.} When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.365D 356.12

41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”365D 356.13

42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish ^{[k]NU omits and some honeycomb} and some honeycomb.365D 356.14

43 And He took it and ate in their presence.365D 356.15

44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”365D 356.16

45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.365D 356.17

46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, ^{[l]NU that the Christ should suffer and rise} and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,365D 356.18

47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.365D 356.19

48 And you are witnesses of these things.365D 356.20

John 20:19-25365D 356.21

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were ^{[e]NU omits assembled} assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”365D 356.22

20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.365D 356.23

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”365D 356.24

22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.365D 356.25

23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”365D 356.26

24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.365D 356.27

25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”365D 356.28