WHY DID JESUS APPEAR TO ONLY A FEW PEOPLE AFTER RESURRECTION AND NOT TO EVERYONE?
People who do not want to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ will always find a reason not to. They asked, "why did Jesus appear to only a few people after resurrection and not to everyone? Why did He not appear to everyone at the temple in order to desolve all doubts.
Well, the Bible recorded that after Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to many people including Mary Magdalene, various other women, two disciples (whose names were not given), the 11 apostles and over 500 people at the same time. His appearance to these over 500 people may have been at the temple as expected by these unbelivers though the Bible did not record that.
(John 20:11-16 KJV) But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
(Luke 24:13-15 KJV) And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
(Mark 16:14 KJV) Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
(1 Corinthians 15:4-7 KJV) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
Many believed the witnesses of these people listed above and they had no doubt of their testimonies. More so, the news of His resurrection was well spread in that generation.
It is worthy of note that not every single event during the life of Jesus Christ was recorded in the Bible. Jesus may have appeared to many more people. That it was not recorded in the Bible or any other historical book does not disprove that fact. More so, because of the severe persecution at that time, most historians may have shunned recording the resurrection for fear of their lives. Only true believers who are not afraid of their lives wrote the account.
The testimonies of those apostles and all the people listed above were enough. Recall that these apostles and disciples sacrificed their lives while maintaining that Jesus indeed rose from the dead. They would not have died for what they mistakenly believed was true. They would not have died for a lie that they knew was a lie.
Jesus appeared to enough people that could cause anyone who wants to believe to believe. Jesus' parable in Luke chapter 16 suggests that even if He had appeared to everyone, these people who do not want to believe would still not believe for He said in that parable that these people will still not believe even if one rises from the dead.
(Luke 16:30-31 KJV) And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
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