Resurrection

Resurrection 6: Road to Emmaus

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The Emmaus Road

The resurrection appearance of Jesus to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognising him.
17 He asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ‘Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’
19 ‘What things?’ he asked.
‘About Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.’
25 He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going further. 29 But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread.

Luke 24:13-35

resurrection

Horsham: 5th May 2026

Setting the Scene
Appearing only in the Gospel of Luke, these verses tell of two people who knew Jesus well. One of them is called Cleopas (. It’s likely that his wife was at the cross with the mother of Jesus(John 19:25), watching him suffer and die. These two were not amongst the twelve disciples, but they were part of the larger group who were followers of Jesus. They may have been amongst the 72 who were sent out on mission by Jesus (Luke 10). They would certainly have been there when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, with the crowd welcoming him as King. They would have been there during those tense arguments with Jewish leaders in the Temple during what we call Holy Week. They would have been in hiding after the arrest of Jesus, but they would probably have seen his beaten, broken and bloody body as he was paraded through the streets, perhaps mingling in the crowd even as he was nailed to the cross. They knew where he had been buried, and they had hear the testimony of the women who said that Jesus had risen from the dead. However, the testimony of women was not regarded as reliable, and it was now evening of the third day. Neither they, or any of the men, had seen Jesus.

Like everyone in their group, they had thought that Jesus was the Messiah. That he would rid Israel of the Roman occupiers and restore the nation as the Kingdom of God. Whatever else the Messiah would do, getting arrested, beaten and killed were not part of the job description. Now, three days after his death, they were confronting the fact that they had been wrong. Jesus, it seemed, was not the Messiah after all. The last few weeks had been a rollercoaster, but things had not turned out as they hoped. They felt let down and dejected. They were going home.

What happened on the Road
These two disciples were walking from Jerusalem towards Emmaus where they were to spend the night. The distance is about seven miles and on the rough roads the journey would take several hours. The sun was low in the sky and there were other Jewish pilgrims on the road, making their way home after the Passover festival. Perhaps they were blinded by the sun, or looking down to make sure that they did to trip over, but whatever happened, they didn’t recognise the traveler who came up alongside them as they walked along. 

It was natural to chat to other pilgrims. ‘What are you talking about as you walk along?’ One of them, maybe it was Cleopas, says ‘The events in Jerusalem.’ He’s referring to the events around Jesus. ‘What events? I sense exasperation in the reply. This man is clearly a Jew. How could he ask a question like that? Why would he need to? ‘Are you the only person in Jerusalem who doesn’t know about what’s been going on!’ This traveler, of course, is the only person who knows in every detail what had been going on. The teacher lets them keep talking. ‘We thought Jesus was one who would save Israel.’ The Jewish leaders gave him over to execution. He was crucified. He was buried. Some of the women said he was risen, but none of us have seen him. 

The traveler starts to talk about Scripture. How the prophets said that the Messiah would suffer violence, even death. Yet that would not be the end. Resurrection would follow. He preaches an extraordinary sermon. Like generations of followers of Jesus, I wish I could have listened in! 

The hearts of the travelers were fired up and encouraged by the conversation, but they still didn’t recognise Jesus.

Together, they reach the place where they are to stay overnight. The pilgrim looks as if he would continue on his way, but of course Cleopas and his friend encourage him to stay with them as their guest. They are Jews. Hospitality is in their DNA.

Perhaps they are still blinded by the setting sun. Perhaps they are still heads down, trying not to fall. They still don’t recognise who this traveler is. 

At the Table
Over dinner, something unusual happens. The breaking of bread is an important art of the ritual, but is always done by the host. This pilgrim is not the host, he is the guest, yet it is him who breaks the bread. There’s something about the way in which he does this simple act, perhaps the words he uses, or the way be handles the loaf which is incredibly familiar. In that instant, two extraordinary things happen. As if a blindfold has been removed they recognise this man. It is Jesus – the Jesus who had been crucified and buried. He is alive. And than, in the same moment, he is gone from their sight.

Resurrection.

Back on the Road 
No-one travels at night. The roads are uneven and bumpy. The risk of a fall is high. There are robbers out there. But this is not news they can keep to themselves. This is serious breaking news. They must tell the other disciples without delay. Shoes back on – they rush back to Jerusalem with the news. Christ is Risen.

Resurrection

End Piece
This is a wonderful resurrection story. It’s simple. It’s graphic. There is a realism to it. RC Sproul once said that these few verses relate ‘the most glorious story of the New Testament’.

There are a some great lessons here.

When seeking Jesus, we should expect the unexpected.  The one thing they weren’t expecting to happen on that day was to meet Jesus. Were they also assuming that a resurrected Jesus would still look shockingly battered, bruised and bloodied?  The resurrected Jesus as they met him was not like that at all.

An encounter with Jesus was enough to turn someone who was in the depths of despair, into someone filled with excitement and joy.

There were risks in sharing this news. The journey back to Jerusalem mat night involved considerable risk. But the news of resurrection was, and is, urgent. The news of the resurrection was, and is, to be shared.

Breaking news. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Expect the unexpected. Pass it on!

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex

Resurrection

Resurrection Appearance 5: Peter

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Jesus Appears to Peter

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ 

(Luke 24:33-34)

Resurrection

Horsham: 3rd May 2026

It’s easy to be critical of Peter. He is the one who always seems ready to say or do the wrong thing. We learn so much from his mistakes. He was at the heart of the story of the death of Jesus for all the wrong reasons. It was Peter who drew his sword and attacked one of the guards who had been sent to arrest Jesus (John 18:1-11). It was Peter who denied Christ three times while Jesus was being interrogated (John 18:15-27). It was Peter who led the disciples into hiding in fear of his own life after the burial of Jesus (John 20:19). It was Peter , as leader of the remaining disciples, who was suspicious of the testimony of the women that Jesus was alive (Luke 24:11). In human terms, there would be every reason for Jesus to turn his back on Peter. That’s not what happened. Jesus doesn’t think like we do.

8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,’
declares the Lord.
9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

I wish that we knew more about this encounter. This tantalising verse in Luke’s gospel is the only mention in any of the Gospels that Jesus appeared to Peter, on his own, on the first day of his resurrection. This encounter was sufficiently well known and believed amongst the early followers of Jesus that Paul mentions it in his account of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-5), yet we know absolutely nothing more about it. What did Jesus say? Did he rebuke Peter? Did he encourage Peter? As with other moments in the resurrection story, we want to know more!

Along with his friends, Peter was devastated by the death of Jesus. For all of the disciples, the arrest, beating and crucifixion of Jesus was not any part of their concept of Messiah. Although Christ had warned that he would suffer and die, Peter never quite grasped that this was a necessary step for the Messiah.

We know that by the time of Pentecost, a few weeks after the death of Jesus, Peter came out fighting, full of confidence, and ready to fulfil the expectations of Jesus that he, Peter, would start building the Church. Whatever Jesus said to Peter during his resurrection, it changed him.

End Piece

I wonder whether you’ve experienced watching your team struggle in the first half of a game, but coming out for the second half with renewed vigour, enthusiasm and energy to win the match. The impact of a good half time talk can be extraordinary. With the right encouragement, a losing side cab be turned into a winning team.

Whatever Jesus said to Peter, it turned him round. A man who looked like he was falling short, came out filled with the Holy Spirit, bursting with confidence, overflowing with confidence. Peter went on to fulfill his purpose. To start something which continues to change the world.

18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Matthew 16:18

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex

Resurrection

Resurrection Encounter 4: The Garden

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The Garden

This is the first account of the resurrection of Jesus, in the garden by the tomb.

1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. 

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20: 1-18

Horsham: 7th April 2026

In a recent post in this Resurrection Encounters series, we saw Mary Magdalene running from the tomb of Jesus back into the town, seeking the disciples who are taking refuge in fear after the arrest and death of Jesus. As with our own culture, the testimony of a single witness can present us with challenges. The story carries more weight if supported by the testimony of other witnesses.

Luke tells us that when she visited the tomb Mary Magdalene was accompanied by Joanna, Mary, mother of James and some other women (Luke 24:10). Matthew tells us that they were running in both fear and joy (Matthew 28:8-10). Mark tells us that the women were trembling and bewildered (Mark 16:8).

Unfortunately, this was a culture where the testimony of a woman carried little weight, even if her evidence is corroborated by other women. The fact that the experience of these women is even recorded is in itself extraordinary.

We can’t be surprised that Mary cannot grasp the idea of resurrection. All she knows is that she saw the body placed in the tomb, and it is no longer there. 

Resurrection encounter

Disciples at the tomb

John tells us that Mary ran to Peter, probably regarded as the leader of the group, who was in hiding with the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’ (this phrase appears only in John’s Gospel, and is generally taken to be a reference to John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James (John 20:2). 

In John’s account, Peter and John run to the tomb,  and discover the grave clothes in which Christ had been wrapped, folded on the bench where the body would have been laid. The detail is important. The cloth which would have been used to wrap the head of Jesus is separately rolled. These grave clothes are the only thing of any value which had been buried with Jesus. Why would robbers take the body and leave them? They are utterly confounded by the empty tomb. They wander off, heading home in consternation, leaving the women weeping close to the tomb.

Mary at the Tomb 

Mary Magdalene, possibly with some of the other women, had followed Peter and John back to the tomb. Understandably in despair because of the events of the last few days, it’s again perfectly natural that Mary stays by the tomb after the men have left.

She is distraught. Inconsolable. In her brokenness she becomes aware of two angels in the tomb. ‘Woman. Why are you weeping?’ Again, her response feels like an entirely natural. ‘They have taken away my Lord and I don’t know where they have laid him.’ There is no fear in her response. In her desperation does she recognise these as angels. Does she then become aware that someone is standing close to her? 

The Gardener

The text says simply that she then turned and found a man in front of her who she did not recognise. It is a feature of the first resurrection encounters that people don’t recognise the risen Jesus. Of course, Mary isn’t expecting to see Jesus, but surely she would recognise him? The fact that she doesn’t adds weight to her story.

‘If you were making this story up now, to convince people in 50 years time that the story was true, you would surely have people recognise the person who had appeared at their side.’ CS Lewis: Miracles

The tomb is in a garden, close to Golgotha, so it is not unreasonable for her first thought to be that this is the gardener. The tomb belongs to Simon of Arimathea, a wealthy member of the Jewish community. It’s not unreasonable for her to question whether Simon had offered his tomb as a temporary resting place over the sabbath, intending to move it to a permanent resting place somewhere else.  ‘if you have carried him away, show me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’

Resurrection

At this moment in the story, I sense a pause. A silence. Mary bowed at the feet of the gardener – the gardener silent before Mary. One word breaks the silence. ‘Mary.’

Mary looks up in surprise, first because the gardener has used her name. She still kneels at the feet of the gardener as she lifts her tear stained face, perhaps expecting to find someone who works in the garden who she has met before. What she sees is breathtaking. The enormity of this moment is indescribable. Here before her is Jesus. The one she had seen crucified. The one she had seen laid in that tomb, standing before her, looking very much alive. She reaches out to touch his feet. ‘Do not touch me, because I have not yet returned to the Father.’ Every Christian teacher longs to know exactly what else was said during this encounter. Jesus sends her, Mary Magdalene, to the disciples with the message of the resurrection.

At the end of the last post we saw Mary running back to the disciples in fear.  This time, the second time she has made this journey, surely she is overwhelmed with joy.

Rational response of the Disciples

The Jewish leaders have just arranged the brutal execution of Jesus. It stands to reason that they will next look for his followers, the eleven disciples, to arrest and dispose of them. Without doubt, this band of brothers are hiding in one or more safe houses in Jerusalem. I imagine Peter, John, and perhaps the other nine, huddled together trying to work out the conundrum of the empty tomb. Their responses would almost certainly be rational. The body has been moved. The body has been stolen. Resurrection would be discounted. Such things don’t happen.

And then in bursts Mary Magdalene. ‘I have seen the Lord.’

The response of the disciples is not recorded. Mary is a woman. One woman. One very distressed, visibly emotional woman. She was part of the group, and loved by Jesus, but her testimony would not be admissible in court – it is not valid. Did they believe her? In their place, would you have believed her? 

Probably not.

‘[the words of the women] seemed an idle tale, and they did not believe them.’ (Luke 24:11)

End Piece

In the culture of first century Palestine, the testimony of a woman was regarded as being of little value. In a sense, it is perhaps surprising that the accounts of the women are even included in the Gospels. The fact that we have this record tells us that by the time they came to be written, this testimony was absolutely believed by the Gospel writers.

There is something incredibly special that the first fully recorded appearance of the risen Christ was not to the disciples. It was to women who followed Jesus.

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex

Resurrection

Resurrection Encounter 3: Peter at the Tomb

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Peter at the Tomb

Horsham: 18th April 2026

Peter’s visit to the tomb on the third day after the death of Jesus does not involve a resurrection appearance. It is, however, a really important part of the story. 

Resurrection

Peter and his friends are in hiding. Having fled from the soldiers at the time of Christ’s arrest in the early hours of Friday morning, they reasonably suspect themselves to be wanted men. Their association with Christ is likely to be sufficient reason for the Jewish leaders to hunt them down and dispose of them. Peter is in what we must assume is some kind of safe house with the Apostle John. It’s not clear how much they had witnessed themselves, but the disciples are in no doubt that Jesus was dead, and they have the witness testimony of Mary Magdalene to tell them exactly where he was buried.

Early Morning Call

When, soon after dawn on the Sunday morning, a distraught and inconsolable Mary bursts into to their hideout with the extraordinary news that the body of Jesus is missing they will be horrified. Graves were often raided, even bodies snatched, in the hope of finding something of value. Nothing of value was buried with Jesus. His body hadn’t even been properly prepared for burial. Then again, even grave clothes have a re-sale value.

Race to the Tomb

I imagine within seconds of hearing the news, Peter is out of the door, running. John takes off after him, and with youth on his side, overtakes him. Poor Mary, desperate and exhausted follows behind. John arrives first, and perhaps in deference to the older man, or perhaps in fear, waits until Peter arrives. Peter, with the impulsiveness we have seen before, runs straight into the tomb.

Inside the Tomb

Inside the tomb there would have been a kind of bench, hewn out of the rock, where the body would be laid. There is no body. Has the body been stolen? The only thing of value, the grave clothes are still there. But there’s another detail which we mustn’t miss. The head cloth is not just in the place where the head of the body would have been, it has been neatly rolled and placed in position, as though someone has carefully removed it and placed it there. The shroud is still there, at the foot of the bench, like a discarded bedsheet where the sleeper has just awoken and left the bed.

The body itself has gone, but the only thing of value, the grave clothes, are still there. What kind of grave robber would steal the naked body of a severely beaten and crucified man, leaving the funeral sheets in place. 

The only sound in this cool dark space is the sobbing and perhaps wailing of Mary, who has followed her friends and is now prostrate outside the entrance. 

In my mind, I see Peter wandering out of the tomb into the growing sunlight, and walking disconsolately with John back to their temporary home. No words are recorded. These men are already in shock after the events of the past few days. This latest news must send them into despair. The body of Jesus gone. 

End Piece

We can only have sympathy with these people. The only rational explanation is that the body has been stolen. The women are talking about angels. The women are talking about resurrection. To Peter, the women are talking nonsense.

I see Peter making his way home in quiet exhaustion. He’s a practical man. He’s wondering who on earth would have stolen the body and where they might have put it.

To those of us who are familiar with what followed, it may seem strange, even inexplicable, that the one explanation which doesn’t seem to have occurred to Peter was the obvious one. Resurrection.

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex

Contemplative

What has happened to America?

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Horsham: 18th April, 2026

It’s been quite a week. You have to ask yourself, what has happened to America.

President of America as Jesus meme

A couple of weeks ago, I noted that the President of the United States had been compared to Christ by a high profile MAGA faith advisor. He seems to have taken the comparison on board, circulating a post this week on Truth Social, showing himself as Jesus. In response to uproar amongst potential voters he withdrew the post about 24 hours later, later claiming that it depicted him not as Christ, but as a doctor.

Apparently not content with the furore caused by his latest offensive post, he then took to posting ridiculous comments about Pope Leo, including the accusation the he is ‘weak on crime’.

During the same week when the US Secretary of Defence encouraged people to pray with him during a high profile prayer meeting at the Pentagon. Claiming to be reading from ‘Cesar 25:17’ (whatever that was supposed to mean)  he then read a prayer which was essentially a quote from the Tarrantino film Pulp Fiction, which includes a sentence from Ezekiel 25:17.

All this follows the week in which Trump set out his negotiating position in his war of choice with Iran, by sending another message on Truth Social, vowing to destroy the entire Iranian civilisation.

What on earth has happened to America.

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex

 

Resurrection

Resurrection Encounter 2: The Women at the Tomb

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Horsham: 18th April 2026
Christ Is Risen

This reading draws on the resurrection accounts offered by Matthew, Mark and Luke.

‘On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. (Luke 24:1) When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”  4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. (Mark16:1-4_) 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,(Luke 24:4-5) 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Matthew 28:5-8)

Resurrection

We saw in an earlier post that the first witnesses to the resurrection  may have been the guards. It seems probable that they had disappeared before any of the friends of Jesus arrived at the tomb. Scripture tells us that the first visitors on Easter morning were Mary Magdalene with one or two other women.

The narrative is poignant. A small group of women, determined to show their love and respect for their dead friend by anointing his body, make their way in the dim light of dawn to the garden where Jesus is buried. They are anxious about how they will get access to the tomb. The tomb is already open. One or more angels appear. The women fall to the ground.

‘Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘

End Piece

To us, this is a familiar story. When we read it, we forget the intensity of the moment. These women are expecting to deal with the brutally disfigured body of Jesus. The tomb is open. The tomb is empty. The women are terrified. They have no idea how this ends.

The first words of the angel are ‘do not be afraid.‘ The sight of an angel inspires fear. The next words of the angel are ‘He is not here. He is risen.’

Resurrection. Surely that is a cause for joy.  And so these women run home, their hearts overwhelmed, bursting with mixed emotions.

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex

 

Contemplative

Comparing Trump to Christ: 3rd April 2026

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Horsham: 3rd April 2026

Today, one story did present itself for Christian comment.

Trump’s ‘spiritual advisor’, Paula White, chose to mark Holy Week 2026 by publicly comparing the President of the United States to the Son of God. A number of high profile evangelical Christian leaders were there in the room, applauding White’s comments.

Paula White Compares Trump to Jesus – YouTube

No words.

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex

 

 

Resurrection

Resurrection Encounter 1: Mary, Mother of Christ

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Horsham: 2nd April 2026
Christ Appears to Mary, Mother of Christ

If you’ve visited my blog before, you probably know that I describe myself as a contemplative evangelical. I’ve written elsewhere about what that means to me, but put simply, the word ‘evangelical’ simply means that I regard the teachings of Scripture (both Old and New Testament) to be the essential core and basis of my faith. That being the case, you may wonder why I am starting this series on the resurrection with the appearance to Mary, the Mother of Christ. I can’t offer you a bible reference, because this incident doesn’t appear anywhere in Scripture. 

Resurrection

The answer is simple. I have been exploring the ‘contemplative’ side of my faith using (not for the first time) the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola, who, in common with the  widely accepted teaching of the Catholic Church, believes that the first appearance of Christ in his resurrection was to Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Later in this series, we’ll see that there is a similar tradition that Christ appeared to Joseph of Arimathea (the similarity is that again this ‘incident’ is not reported in the Bible). Whilst they are not in Scripture, these are deeply held beliefs within the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, and so I’m exploring the background and why they are regarded as so significant. I found myself sufficiently interested in the teaching to spend some time reading about it.

The Background

Stories of the appearance of Christ to his mother date back to the earliest Church traditions and appear in writings from the 2nd – 4th Centuries. The story reoccurs in earliest writings of both Catholic and Orthodox traditions. It was most strongly supported in the writings of Saint Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419), whose Easter sermons strongly advocate the first appearance to Mary, but are largely based on assumptions about the depth of relationship which should exist between mother and son.

‘If indeed, someone were overseas, and his mother had unnderstood that  he had died, and he nevertheless healthy returned and would visit first other friends, and only last came to his mother, this would not be a good son, nor would he seem to have honoured his mother.’ (St Vincent Ferrer, quoted at www.ewtn.co.uk/article-after-his-resurrection-Jesus-appeared-first-to-mary-his-mother-mary-say-the-saints/)

Other writings point to the merits of Mary’s faith, pointing at moments such as the annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)

Perhaps surprisingly, the strongest modern influence comes from comments by Pope John Paul II who wrote ‘it is legitimate to think that the Mother was probably the first person to whom the risen Jesus appeared.’ (General Audience, Vatican, May 21 1997).

Importance of Mary

Let’s be clear – Mary is one of the most important characters in the Gospels. As protestants, we tend to be a bit reticent to talk about Mary. We rightly admire her readiness to trust God in our advent services, but rarely mention her during the rest of the year. Yet she had a unique position, being there at the very beginning and at the very end of Christ’s life on earth.

Of course, we are uncomfortable because we have been warned against the  ‘worship’ of Mary, mother of Christ, but in reality, in most Catholic traditions at least, Mary is venerated rather than worshipped. I’m not going to go into that too much here, but there is a huge difference.

Whilst I think that, from a protestant perspective, the veneration of Mary sometimes looks like worship, it seems to me that in our rush to distance ourselves from idolotary we can overlook the extraordinary importance of Mary and her role in the birth, life and death of Jesus. 

Scriptural Context

So, before we get carried away with criticism, we need to remember that Scripture is clear that the resurrection period was 40 days long (Acts 1:3). Yet we have very few scriptural records of the appearances of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15 , the Apostle Paul mentions a time when Christ appeared to more than 500 people at the same time, although this extraordinary incident is not recorded in any of the Gospels (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). The Road to Emmaus is mentioned only in Luke, and the appearance to Thomas is found only in John. So, it is reasonable to question whether the Gospels give us the complete story of the resurrection period?

John reminds us that not everything Jesus ever did is recorded in the Gospels (John 21:25), and it seems to me that this probably applies to his whole time on earth, including the resurrection period. That being the case, it is feasible that Mary did experience the presence of her son in his resurrection, and in human terms it would seem to be unfair if she didn’t. However, as an evangelical, I believe that we need to be constantly careful in our interpretation of Scripture, and particularly mindful of the risks of adding to the story (Deut 4:2; Galatians 1:9).

End Piece
For myself, I believe that we have much to learn from contemplative reflection on the life of Mary, Mother of Christ. From the annunciation, through to her desperate and lonely vigil at the foot of the cross, Mary is a huge (and often overlooked) witness to the whole life of Christ. Yet in common with most biblical character, we know frustratingly little about her. Having said that, if I am to hold to the belief that the Bible is the core of my beliefs, I have to be deeply skeptical of the introduction of any teaching about the life and resurrection of Christ which are not wholly based on Scripture. 

We need to be constantly careful in our interpretation of Scripture, and particularly mindful of the risks of adding to it, either literally of by implication (eg Deut 4:2; Galatians 1:9). In doing so we mislead ourselves and others. This responsibility weighs particularly heavily on those who lead or teach. I have no doubt that Christ appeared in his resurrection many times, and to many different people. It would be particularly special if amongst them was his mother, Mary. The Bible doesn’t say that the resurrected Jesus didn’t meet Mary, but importantly, be in no doubt that it doesn’t say that he did.

‘Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.’ Proverbs 30: 5-6.

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex

Resurrection

The Resurrection Encounters

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Horsham: 30th March 2026
Resurrection Encounters

The story of the resurrection is central to Christian faith. It is at the core of the Gospel. Writing to the Corinthian Church, where there were many voices questioning the resurrection, the Apostle Paul writes, ‘If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.’ (1 Corinthians 15:17). 

resurrection

In recent posts, we’ve looked at the tomb, the fact that the body of Christ was placed inside, and that in spite of the presence of guards, the tomb was opened during the early hours of Sunday morning. We noticed that the Jewish leaders went to considerable lengths to control the narrative, claiming that the body had been stolen during the night (Matthew 28:12-15), even though this contradicted the witness testimony of the guards. (If the guards story wasn’t correct, why did they abandon their post – which could easily (under Roman law) have led to their own execution).  Now. I’m going to look at the series of reported encounters with the risen Christ. One of the first things we might notice is that there are relatively few of them, which make it all the more important that we understand what each of them tells us about the risen Christ.

Recently, spent some time following the ‘contemplative’ path with St Ignatius of Loyola, In this series of posts, I’ve chosen to follow his pattern of the thirteen appearances, or ‘apparitions’, of Christ as outlined in his guided reflection in Week 4 of his ‘Spiritual Exercises’ (i) on the ‘Resurrection of Christ the Lord’, plus an appearance to Peter which is mentioned in Scripture.  

  1. Christ Appears to Mary, Mother of Christ
  2. The Women at the Tomb
  3. Peter at the Tomb
  4. Appearance in the Garden
  5. First Appearance to Peter
  6. Road to Emmaus
  7. Appearance to the Disciples, without Thomas
  8. Appearance to Thomas
  9. Breakfast On the Beach
  10. Mount Tabor – The Ascension
  11. 500 witnesses
  12. Appearance to St James
  13. Appearance to St Joseph of Arimathea
  14. Appearance to St Paul (Road to Damascus)

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex

(i) St Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises, , p69-72, E-Saint Library Edition (2010) 

Resurrection

Who moved the stone?

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Horsham: 27th March 2026

In my last post, we were reflecting on the burial of Jesus in a garden tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council, who placed a large stone across the entrance to the tomb. We noticed that the Jewish leaders were in no doubt that the body was still in the grave when the Roman soldiers or temple guard arrived to secure the tomb. 

Around dawn on the Sunday morning Mary Magdalene, some of the other women, and then the disciples, discovered that the stone had been moved and the tomb was now empty.

‘Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.‘ John 20:1

So, our next reflection is, who moved the stone?

The stone has been rolled away
The Sabbath lasted from 6pm on Friday evening until 6pm on Saturday. By that time it was dark, so it seems entirely reasonable that the women waited until dawn on Monday before heading to the tomb to anoint the body for burial. Mark’s Gospel tells us that as they approached they were anxious. ‘They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ‘(Mark 16:3) As we know, by the time they arrived, the tomb was opened – the stone had been moved. By who? How?

who moved the stone?

The Guards Story
There’s no indication that, when she arrived at the tomb, Mary encountered the guards. In fact, by the time Mary was arriving at the tomb, the guards were in the city, throwing themselves on the mercy of the Jewish leaders. We are left to assume that these soldiers were the source of the story which comes to us in Matthew’s Gospel that in the early morning there had been a violent earthquake, during which an angel appeared and rolled away the stone. Since none of teh other gospels mention the earthquake, it seems likely that whatever happened was localised – confined to the area of the tomb itself. In their terror, the guards were unable to move and became ‘like dead men‘. (Matthew 28:2-4). Whatever happened, these hardened men were sufficiently terrified to abandon their post and admit that they had lost the body.

The Jewish Leaders Version
The Jewish leaders would have been horrified when they heard the story of the guards. Jesus had spoken about his resurrection, and their greatest fear was that stories that he had risen would start circulating. Their solution is crude. Bribe the guards to tell a different story – that the disciples had broken in and stolen the body. We saw in the last post that the leaders broke their own commandments by violating the sabbath. On hearing the story of the guards, we now see them indulging in bribery, deceit and lies to control the narrative

12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.’ (Matthew 28: 12-15)

The Women’s Version
We’ve already noted that from Matthews’s version, we can assume that the guards were in the city by the time the women arrived (Matthew 28:11). There is no mention of the story of the guards in the other gospels, which rather affirms that neither the women or the disciples witnessed either the earthquake or the supernatural removal of the stone. It’s probable that they knew nothing about the guards or their story. We have already noted the concerns of the women on the way to the tomb about how they could remove the stone, yet by the time they arrived, the tomb was open and accessible.

Who moved the stone
In our last post we noted that the actions of the teachers of the Jewish leaders tend to support the idea of resurrection which they sought to deny. Now, we notice that the only explanation of the removal of the stone is provided by the guards. Who moved the stone? The guards offer an answer. Their testimony is that the ground shook, and they witnessed the stone being moved by an angel. They were sufficiently frightened to abandon their post (a decision which could have brought them the death penalty) and rush into the city.

End Piece
So, who moved the stone? Let’s assume for one moment that the story of the removal of the stone which is attributed to the guards is correct. This would mean that the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus were not the disciples, or the women, but the guards.

Everyone involved in this story, the women, the disciples, the Jewish leaders, and obviously the guards, believed that something extraordinary, something supernatural, had happened. Yet it was the Jewish leaders, in their determination to discredit Jesus, who paid generously for the silence of the guards, and to promote a false narrative, that the body had been stolen. Once more, the actions of the leaders of Israel tend to support the truth of the resurrection.

Richard Jackson: Horsham,West Sussex