After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country

Mark 16:12
After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

Is there a difference between those who see the risen Lord and those who believe in Him by faith. There is a selected few whom the Lord appears to, for the purpose of certain tasks God has assigned them, for example Paul was chosen and the Lord appeared to Him.

However, for most people it is through faith that we believe in Yshua. In fact He regards those people who believe by faith as more blessed than those who have seen Him, because once He is seen, then His existence is confirmed.

On the other hand those who do have the privilege of seeing the Lord are called to another level of mission that others are not be able to comprehend. With this privilege comes greater responsibility.

They should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead

Mark 9:9
He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

On the surface we often think that this only refers to the disciples, that Jesus did not want them to reveal His plans to others. However, this can also apply to ourselves. It can be advice to us that unless we are ready, perhaps we should refrain from telling others about such things as miraculous experience and so on. The telling of the Gospel should not be limited in this sense. In fact, it is often new converts who are usually most excited and want to tell the new faith in Jesus to others. However there are other deeper spiritual matters that God reveals to us, that we can only fully grasp with the maturity in walking with the Spirit, only then perhaps we should council others on those matters.

And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit

Romans 8:34,27
Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Our Lord Yshua, died for us, seated at the right hand of God in glory and is our intercessor. Moreover those believers who examines themselves are in tune with the Holy Spirit who makes intercession for us. So both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are our intercessors. And if we are to live with Jesus as our examples, we too are supposed to be intercessors for others.

None of us are perfect and pure like Jesus, but yet this does not disqualify us from being intercessors. When we live a life with Jesus at the centre, a life in which is in the process of being transformed to be like Him, then we could intercede for others. In fact, this could be a natural result since as we become more like Christ, we are naturally concerned with others and therefore able to serve their needs and intercession is one of these needs.

Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road and while He opened the Scriptures to us?

Luke 24:32
And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

Often when we hear an inspiring sermon and / or when gripped by the Holy Spirit to receive the message, we feel extremely powerful, like we have been fully charged again. These experiences however, or the situation itself, will not last long; a good sermon cannot continue forever - it will have an end.

So the challenge is then to apply the spiritual insights into our daily life and ministry to others. Most of the time, life goes on with routine tasks. However it is such times that those spiritual insights can be used effectively for our benefits or the benefits of others.

Arise, shine; For your light has come!

Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.


It is well agreed upon that the latter half of the book of Isaiah is filled with hope in God, through the promise of a Messiah. The command in this verse is "Arise, Shine". How much more so that this command should apply to us that are living after the birth of Yshua the Messiah.

This is more than just a call to lift up our spirits, although that must begin first. It also mean that, once we come to know Yshua, that we actually arise out of our old lives. Having risen, then we are called to Shine - this is none other than shining the light of our Lord. Once we believe in the Lord, we are definitely being called apart - the question is do we go on to a new life or do we fall back to our old routines.

For I have appeared to you for this purpose

Acts 26:16
But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

Paul encountered the risen Lord and his entire life changed. He had only one purpose and that is to do the will of God as revealed in Yshua. The encounter itself may have been short, and Jesus said few words. There was no doctrine or theology being taught, no correction to Paul intellectual knowledge. It was just Yshua revealing Himself. That was enough to change the life of Paul.

Although many of us do not have the Jesus encounter that Paul did, when we believe, the Holy Spirit did come into us. It is not by our own wisdom or understanding that we chose Christ, but He chose us. Having been chosen, we still must will ourselves to live for Christ.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained

Mary Magdalene went to the tomb on Easter Sunday and found that the tomb was empty. She was probably not with the other group of Marys' whom the angel had told that Jesus had risen. So Mary Magdalene told Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved (believed to be John the writer of this gospel). Peter and John went to the empty tomb themselves and may have understood that Jesus has been resurrected.

Mary who stood outside encountered two angels, and then Jesus appeared to her. She went back to tell the other disciples and Jesus also appeared among the disciples who had been hiding together from the authorities. Jesus commissions the disciples to send them to missions and also reveals the Holy Spirit will come. After eight days, Jesus appears to this group again, this time to specifically appear to Thomas who was not present in His first appearance. Jesus had also appeared to many other people and performed many deeds after His resurrection and the writer reveals that only a small part has been written down so that there is a record for people to believe.





John 20
The Empty Tomb

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him,[a] “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord,[b] and that He had spoken these things to her.

The Apostles Commissioned

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled,[c] for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Seeing and Believing

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

26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas,[d] because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

That You May Believe

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth

This chapter details the events of the Resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. The two guards posted at Jesus tomb by the chief priests and Pharisees were still there when the angel came down from heaven. The guards saw the angel and ran in fear. The women who came to Jesus tomb also saw the angel and were told by the angel that Jesus had gone to Galilee. Note that the angel did not free Jesus, and the resurrected Jesus had transported Himself out of the tomb to Galilee. The resurrected Christ tend to travel supernaturally (disappear from one place and appear in another place) much more than before He was crucified. On their way to tell the other disciples, Jesus appeared next to the women and told them He would see the disciples soon.

The guards were bribed by the authorities to lie about Jesus resurrection and that His disciples stole His body. This lie still exist in other religion and those who do not believe in the resurrection today. It is also surprising that the authorities themselves who have heard about the resurrection from the guards, did not repent and confess Jesus as Lord.

When the disciples met with Jesus in Galilee, it is written that some of them doubted Jesus while most worshipped. Here Jesus told his disciples to go to all the nations and make disciples and baptise in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.





Matthew 28
He Is Risen

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,[a] and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

The Women Worship the Risen Lord

9 And as they went to tell His disciples,[b] behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

The Soldiers Are Bribed

11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[c] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.[d]