Matthew 28:7 – “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him. Behold I have told you.” (NKJV)
Central to Christian faith is the bodily resurrection of Jesus. By recording the resurrection appearances, the NT leaves no doubt about this event. In Matthew 26:32, this event occurred just as Jesus had predicted. As Jesus spoke to His disciples on the night He was betrayed by Judas, He said, “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” The purpose of this statement is not to prove that Jesus rose from the dead or that he went to Galilee but that Jesus did meet, talk to, convert and know Saul of Tarsus (Paul, the apostle). In Acts 9:1-6 (historically known to be written by Luke), on the road to Damascus, Jesus appears to Saul (Paul) with a light shone around Him and says to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul asks who is this speaking to him and Jesus replies, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (A goad is a pointed stick for urging a team of oxen). This would metaphorically mean that Saul (Paul) was already having his conscience pricked about the terrible things he was doing.
If one reads further on in Acts 9:7-30, one can see that Saul joined the disciples and made it to Jerusalem, Antioch and elsewhere. In Acts 13:9, one can read that this is the verse that distinguishes the other name (alias) for Saul, that is, indeed named Paul. Further on, in Acts18: 9,10; 22:1-8; 23:11; 26:12-18; and 1 Corinthians 15:8, we can see that Luke mentions the other references made to Jesus while He spoke to Paul (Saul). All of these verses mention that Jesus spoke to, and met with Paul. Clearly, at this instant, there is NO DOUBT that Jesus knew Paul.
Jesus also met with many other people after His resurrection. He met with Mary Magdalene in Mark 16:9 and John 20:11-18, to other women in Matthew 28:8-10, to Peter in Luke 24:34, to ten disciples in Luke 24:36-43 and John 20:19-25, to the Eleven, including “doubting” Thomas in Mark 16:14 and John 20:26-29, at His ascension into heaven in Mark 16:19,20; Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:4-12, to the disciples on the Emmaus road in Mark 16:12,13 and Luke 24:13-35, in Galilee in the book of Matthew 28:16-20 and John 21:1-24, to five hundred people in 1 Corinthians 15:6, and finally to James and the apostles in 1 Corinthians 15:7.
It simply blows the mind how much skeptics will believe anything they want hear to try and discredit the Bible and its claims (2 Tim. 4:3,4). Some skeptics, especially atheists, will claim that the NT was written by second or even third-hand accounts to try and invalidate the Scriptures. The writers of the NT are inerrant because of the guidance of the Holy Spirit of truth (John 14:26). However, they were not alive then and they have read or heard only what other skeptics have written as well and have probably never tried to discover first-hand the evidence for themselves.
The Bible backs up its claims with archaeology, manuscripts, the Dead Sea scrolls and other facts. However, most skeptics have never tried to get their hands dirty and have never found any “real” proof whatsoever that the Bibles’ claim are false. Any attempts by “real” skeptics, have been converted to Christianity such as C.S Lewis (ex-atheist, philosopher and writer), Kirk Cameron (self-professed ex-atheist, actor and minister), and many other famous skeptics and atheists.
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