1.      THE QUESTION WAS:

 

How many people saw Christ on Earth after He rose from the dead?

a.      12

b.      120

c.       over 500

 

 

THE ANSWER IS….C….More than 500 witnesses saw Christ walking the Earth after he rose from the dead.

 

Among the witnesses were his mother Mary, Mary Magdalen, and the eleven apostles (Judas, the 12th apostle had committed suicide and presumably gone to hell).

Christ’s disciples also saw Jesus rise into heaven 40 days after he rose from the dead. This is called the Ascension.

 

Concerning the Resurrection, here’s what St. Paul wrote in the Bible:

“For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures;

that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Kephas, then to the Twelve.

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.” (I Cor 15:3-8)

 

Here’s what the Bible says about the Ascension

 

“So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:19)

 

“As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven.” (Luke 24:51)

 

“But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.

While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.

They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven." (Acts 1:8-11)

 

 

As you may know, Christ predicted his ascension before it happened. Speaking to his disciples who were having a hard time understanding they would have to eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of Christ, Jesus said: "Does this offend you?. Then how will you react when you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?" (Jn.6:61-62)

 

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “…the fact of Christ’s Resurrection is attested by more than 500 eyewitnesses, whose experience, simplicity, and uprightness of life rendered them incapable of inventing such a fable, who lived at a time when any attempt to deceive could have been easily discovered, who had nothing in this life to gain, but everything to lose by their testimony, whose moral courage exhibited in their apostolic life can be explained only by their intimate conviction of the objective truth of their message. Again the fact of Christ’s Resurrection is attested by the eloquent silence of the Synagogue which had done everything to prevent deception, which could have easily discovered deception, if there had been any…”

 

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12789a.htm (The Resurrection of Jesus Christ)

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01767a.htm (The Ascension of Jesus Christ)

http://www.disciplesnow.com/catholic/html/article534.html (Forty Days after the Resurrection, Christ Ascended into Heaven)

http://www.silk.net/RelEd/christ.htm (Collection of articles on Christology)

 

 

 

 

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