After Jesus' death and resurrection from the dead on the 3rd day, Jesus appeared on twelve different occasions to groups of anywhere from 1 to over 500 people each time. Eleven of these appearances occurred prior to His ascension into Heaven on the 40th day after His resurrection, and one appearance occurs after Jesus' ascension. Below are the twelve appearances, the first five appearances of which are all on the first day of His resurrection. After listing the 12 separate appearances, there is a section discussing the historical evidence for the belief in these appearances.
#1. Appearance to Mary Magdalene at the tomb alone early on the Sunday that Jesus rose from the dead.
Mary was at the tomb early on the day that Jesus was resurrected and sees that the stone to the entrance of the tomb had been taken away. She then runs and finds Peter and John and tells them of her findings at the tomb. Peter and John then ran to the tomb and verified that her story was true. Jesus was no longer in the open tomb. Then Peter and John leave and return to their homes. Mary then reappears at the tomb, and weeping, looks inside of the tomb and sees two angels in white; one sitting at the head and one at the feet where Jesus had been lain. The angels said to her “Woman, why are weeping?" After her response, she turned around and sees Jesus standing there, but did not know it was Him. "Jesus said to her, Mary!. She turned and said to Him, 'Rabboni' (which is to say, teacher)." Jesus asks Mary not to cling to Him, as He had not yet ascended to the Father. Mary Magdalene then went and told the disciples what she had seen and what had been spoken to her. John 20:11-18, Mark 16:9.
#2. To other women as they return from the tomb.
As a group of other women are returning from the tomb, Jesus meets them and greets them. They come up to Jesus and take hold of His feet and worship Him. "Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee and there they will see me." Matthew 28:8-10, Luke 24:1-12.
#3. To Simon Peter alone.
A single statement is made with no real specifics, except "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon." Luke 24:34
#4. To the two Disciples on the road to Emmaus in the evening of the first day of His resurrection.
Two of the disciples of Jesus were traveling on the road to Emmaus when Jesus joins them. They talk to Him about His death without knowing it is He (their eyes are restrained), and Jesus enlightens them as to the scriptures regarding Himself. Later, as they stopped and Jesus was breaking bread, their eyes are opened and they knew Him. Jesus then vanished from their sight, and they returned to Jerusalem to tell the eleven disciples and the others with them of their experience. Luke 24:13-35, Mark 16:12-13.
#5. To the ten disciples (Thomas missing) in the evening of the first day in the upper room in Jerusalem..
With the doors closed in the upper room, Jesus appears to the ten disciples (minus Thomas) and shows them His hands and His side. Jesus says to them, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." He then breathes on them, and tells them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." John 20:19-25, Luke 24:36-43.
6. To the eleven disciples (Thomas was present) at a table in the upper room in Jerusalem.
Eight days after Jesus' first visit to the ten disciples, He appears again to the upper room with the doors shut. He says to Thomas (now present), who did not believe that Jesus had appeared to the ten disciples previously, to "Put your finger here, and look at my hands, and reach out your hand here, and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas then says “My Lord and my God.” John 20:26-29, Mark 16:14-16, 1 Cor 15:5.
#7. To seven disciples fishing at the Sea of Tiberius. The seven disciples were fishing in the Sea of Tiberius (Galilee) at night and had caught nothing. In the morning Jesus, who is standing on the shore, asks them in the boat if they have any food. They answered Him, "No." So Jesus then tells them to "cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some," and they catch 153 fish. At this time they recognize that it is Jesus whom they are conversing with. After they come to land they eat breakfast with Jesus, He asks Peter three separate times “Do You Love Me.” Peter's response is always “Yes," John 21:1-23.
#8. To the 11 disciples at an appointed place on a mountain in Galilee.
On the mountain in Galilee the eleven disciples see Jesus and worship Him. Jesus gives them the 'Great Commission' to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20.
#9. To over 500 brethren at once.
This group is only mentioned in 1 Cor. 15:6 with no real specifics. The only statement was, “He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep,” or died. This statement does not mention how many disciples were present at this viewing.
#10 To James (Jesus' Brother).
This reference in 1 Cor, 15:7 also has no definitive information related to it; just a single statement, "After that He was seen by James."
11. To the apostles and others who watched as Jesus ascended into heaven.
Jesus takes the apostles as far as Bethany, and then tells them not to depart from Jerusalem, but rather wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the receipt of His power. Jesus tells them that they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and all of Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. After He tells them this, He is taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. As they watched Him as He rose toward heaven, two men (angels) appeared near them in white apparel. They tell the apostles that “this same Jesus who just ascended into heaven will so come later in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:4-11, Luke 24:50-53.
#12 To Saul (Apostle Paul) on the road to Damascus shortly after Christs' ascension into heaven.
Saul (Paul) was traveling to Damascus seeking to persecute Christians, when suddenly a blinding light from heaven comes down upon him. Saul falls to the ground and hears a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me.” Saul asks who is speaking to him, and the reply is that it is Jesus." The Lord tells him to arise and go into the city, and that he will be told what to do. Those with Saul on his journey stood speechless as they heard the voice but saw no one. They did not see the same vision of Christ that Saul saw. Saul is blinded by this event, and is helped to Damascus by his friends. Jesus then appears in a vision to a disciple named Ananias, and Jesus tells him he wants him to go to Saul, because he has chosen him as His instrument to deliver the gospel message to the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Ananias finds Saul at the house of Judas and tells him that Jesus has sent him to restore his sight and fill him with the Holy Spirit. Saul is baptized, and now understands that Jesus is the Messiah. He then changes his name to Paul. After Paul's conversion he becomes a major force in the spread of the Word and the development of Christianity throughout the world.
This event is included in the twelve appearances because of the conversation that Jesus and Saul (Paul) have together, and the fact that Paul's life was totally transformed by Jesus due to this appearance. Acts 9:1-6, 1 Cor. 15:8.
Historical Evidence for the Resurrection
According to an article "Historical Evidence for the Resurrection" on the desiringgod.org website, "The historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is very good." The article goes on to say that there are three truths that are pretty much accepted by even the most critical scholars. "These three truths are:
1) The tomb in which Jesus was buried was discovered empty by a group of women on the Sunday following the crucifixion.
2) Jesus' disciples had real experiences with one whom they believed was the risen Christ.
3) As a result of the preaching of these disciples, which had the resurrection at its center, the Christian church was established and grew."
A Tomb Found Empty
The fact that the tomb where Jesus was buried was found empty by several of His disciples and others gives credence to the fact that the tomb was in fact found empty. Additional to this fact is that even the Jewish elites, who did not support Christianity, believed the tomb was also empty, as they claimed that the body had been stolen. Lastly, Joseph of Arimathea, the person who buried Jesus, also claimed that the body was no longer in his tomb. Joseph of Arimathea was a very believable source, as he was a member of the ruling class, and also a member of the prestigious Jewish Sanhedrin. Joseph of Arimathea would not have risked his reputation over such a matter as he had nothing to gain by making a false statement.
Post-Resurrection Appearances To Disciples
One of the strongest cases for credibility in the post-resurrection appearances is that Jesus' disciples after His death were in hiding, not sure what they would do, as the one that they loved, and thought was the Messiah, had died on the cross. Once He returns, they now believe that He is, who He had always claimed to be - the Son of God. They are now ready to do whatever Jesus asks of them.
Building a Christian Community
When Jesus was with His disciples before He ascended into Heaven on the 40th day after His resurrection, He commissions them to take His 'Word' to all of the nations of the world; but to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the receipt of His power before their departure. After the Holy Spirit's baptism, all of the disciples depart for different parts of the world, and the growth of the Christian Church was the direct result of His disciples' efforts. They all went out into the world knowing that many of them would be (and were) killed for their efforts. But today, 2.4 billion out of a total world population of 7.6 billion now call themselves Christians.
References:
New King James Version (NKJV) Bible - New Testament “How Many Times Did Jesus Appear After His Resurrection,” Biblocality.com.
Matt Perman, "Historical Evidence for the Resurrection," desiringgod.org