Appearance to the Ten Disciples.

(Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-45 and John 20:19-23).

Saint Mark speaks briefly about this appearance, while Saints Luke and John, narrate about this in detail, complementing one another mutually. As indicated by Saint Luke, just as Luke and Cleopas had returned from Emmaus and were continuing their narration, the Lord appeared to the ten disciples (Thomas was absent, according to Saint John), as though for the purpose of dispelling all their doubts and curing them of their remnants of disbelief. According to Saint John, this was “the same day at evening, being the first day of the week.” Here, John departs from the normal Jewish calculation of time according to which, evening is the beginning of the next day. Because of the fear of Jews, the doors of the house were locked — “for fear of the Jews”; evidently, word had reached the disciples that they ostensibly stole the body of Christ. That’s why they naturally feared some type of violent measures on the part of those Jews that were hostile toward them. And so — “when the doors were shut,” “Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Here, an especial attribute manifested itself in the glorified Body of Christ, by which material substances did not impede His penetration through them. The Lord’s miraculous passage through closed doors, provoked confusion among the disciples, as Saint Luke speaks: “But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit” — they thought that this was only the Lord’s spirit, detached from the body and having come to them from “sheola” i.e. appeared to them as dead and not alive. In order to assure them that it was indeed Him, the Lord shows them His hands and feet, wounds which are witness that it is the same body that was crucified on the cross. He offers them to touch Him, so as to convince themselves that it is He Himself and not His apparition. The Lord partakes of the food before Him (probably some baked fish and honeycomb left over from supper), with the aim of eradicating the last remnants of doubt in the disciples. “The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord” — their doubts dispersed and a joy, about which the Lord foretold them at the Last Supper, enveloped them: “but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:22).

According to Saint Mark, the Lord reproached them for their disbelief and their hard-heartedness that they didn’t believe those that have seen Him resurrected i.e. the women myrrhbearers, Luke and Cleopas (Mark 16:14).

“These are the words which I spoke to you” — everything that transpired — this is the fulfillment of that, which I have formerly and repeatedly foretold you, about My forthcoming sufferings and resurrection. All this had been predicted in the Old Testament — “Law of Moses,” “prophesies,” and “Psalms.” That’s why all this had to come to pass. Here, the Lord is pointing to the three divisions of the Old Testament holy books, which existed among the Jews. They separated their sacred books into three sections:1) The law, which embraced the Five Books of Moses; 2) Prophets, which embodied nearly all the rest of the historical and Prophets’ books, and 3) Psalms, which included instructive books and minor historical ones. Thus, through the indications of the Lord Himself, the whole Old Testament, in its complete composition, is filled with prophecies about Him. Before, the Apostles didn’t comprehend correctly these prophecies: now, through the extraordinary blessed enlightenment, the Lord “opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”

Saint John adds that the Lord then reiterated to them: “Peace to you!” Having said this, He then through breathing upon them a preliminary grace of the Holy Spirit — before the day of Pentecost — instructed them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are detained.” The full release of gifts of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, occurred on the day of Pentecost; but evidently, before this day, it was essential that the Apostles receive those gifts of the Holy Spirit, that would strengthen them in an absolute and firm belief in the genuineness of Christ’s resurrection, that would help them to understand the Gospel correctly, and especially to generate within the 11 Apostles, a belief in their Divine mission. It was also to beget a faith in them, that they were not only former traveling companions and listeners of the Lord Jesus Christ, but “Apostles” — His envoys, appointed by Him for the great service of spreading the good news of the Gospel throughout the world: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” This was the commencement of the Spirit, which was essential for the strengthening of the Apostolic assembly. With this, the breathing on them gave all the Apostles the power to forgive sins, which was previously promised to Peter — for professing Christ as the Living Son of God (Mat. 16:19) — as well as to the other Apostles (Mat. 18:18).