I’ll use Psalms 123:1-2 and 31:1-4 today.

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures, pondering the post-resurrection appearances of Christ. He laid me down in Acts 7, and showed me an appearance that I’ve missed:

Acts 7:54 ¶ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Acts 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Acts 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

Acts 7:58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Along the still waters, I contemplated this witness of Stephen, who saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God, testified to his vision, and was stoned for it (Acts 7:55-57).

Paul was standing there, with the clothes of the murderous mob lying at his feet (Acts 7:58), consenting to Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 8:1). Apparently, this event triggered a massive persecution against the Church, with Paul leading the pogrom.* This was AD 35.

About two years into the pogrom, Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Suddenly, heavenly light shone about him, and he heard Jesus call out to him (Acts 9:3-6). Barnabas testified that Paul had “seen the Lord in the way,” and Paul later testified that he had “seen Jesus Christ our Lord,” and gave witness that he was the last to see Him risen from the dead (Acts 9:27; 1 Corinthians 9:1, 15:8; see also Acts 26:16).

At the time Paul testified that he was the last to see the risen Lord, John had not yet written the Revelation, where he describes seeing the resurrected Lord manifest in His glorification, standing in the midst of the churches (Revelation 1:12-20).

Also, Paul did not document a complete chronology of Christ’s post-resurrection appearances.**

Many in Iran are testifying that Jesus appeared to them, affirming His Lordship, and directing them to the way of salvation. My inclination is to be suspicious of such testimonies; however, my policy has been to object only when the Holy Ghost reveals in their testimony something that contradicts Scripture, or when they use their “vision” to lend authority to false teaching. Otherwise, I leave it alone.

In the valley, shadowed by the Cross, I knelt to commune with my risen LORD. His words filled my heart as He spoke through the testimony of the Spirit recorded in Luke: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed as we went together into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

He is RISEN!

[*Ironic that the first post-resurrection recorded pogrom was initiated by Jews in their hatred of Christians. (Pogrom: an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular that of Jewish people in Russia or eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.)]

[**It should be noted that Paul did not record every appearance of the risen Christ. For example, he does not mention His appearance to Mary of Magdala in his post-resurrection appearances given in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8. Furthermore, he mentions an appearance to Peter that is not recorded in the Gospel accounts. Finally, notice that Paul’s chronology of the appearances of the risen Christ begins with Peter and concludes with him. The appearances are bookended by the Apostles Peter and Paul. Peter was the apostle to the circumcision, and Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:8).]