To Whom Did Jesus Appear, and Where?
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.’”
— Matthew 28:10
So far in this series, we’ve addressed the alleged contradictions about who went to the tomb and what they saw there. Now we turn to a question that fuels frequent skepticism—to whom did Jesus appear after His resurrection, and where?
Bart Ehrman and others argue that the Gospel accounts are hopelessly contradictory, pointing out that some appearances happen in Jerusalem, others in Galilee; some to women, some to disciples; some immediately, others after travel. For those looking to discredit the resurrection, these differences are often presented as proof that the Gospel writers couldn’t keep their story straight.
But once again, the differences don’t point to fabrication. They point to a historical event experienced in multiple stages, by multiple people, in multiple places.
Let’s walk through the major claims—and show why the appearance narratives are not only reconcilable but exactly what we would expect if the Resurrection actually happened.
Who Saw Jesus First?
- Matthew 28:9 – Jesus appears to the women as they leave the tomb.
- Mark 16:9 – Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene.
- Luke 24:13–31 – Jesus appears first to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
- John 20:14–17 – Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene.
Critics claim this is a contradiction: Was it Mary alone? Was it a group? Was it the two men on the road?
But none of the Gospels claim to give an exhaustive chronology. They select which appearances to highlight—often for theological or narrative reasons. The most reasonable reconstruction, supported by both internal consistency and early tradition, is this:
Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Jesus (John 20:14–17), followed closely by other women (Matthew 28:9–10). Mark confirms this (16:9), and Luke omits it—not because it didn’t happen, but because he focuses on other witnesses.
As Craig Blomberg notes:
“The Gospel writers rarely attempt to give a strict chronological sequence of events, particularly when summarizing multiple appearances. Selectivity does not imply contradiction.”¹
Did Jesus Appear in Jerusalem or Galilee?
This is one of the most commonly cited “problems.” Here’s the layout:
- Matthew – Jesus tells the women, “Tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me” (28:10). He then appears to the eleven in Galilee (28:16–17).
- Mark (short ending) – Promises an appearance in Galilee (16:7).
- Luke – Focuses on appearances in Jerusalem, including the road to Emmaus (24:13–35), the gathering of the disciples (24:36–49), and the Ascension from Bethany (24:50–53).
- John – Includes appearances in Jerusalem (locked room in 20:19–29), then later in Galilee (the Sea of Tiberias, 21:1–14).
- Acts 1 – Confirms Jesus appeared to His disciples over forty days in Jerusalem before His Ascension.
So what’s the answer? It’s simple: Jesus appeared in both places.
There is no contradiction here—just a difference in emphasis:
- Matthew and Mark highlight the Galilean appearances, likely to emphasize mission and fulfillment of prophecy.
- Luke emphasizes Jerusalem, in line with his narrative of the church’s origin in the holy city.
- John includes both, confirming their compatibility.
As N.T. Wright puts it:
“Jesus appeared on multiple occasions and in more than one location, over a period of time. To reduce these to a single site or moment is to misunderstand the nature of the Resurrection accounts.”²
Galilee: More Than Geography
Matthew’s emphasis on Galilee is theologically rich. Known as “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:15), it foreshadows the universal scope of the Gospel. The risen Christ meets His disciples not in the temple, but in the north—in the region symbolic of the global mission to come.
Galilee was not incidental. It was intentional. The message began where Jesus had ministered to Jews and Gentiles alike—and where He now commissions His followers to go to the nations (Matthew 28:19–20).
How Many Appearances Were There?
The Gospels and 1 Corinthians present at least ten distinct appearances of the risen Jesus:
- To Mary Magdalene (John 20:14–17)
- To the other women (Matthew 28:9–10)
- To the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–32)
- To Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
- To the disciples without Thomas (John 20:19–23)
- To the disciples with Thomas (John 20:26–29)
- To the seven disciples fishing (John 21:1–14)
- To the eleven on the mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28:16–20)
- To more than 500 at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6)
- To James, the Lord’s brother (1 Corinthians 15:7)
No Gospel claims to list all appearances. Each author selects from a larger stream of tradition. The variation again points to multiple authentic witnesses, not a single literary creation.
Undesigned Coincidences Support the Timeline
Consider this example: In Luke 24:34, the disciples say, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Yet Luke never describes that appearance. Paul, however, includes it in 1 Corinthians 15:5. Neither source explains the other—but together, they align.
As Lydia McGrew explains:
“This sort of interlocking detail, where one account assumes something another supplies, is a hallmark of authentic witness testimony.”⁵
These “undesigned coincidences” reinforce the reliability of the broader resurrection framework.
But Didn’t Some Doubt?
Matthew 28:17 says: “And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.” Critics ask: How could they doubt while seeing the risen Christ?
But this is exactly what we’d expect. The shock of the resurrection wasn’t just emotional—it was cognitive dissonance. Luke 24:41 even says, “they disbelieved for joy.” Or, as we might say today, “The disciples were so full of joy that they could hardly believe it.”
As Dale Allison notes:
“The resurrection appearances often combine awe with uncertainty—just what we would expect from something utterly unique.”³
Doubt does not disprove the resurrection—it validates the psychological realism of the Gospels.
Why Didn’t Paul Mention the Women?
Paul’s creedal list in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 omits the women. Why?
- He’s citing a public formula, probably used for apologetics.
- Women’s testimony was considered inadmissible in public courts.
- He was giving a legal defense, not a narrative retelling.
The omission does not imply fabrication. In fact, the inclusion of women in the Gospels, despite their cultural disadvantage, strongly supports their authenticity.
Even Skeptical Scholars Affirm the Appearances
Resurrection appearances are one of the most historically attested elements in the New Testament. Even critics acknowledge something extraordinary happened.
Gerd Lüdemann, a skeptical scholar, writes:
“It may be taken as historically certain that Peter and the disciples had experiences after Jesus’ death in which Jesus appeared to them as the risen Christ.”⁶
This doesn’t prove the resurrection to Lüdemann—but it shows the early testimony was consistent and profound.
A Global Pattern of Resurrection
From the beginning, the testimony of the resurrection was not limited to one place, one person, or one moment. It was multi-faceted:
- Women and men
- Galilee and Jerusalem
- Private and public
- Immediate and delayed
- Individuals and crowds
These differences do not undermine the message. They validate it. If all the accounts were identical, skeptics would cry collusion. Instead, we see the kind of natural variation that comes from multiple people encountering the same risen Lord at different times and places.
As William Lane Craig summarizes:
“The diversity of the appearances underscores the reality of the Resurrection. These were not visions confined to a few. They were experiences that reshaped the lives of many.”⁴
You can doubt their experience, but can you explain their transformation?
The fearful became fearless. The scattered became united. The doubters became proclaimers. Not because they agreed on every detail—but because they were all convinced of one overwhelming truth . . .
. . . Jesus was alive.
Footnotes:
¹ Craig L. Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007).
² N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003).
³ Dale C. Allison, Resurrecting Jesus: The Earliest Christian Tradition and Its Interpreters (New York: T&T Clark, 2005).
⁴ William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, 3rd ed. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
⁵ Lydia McGrew, Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts (Tampa, FL: DeWard Publishing, 2017).
⁶ Gerd Lüdemann, The Resurrection of Jesus: History, Experience, Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1994).
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