The acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ involves the action of the intelligence. Only an intelligent Christian can be a real Christian. Concepts of Christianity that make of conversion and salvation a simple assent to faith in Jesus Christ as the Saviour—important though that be—omit a most important part of the gospel commission. It is fully as important to teach men to observe the things Christ has commanded as it is to baptize. In fact, faith in Christ calls for constant growth in “the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Without the exercise of the mental faculties to understand the revealed will of God, there can be no real Christianity, no real growth. Instruction is thus of vital importance before and after baptism. Without adequate instruction in the great vital truths of the gospel, there can be no true religious life. At the same time, it is the wonderful love of Christ that subdues hearts. Without genuine love for Christ the doctrines and forms of religion lose their meaning and value.

Nothing is to be omitted. It is not for man to declare that some of Christ’s teachings are outmoded.

 Human traditions and human requirements are of no value before God. Any teaching that is without the authority of Christ has no place in the Christian church. For comment on the vital distinction Jesus drew between “the commandment of God” and “the tradition of men” see on Mark 7:7, 8, 13.

 At first thought it seems strange that Jesus should make such an announcement as this when He was about to ascend to heaven and be parted, bodily, from His disciples until the day of His return in power and glory. However, by virtue of the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus would be closer to believers throughout the earth than would be possible had He remained bodily present (see John 16:7). The Scriptures make the presence of Christ real to every humble believer. Through the gift and guidance of the Holy Spirit, every disciple of the Master may find fellowship with Christ as did the disciples of old.

 Or, “the end of the age” (see on chs. 13:39; 24:3). From “the foundation of the world” (ch. 25:34) Jesus has been working for the salvation of His people, and He will continue with them till the close of time.

 See on ch. 5:18. Textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 146) for the omission of this word.

Because each of the gospel writers provides so brief an account of the events of the resurrection morning and notes details not mentioned by the others, the exact order of events at the sepulcher is difficult to ascertain. The following tentative arrangement seems to accord best with all available information on the subject:

 1. At the last hour of the night, just before daybreak of Sunday morning, the body of Jesus was still in the tomb (see DA 779; see The Resurrection and Subsequent Events).

 2. While it was still dark Mary Magdalene started on her way to the tomb (John 20:1). The other women appear to have been together as they approached the sepulcher (see DA 788). Perhaps they had agreed to meet Mary at the tomb about sunrise (see Mark 16:2).

 3. While it was still dark (see DA 779, 780), and while the women were on their way to the tomb (see DA 788), “the angel of the Lord descended from heaven,” “rolled back the stone from the door” (Matt. 28:2), and called out, “Son of God, come forth; Thy Father calls Thee” (DA 780).

 4. When Christ and the angels (see on ch. 28:2) departed, the Roman soldiers, who had seen the angel roll away the stone, had heard him call forth the Son of God, and had actually seen Christ come forth from the tomb, left the sepulcher and hastened into the city with the greatest news of time and eternity (vs. 3, 4, 11-15; cf. DA 780, 781).

 5. Mary Magdalene arrived at the tomb, and finding the stone rolled away (John 20:1), hastened to tell the disciples (John 20:2; cf. DA 788).

 6. The other women, including Mary the mother of James, together with Salome and Joanna (see Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1, 10), arrived at the sepulcher. They found seated on the stone he had rolled from the door of the tomb, the angel who had descended from heaven and summoned Christ from the grave (Matt. 28:2; cf. DA 788). Seeing him, the women turned to flee, but were restrained by the assuring message of the angel, who spoke to them the words recorded in vs. 5-7 (cf. Mark 16:6, 7; DA 789). Entering the sepulcher, they found another angel sitting on the stone slab where Jesus had lain (Mark 16:5; cf. John 20:12). He spoke to them the words recorded in Luke 24:5-7 (cf. DA 789).

 7. Without lingering, the women left the sepulcher to report to the disciples, as bidden by the angels (Matt. 28:8, 9, 11; cf. Mark 16:8; Luke 24:9, 10). Events thus far apparently took place in rapid succession, for it was while the women were on their way to find the disciples that the Roman guards arrived at the residence of “the chief priests” with their report (Matt. 28:11).

 8. In the meantime Mary Magdalene had found Peter and John and reported finding the sepulcher empty (John 20:2). The two disciples ran to the sepulcher, but John arrived first (John 20:3, 4). Peter, and then John, entered the sepulcher, but neither of them saw the angels (John 20:5-10; cf. Luke 24:12). Mary followed them to the sepulcher, and remained after Peter and John had departed (John 20:11; cf. DA 789).

 9. Mary stooped to look into the sepulcher and saw the two angels seated on the slab of stone where Christ’s body had lain (John 20:11-13; cf. DA 789).

 10. Raising herself from her stooping position, Mary heard the voice of Jesus, who asked the same question previously posed by the angels, but did not realize that it was Jesus (John 20:14, 15). Then Jesus revealed Himself to her, the first human being—aside from the Roman soldiers (see DA 790)—to see Him risen from the grave (Mark 16:9). The conversation of John 20:15-17 took place, and Mary hastened to report to the disciples that she had seen the Lord (John 20:18).

 11. After Mary’s departure Jesus ascended briefly to heaven for the personal assurance that His sacrifice was acceptable, and the Father ratified (accepted, or approved) the covenant entered into between Himself and Christ before the world was (John 20:17; cf. DA 790).

 12. After He had ascended to the Father, Jesus appeared to the other women (DA 793), addressing them with the words “All hail” (Matt. 28:9, 10; see DA 793). This was while the women were on their way to report to the disciples (v. 9), and events must therefore have followed one another in rapid succession. This seems to have been the last appearance connected with the events of the resurrection morning, unless the appearance to Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5) occurred soon after that to the women.

 It should be noted that after the resurrection Jesus appeared only to His personal followers (see EGW Supplementary Material on 1 Cor. 15:6). Later appearances on the resurrection day were:

 1. To Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5), prior to the walk to Emmaus.

 2. To two disciples on the way to Emmaus, one of whom was named Cleopas (Luke 24:13-32; Mark 16:12).

 3. To the ten disciples who were in the upper room, following the return of the two disciples from Emmaus (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:33-48; John 20:19-23; 1 Cor. 15:5).

 Thomas was absent (John 20:24, 25).

Additional appearances between the resurrection day and the ascension were:

 1. To the Eleven, Thomas being present, in the upper room, a week later, probably the following Sunday (John 20:26-29).

 2. Soon after the close of Passover week (DA 809; see Additional Notes on Chapter 26, Note 1) the disciples left for Galilee to keep the appointment Jesus had made with them (Matt. 28:7; Mark 16:7). The appearances in Galilee came, roughly, within the limits of Friday, Nisan 28, and Sunday, Iyyar 21. These limits are based on the travel time to and from Galilee. The disciples were back in Jerusalem in time for the ascension, Iyyar 25. The disciples thus remained in Galilee about three weeks, and during these three weeks Jesus met with them twice. The first of these appearances was to seven of the disciples as they were fishing on the lake of Galilee (John 21:1-23). See the Resurrection to Ascension.

 3. The appearance to about 500 persons on a mountain in Galilee, the place and time having been appointed by Jesus before His death (Matt. 28:16; Mark 16:7; 1 Cor. 15:6; DA 818). On this occasion Jesus spoke the words of Matt. 28:17-20 (see DA 819). Jesus’ brothers were converted at this time (see EGW Supplementary Material on Acts 1:14).

 4. Jesus also appeared to James, whether in Galilee or at Jerusalem is not revealed (1 Cor. 15:7).

 5. The appearance to the Eleven in Jerusalem on Thursday, Iyyar 25, when Jesus led them out to the Mount of Olives, in the vicinity of Bethlehem, and ascended to heaven (Mark 16:19, 20; Luke 24:50-52; Acts 1:4-12). This is probably the meeting with the apostles that is mentioned in 1 Cor. 15:7.

The repeated postresurrection appearances of Jesus were designed to convince the disciples and others of the reality of the resurrection, to give them the opportunity to become familiar with their Master in His glorified body, and to enable Jesus to prepare them for the task of proclaiming the good news of salvation to the world (see DA 829).

 Efforts to prevent the resurrection and to circulate a false report concerning it (Matt. 27:62-66) served only to provide additional confirmation of it as a historical fact.

 It was the certainty of a risen and living Lord that breathed conviction into the message of the apostles as they went forth to proclaim the good news of salvation. Of this certainty they spoke again and again, in words charged with power and inspired by the Holy Ghost (see Acts 3:12-21; 4:8-13, 20; 29-32; 1 Cor. 15:1-23; 1 Thess. 1:10, 17; 1 John 1:1-3). The dynamic fact of the Christian religion is that its Founder is “alive for evermore” and has “the keys of hell and of death” (Rev. 1:18). To this transcendent truth the many postresurrection appearances of our Lord bear witness. Inspiration has certified this momentous event in a way that will convince all who are willing to examine the evidence.