The Life Of Jesus Christ In Its Historical Connexion

The manifestation of the risen Saviour was only designed for those who had been brought to faith by his previous ministry. It was not one of the miracles by which unbelievers were to be convinced. Those whose dispositions of heart had made them unsusceptible of impression from his whole ministry would have received, for the same reason, but transient impressions from his reappearance. If the living Jesus could not lead them to repent, neither would they have been persuaded by one risen from the dead. [800]

The reappearance of the risen one, therefore, was designed to seal and confirm the faith of such as already believed; to form the point of transition from their sensible communion with the visible Christ to their spiritual fellowship with the invisible, but ever-present Saviour. And as this was the reason why Christ did not, in his last promises recorded by John, make express mention of his reappearance as a preparatory moment, so we shall find in his conversations with the disciples after the resurrection conspicuous allusions to the promises made before. Here, too, we find the reason why he only appeared to them occasionally, and remained among them but a short time; they were not to accustom themselves anew to cleave to his visible manifestation, but to learn that his reappearance was to mediate a higher and everlasting union. [801]