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Why was Jesus not recognised?

by lee thriepland
7/24/2018 / Bible Studies

Why was Jesus not recognised?

After the resurrection when Jesus rose from the dead many of his followers did not recognise him at first when he appeared to them. There are a couple of occasions recorded in the Bible of such occurrences.

Mary Magdalene did not recognise him at the tomb, instead she at first thought he was the gardener.

John 20- 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

2 of his disciples spent a number of hours walking and talking with him on the road to Emmaus without recognising it was Jesus.

So what happened? Why didn't they recognise him? Had Jesus changed to the point they could not tell that it was him?/

Some people try to explain this by saying that when Jesus rose he rose in a different body and so they did not recognise him as he wasn't the same person. This is simply an incorrect and non Biblical answer. (If you haven’t already then please see my writing “Did Jesus resurrect in his flesh and blood body or a new body?”.

Jesus rose in the same body that he died in.

So if Jesus rose in the same body that he died in just 3 days previously and these disciples had spent time with him over the last 3 years. How would they have NOT recognised him?

The answer is pretty simple The disciples did NOT truly understand that Jesus was to rise again (something the Jews still don’t understand) they simply were not expecting him to rise from the dead. Therefore not expecting to see him. Secondly even when they were told he had they did not believe. It was their lack of understanding and their lack of faith that “blinded” them from seeing Jesus.

There is also a possibility that some of his features had indeed changed. There is a possibility that his beard and or hair had been removed in some way by the Romans as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50-6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

A person would most certainly look different, maybe even unrecognisable if you had only ever seen them with a beard and and that same person stood in front of you without one. This would be even more true if you had watched that very person killed in front of you, you were upset about that event and did not believe or expect that they were to rise again. Let’s face it the last person you would expect to be chatting with is the very person you had seen die just 3 days previously.

So Jesus may have looked slightly different even though he was still the same person. He may not have been easily physically recognisable even to those who knew him best. Especially as they were not expecting to see him again and so would not have been looking to see if it was Jesus.

Mary Magdalene

We shall start with Mary Magdalene at the tomb. The story is recorded in all 4 gospels but only in the gospel of John is it recorded that Mary did not recognise Jesus.

Let's have a look at the passage in more detail

John 20- 11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Notice that Jesus asks Mary a question, why she is crying? She answered because they had taken away her Lord and he didn’t know where.

John 20- 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him

Mary's thought was that Jesus had been taken away not that he had risen, if we have a look at the story in the gospels of Luke and Mark we will notice that Mary along with the other woman, referred to as “they” in Luke and more specifically Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Salome had brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus

Luke - 24- 1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

Mark 16- 1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

Very clearly Mary and the other woman expected to find the body of the DEAD Jesus still in the tomb.

Jesus appeared to Mary AFTER the other disciples had seen the tomb empty ….but had gone HOME.

John 20- 10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

They didn’t yet know that Jesus was to rise from the dead. They simply did not understand that Jesus was going to rise from the dead. In their understanding Jesus was dead.

John 20- 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

Mary was also crying this could have affected her vision, this is often offered as an answer but I think it is more likely that it simply affected her concentration and her awareness, coupled with the fact that the last person she expected to see standing in front of her was the risen Jesus.

It didn’t take much for Mary to know it was Jesus though, he then simply said to her “MARY”,

John 20- . 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Mary turned to him, indicating that up until this point she hadn't actually taken proper notice of him and had not looked at him until this point, but when she did she instantly knew it was him.

So once he had spoken to her by name, the gardener was unlikely to know this, she looked at him and recognised him. This is hardly a case of Mary not being able to recognise Jesus but simply a case of not expecting to see him and therefore being taken unawares, not taking notice of him and then the sudden realization of who was standing talking to her.

Then Mary went to the disciples to tell the but the disciples, who were mourning and weeping, did not believe her.

Mark 16-1 9Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

The disciples were crying over their dead teacher. They clearly believed that Jesus was dead and wasn’t to rise. And they DIDN’T believe Mary after she had told them.

On the way to Emmaus

Then two of those disciples were met by Jesus as they walked to Emmaus but as we know at first they did not recognise him. So again let's put this back into context.

Luke 24- 13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem aboutthreescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

We shall also look into this passage in more detail.

We are told that their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

Luke 24- 16But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

Some people believe that this means they were supernaturally stopped from knowing that it was Jesus. I actually think (and it is personal opinion but based on the evidence) that it was their own disbelief that Jesus was risen that stopped them from recognising their teacher. Just like if we were to say that a person has closed their eyes to the truth.

We already know they didn’t believe Mary Magdalene.

We must also remember that Jesus may have looked slightly different in some of his features. So when Jesus spoke with them they may not have recognised him by sight, Jesus certainly made no indication that he knew them. So this man that may very well have looked unfamiliar to them didn't say he knew them and they were not expecting the “dead” Jesus to be chatting with them. Still grieving his death which may well have affected their judgement* (this is not stated in scripture it is only possible).

It should be noted that again Jesus asks a question.

Luke 24- 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

They then asked Jesus if he was a stranger as to the reason he didn’t know why they were sad.

Jesus then further asks what things? To which they then proceed to tell Jesus about Jesus.

Telling him that Jesus had been put to death.

Luke 24- 20And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him

Then they make a very telling comment.

Luke 24- 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done

They had TRUSTED that Jesus SHOULD have been the Messiah. Very clearly because Jesus had been put to death they obviously no longer believed that Jesus was the Messiah

They also explained that the woman had told of Jesus being alive BUT that after some of the disciples had gone to the tomb they saw him NOT

Luke 24- 22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

To this Jesus calls them FOOLS for not believing

Luke 24- 25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

Jesus then explained the prophecies regarding himself.

Luke 24- 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

And later that night when he broke bread with them they realised it was him.

Luke 24- 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Again some people believe this was a supernatural “opening” of their eyes. However I again believe that this was the simple realisation of what had been told to them and then seeing Jesus doing what they had done 3 days prior they had the realisation of who they were speaking to. As in the English saying “the penny has dropped” or “the penny drops”

These 2 disciples went to the others but again they didn't believe them just like they hadn't believed Mary. This is recorded in the gospel of Mark.

Mark 16- 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

So it is very clear that the disciples were not only not expecting that Jesus would rise but they didn't even believe those that had stated he had, even though those people claiming it were close followers of Jesus.

FAITH

When Jesus appeared in front of the disciples Thomas was not with them. He did not see Jesus personally. And after he was told by the rest of the disciples that Jesus had risen he STILL denied it.

John 20- 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Thomas required personal verification, He needed to see Jesus for himself for him to believe.

Jesus told Thomas after he showed himself to Thomas that he believed because he saw but blessed are those that believe WITHOUT seeing.

John 20- 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

And it is this message that we follow today. Those who do not need to “see” Jesus in order to believe in Jesus are blessed. We walk by FAITH not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5-7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

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