How many persons saw Jesus after his resurrection?

Answer 1

Paul the apostle write about this in his letter to the Corinthians:

1Corinthians 15:6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

We don't know if this figure includes the 12 disciples or Mary and some other women who saw Jesus the day He rose. Or the people He saw during the forty days before his ascension.

Act 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Answer 2

The reported number who saw the risen Jesus varies according to the source used:

Paul In 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, Paul said that Jesus was seen by Cephas, then the twelve, then by more than 500, most of whom were still alive, then by James and all the apostles, and finally by Paul himself. In this pre-Gospel account, Cephas (Peter) is outside the twelve, and Judas does not seem to have been excluded. Some scholars say that it is unclear whether Paul believed Jesus to have risen physically or only spiritually, so it is also unclear whether he believed that these appearances were real or spiritual.

Mark The earliest known manuscripts of Mark do not even have a resurrection narrative, beyond a young man who was in the tomb and told the women that Jesus had risen. The Gospel, as written by Mark, did not say that anyone saw the risen Jesus.

The "long ending", one of at least two alternative endings that seem to have been added later, says that Jesus appeared to two of them, then to the eleven disciples together. Verse 16:12 of the "long ending" harmonises well, as it can be read as either the two women of Matthew's Gospel or the two men of Luke's Gospel. Depending on interpretation, the two could be the two women of Matthew's Gospel, or the two men (Cleopas and Peter) of Luke's Gospel - but Peter saw Jesus when he was together with the other disciples.

So, the original Gospel does not say that any one saw Jesus after his resurrection. The "long ending" can be read as saying that either 12 or 13 persons saw the risen Jesus.

Matthew Matthew's Gospel says the two women who had gone to the tomb saw Jesus while on the way to tell the disciples of their experience. Also, the eleven disciples went to a mountain in Galilee and saw Jesus. Or at least some of them believed they did and worshipped Jesus, while others doubted it was Jesus. It may be that the evangelist was being careful to have a rational explanation if critics refused to believe in a physical resurrection. Matthew tell us that a total of 13 persons saw the risen Jesus.

Luke Luke's Gospel records that Jesus appeared to two men, Cleopas and (presumably) Peter, on the road near Jerusalem but they did not recognise him, even after conversing with him, inviting him home, and eating dinner with him. They only assumed that he was Jesus based on his words and behaviour, but then he vanished out of their sight. Jesus appeared to the disciples once more and showed them his wounds, before being drawn up into heaven. Luke's is the only New Testament gospel that actually describes Jesus as rising up to heaven. In this account, Cleopas and the eleven disciples saw Jesus. Assuming that the second person on the road was Peter, then 12 persons saw the risen Jesus.

John In John's Gospel, Mary Magdalene was the only woman who went to the tomb, where she saw Jesus standing but did not recognise him, supposing that it was the gardener. That Jesus did not accompany Mary, when she went to report his message to the apostles, is suggestive of a fictional account. Jesus next appeared amongst the disciples, except Thomas, coming through a closed door, showed them his wounds and breathed the Holy Ghost upon them. Eight days later, Jesus appeared again to all the disciples, and once again we are assured that the door was shut. Finally, Jesus appeared to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberius but they dared to ask who he was, presumably meaning that his identity was not obvious.

In this account, it seems clear that Mary and the eleven disciples saw Jesus, with the disciples seeing Jesus more than once. Once again, 12 persons saw the risen Jesus.

Answer 3

Literally hundreds in the time right after His Resurrection, then uncounted billions since then in the Most Holy Eucharist.