Question: Jesus Christ was resurrected the third day and was seen by 500 people. Why didn’t the resurrected Jesus Christ show himself to the Roman leaders and the Jewish High Priest and their leaders? This would include the Roman solders who were at the cross to crucify our Lord.
Response: The Lord always has priorities. Nevertheless, He has specifically said that there is a day coming when every eye will see Him (Revelation:1:7Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
See All...). In Zechariah:12:10And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
See All..., the Lord prophesied, “...they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth.”
Regarding the Roman soldiers, including those who guarded His tomb, they were terrified just at the sight of the angel and were shaking with great fear. In fact, “for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men” (Matthew:28:4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
See All...).
Yet the guard’s report was taken seriously by the Pharisees and religious rulers. In fact, the priests informed the elders of the soldiers’ report. As a result, a significant sum of money was given to silence the testimony of the guards as to what actually had happened. If the Lord had appeared to them Himself, would that have changed their mind?
Apparently not, because in Matthew:23:39For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
See All..., the Lord Jesus had already told the religious rulers, “Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Nevertheless, the testimony of the Lord’s resurrection had a great impact. In Acts:6:7And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
See All... “a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” In John:20:29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
See All..., to Thomas, who hadn’t seen Him, and only believed in Him when he finally did see Him. Jesus said, “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
In addition to all this, the Pharisees, who had witnessed firsthand many of Jesus’s miracles still didn’t believe in Him. Rather, they sought to dismiss His amazing actions by asserting that He was doing his healings and casting out demons by some kind of demonic power. In fact, after Jesus had delivered a number of people from demonic possession, some Pharisees came along and told the people that He was casting out demons “by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.”
Jesus healed the blind, but these same leaders didn’t say, “Jesus restores the sight of the blind. He must certainly be a great prophet if not God himself!” And therefore, He appeared to his own.