meaning. The most we can hope to do is isolate some themes that emerge throughout the stories. Faith in the Resurrection Stories Like all of the stories of Christ’s appearance after his resurrection, John reports that only those who had had a prior relationship with Jesus and expressed faith in him see the risen Christ. The resurrection was not a marvelous event designed to convert the unbelievers. It was not a public show of divine might. Rather, it was the continuation and deepening of a relationship