When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.
(But) later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature."

Gospel commentary

Saint John Henry Newman (1801-1890), Cardinal, founder of the Oratory in England, theologian
PPS 1, 22 “Witnesses of the Resurrection”

It might have been expected, that, on our Savior's rising again from the dead, He would have shown Himself to very great numbers of people, and especially to those who crucified Him; whereas we know from the history, that, far from this being the case, He showed Himself only to chosen witnesses, chiefly His immediate followers; and St. Peter avows this in the text: “This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people but to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:40-41).

This seems at first sight strange. We are apt to fancy the resurrection of Christ as some striking visible display of His glory (…); and considering it in the light of a public triumph, we are led to imagine the confusion and terror which would have overwhelmed His murderers, had He presented Himself alive before them. Now, thus to reason, is to conceive Christ's kingdom of this world, which it is not; and to suppose that then Christ came to judge the world, whereas that judgment will not be till the last day (…)

This is the question, "Why did not our Savior show Himself after His resurrection to all the people? why only to witnesses chosen before of God?" and this is my answer: "Because this was the most effectual means of propagating His religion through the world." Now consider what would have been the probable effect of a public exhibition of His resurrection (…) Of course, what it had already been. His former miracles had not effectually moved the body of the people; (…) What could they have said and felt more than this, when "one rose from the dead"? (Lk 16:31) (…) Consider that the very reason why Christ showed Himself at all was in order to raise up witnesses to His resurrection, ministers of His word, founders of His Church; and how in the nature of things could a populace ever become such?