Writing
Jesus was crucified on Friday, Nisan 14, AD 30. He was buried in Joseph of Nicodemus’ tomb before sunset that same day. But, three days later, on the first day of the week, that is, on Sunday, early in the morning, several women went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices that they had prepared to anoint the body of Jesus. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (Luke 24:1-3). Two angels said to the perplexed women: “Why do you seek among the dead the one who lives? He is not here, but he is risen” (Luke 24:5-6).
The first evidence that Luke provided for the resurrection of Jesus was the empty tomb (24:3). The second evidence was the angelic announcement (24:6). The third evidence was Jesus’ appearance to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (24:13-35). And the fourth evidence was Jesus’ appearance of him to his disciples in Jerusalem (24:36-49).
Let’s read about Jesus’ appearance to his disciples in Jerusalem in Luke 24:36-49:
36 While they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood in their midst and said to them: “Peace be with you!& #8221; 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, for it is I myself. Touch me and you will see. Because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe with joy and were amazed, he said to them: “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything that is written about me in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should take place. let it be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I send my Father’s promise upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:36-49)
Introduction
My former senior pastor, Lee Eclov, said someone dear to him once gave him a small cross adorned with roses. He bore the inscription, “Hope raises no dust.” He looked at that sentence and did his best to penetrate the mystery of it. He didn’t want to look stupid, so he didn’t say anything. After pondering it for a while, he just had to get to the bottom of what it meant. It had been written on a cross, so it had to mean something!
When he typed “Hope raises no dust” in the Google search engine, he discovered that the phrase was originally pronounced by Paul Éluard, a French poet associated with Dadaism. When he searched for Dadaism, he found this definition: “The Dadaist movement tried to express the negation of all current aesthetic and social values and frequently used deliberately incomprehensible artistic and literary methods.”
He then read some of Éluard’s other famous quotes – quotes like, “Elephants are contagious,” and, “The earth is blue like an orange.”
All of this brought him back to “Hope Raises No Dust.” Everyone believes that hope is vital for people, but most people…hope is as vague as the quote from Éluard that is painted on that little cross.
But for Christians, hope is not vague. We have a hope that is historical and personal. We have a hope that stands before the empty tomb of Jesus and declares: “You too can live as Jesus does!”
Jesus was crucified, died and was buried on Friday. Just three days later, on Sunday morning, he was resurrected. On that first day, Jesus showed himself alive on at least five occasions. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18), to the other women (Matthew 28:8-10), to Peter (Luke 24:34), to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (24:13- 35), and then to ten disciples in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25), which is the subject of today’s lesson. Luke records only two of Jesus’ appearances of him, although he also refers to Jesus’ appearance of him to Peter (Luke 24:34).
Lesson
Jesus’ appearance to his disciples in Jerusalem in Luke 24:36-49 shows us how they came to recognize that Jesus was indeed alive.
Let’s use the following scheme:
1. The Reappearance of Jesus (24:36)
2. The Comfort of Jesus (24:37-43)
3. The Revelation of Jesus (24:44-49)
I. The reappearance of Jesus (24:36)
First, let us notice the reappearance of Jesus (24:36).
In Luke 24:13-35, learn that Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Once they recognized him, Jesus disappeared from his sight. They then went immediately to Jerusalem, a journey of about seven miles. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they found the eleven and those with them gathered together, saying, “Surely the Lord is risen, and he has appeared to Simon!” (24:33b-34). I want you to notice that Luke said that the two disciples at Emmaus “found the eleven.” Thomas allegedly did not believe the report of the two Emmaus disciples and left the group, because he only saw Jesus eight days later, as recorded in John 20:26-29. The two disciples at Emmaus told the other disciples what had happened on the road, and how Jesus became known to them in the breaking of the bread (24:35).
The other disciples must have listened to the report of the two Emmaus disciples with complete bewilderment. They already knew that the tomb was empty, as Peter and John had seen for themselves. The women had reported the empty tomb, and also that they had seen Jesus alive. The disciples did not expect Jesus to rise to life and they had a hard time understanding what was happening. And then, while they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood in their midst and said to them: “Peace be with you!” (24:36).
The shock of the disciples at seeing Jesus can be understood. As Darrell Bock points out, “They don’t expect Jesus to rise and they don’t expect him to keep showing up. As with most people, you have to persuade them. The disciples are as skeptical as the rest of mankind.”
So let us note the assurance given by Jesus that he was alive.
II. The consolation of Jesus (24:37-43)
Second, look at the comfort of Jesus.
A. His Panic (24:37)
First, notice the panic of the disciples.
Luke said in verse 37, “But they were startled and terrified and thought they saw a spirit.” Unlike Jesus’ appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, when he “came up and went with them” (24:15), here Jesus suddenly appeared in the room in the midst of them all. One moment there was nothing, and the next moment, Jesus was standing there! So one can understand that they were startled and scared and thought they saw a spirit.
My mother had a twin sister, and they were identical twins. In fact, I couldn’t tell them apart until I was about six years old. My Aunt Caroline had a little mole just above her left eyebrow, and if my mom put a little makeup on her eyebrow, she couldn’t tell which was my Aunt Caroline or my mom, Emily.
When we were preschoolers living near my Aunt Caroline, my mom used to take my brother and me to visit her. As we walked around town, we sometimes ran into people who thought Mom was Aunt Caroline. They would talk to Mom and when she asked who the kids were, Mom would say, ‘Oh, these are Emily’s kids.’ And then when she got to my aunt’s apartment, the two of them would try to find out who Mom had met on the street.
Well, mom died suddenly of a heart attack when she was only forty-six years old. My brother and I were college students at the time, and we drove all night to our house. We sleep when we get home. That night many friends and relatives came to the house. While chatting with some people in the kitchen, I suddenly heard several people start screaming in the living room. Wondering what had happened, I went into the living room. My aunt Caroline had walked into the room and many people didn’t know that Mom had a twin sister. They were obviously surprised to see my mom’s identical twin walk into the room!
Jesus did not have an identical twin. However, the disciples in Jerusalem were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. But this was not spirit they saw, because Jesus gave proof that it was not spirit.
B. His Test (24:38-43)
And second, look at his proof.
Jesus gave the surprised and frightened disciples two proofs that he was alive.
1. First Test (24:38-40)
Look at the first test.
Jesus’ The first test was an invitation to see his wounds and touch him. And he said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, which is myself. Touch me and you will see. Because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet (24:38-40).
Interestingly, Darrell Bock notes, “This passage alone and John 20:25 suggest that Jesus was nailed to the cross.” Furthermore, “Luke 24:39 is the only text that describes the resurrected body as having flesh and bones.” What the disciples saw was not spirit. It wasn’t a ghost. It was not a vision. They were seeing and touching the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ!
2. Second test (24:41-43)
And look at the second test.
Jesus’ The second proof that he had really risen from the dead was that he ate a piece of broiled fish in his presence. And while they still did not believe with joy and were amazed, he said to them: “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it before them (24:41-43). Jesus really was alive! Luke demonstrated the reality of Jesus’ presence in the midst of his disciples by enjoying a meal in his presence.
Bock summarizes the reality of Jesus’ resurrection as follows, “The empirical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is briefly stated: Jesus appears to them, speaks to them, and eats before them. He truly is risen.”
Eight days later, Jesus appeared to the disciples again, and this time Thomas was with them. Thomas believed that Jesus had risen from the dead and was alive when he said, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
After Jesus appeared to his disciples, they never again doubted the reality of his resurrection. In fact, historians believe that ten of the remaining eleven apostles died as martyrs because they were so…