What does it take for humans to believe in some fact or other? Very often it is compelling evidence that is needed. But how compelling does it have to be? In this passage, we read of a group of men [the eleven apostles and some other disciples] who had received evidence we would have thought was pretty compelling. They had been told by Mary Magdalene and later by two Emmaus disciples that they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, but the apostles didn’t believe them. But the apostles needed to know for sure that Jesus was risen from the dead. He convinced them by appearing among them.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples. 24:36-43
Jesus Was Seen And Heard By Them. 36-40.
Luke 24:36 ‘As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 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 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.’
There is an expression, ”It’s too good to be true!” Sometimes the news we hear is just too wonderful to believe it actually happened. Faced with the resurrected body of Jesus, the disciples found it hard to believe it was Jesus. They thought they were looking at an apparition, a spirit. Jesus invited them to touch Him to make them realise that it was Jesus in a body. A body that bore the wounds of the crucifixion. Even then it seemed to be too good to be true as they were filled with joy. But Jesus had another proof that He had risen from the dead.
Jesus Showed Them That He Was The Crucified, Risen Saviour. 41-42.
41 ‘And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marvelling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.’ Jesus asked them for something to eat. And taking a piece of broiled fish he ate it before them. There was no doubting now that this was none other than the Risen Christ!
Jesus Explained The Significance Of His Resurrection. 24:44-48.
44 ‘Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and 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 for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.”’
The Believers Bible Commentary has these words, “Jesus opened their understanding to comprehend all these Scriptures. In fact, this is a chapter full of opened things: opened tomb (v. 12), opened home (v. 29), opened eyes (v. 31), opened Scriptures (v. 32), opened lips (v. 35), opened understanding (v. 45), and opened heavens (v. 51).”
This was another privileged Bible Study like the one given to the Emmaus disciples, as He opened their eyes to understand how the Old Testament scriptures pointed to Him. He had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and now the disciples were to take that message to the whole world.
Jesus Commanded Them To Wait Until They Were Empowered By God. 24:49
49 “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The “promise of the Father” is, of course, the promised Holy Spirit. Jesus had foretold His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to take His place after His ascension, in verses such as these, John 14:16-17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” AND John 14:26; “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
At a later time, Jesus said to His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8.
Jesus wasn’t just trying to encourage His disciples to take the message to the world but telling them that they would be divinely empowered to do so. We see that happened on the Day of Pentecost as the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to boldly witness to Jesus as God’s long-promised Messiah and Saviour.
An Application For Today
This passage has been very helpful in encouraging believers throughout all generations to believe that Jesus who died on the cross, rose again on the third day. It shows how humans can come from unbelief to a real belief in the Bible’s message of redemption. It also shows why these early disciples were so successful in spreading that message. They were divinely empowered to take that message to the world as they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so.
It means that believers today can know the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to spread the gospel message. That message is centred on Jesus Christ Who was crucified on a cross, was buried, but rose again on the third day. Humans today can come into a personal relationship with God as they put their trust in this Jesus. Just as Abraham was made right with God by his faith, so people today can be declared righteous before God through their faith, “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Romans 4:24-25.
But there is another aspect to Jesus’ resurrection that is comforting for believers today. Many of us have lost loved ones and feel that loss very deeply. But we are comforted to know that we will see those loved ones again when Jesus returns, “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14. What joy to be with them in the presence of Jesus for eternity! Our prayer then for the present is, “[Maranatha] Come, Lord!” 1 Corinthians 16:22 as we await that glorious hour!
Blog No.540 posted on Thursday 21 March 2024.
holbeck 
540. Luke 24:36-49. “Resurrection Joy!” Notes On The Gospel for Sunday 14 April 2024
What does it take for humans to believe in some fact or other? Very often it is compelling evidence that is needed. But how compelling does it have to be? In this passage, we read of a group of men [the eleven apostles and some other disciples] who had received evidence we would have thought was pretty compelling. They had been told by Mary Magdalene and later by two Emmaus disciples that they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, but the apostles didn’t believe them. But the apostles needed to know for sure that Jesus was risen from the dead. He convinced them by appearing among them.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples. 24:36-43
Jesus Was Seen And Heard By Them. 36-40.
Luke 24:36 ‘As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 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 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.’
There is an expression, ”It’s too good to be true!” Sometimes the news we hear is just too wonderful to believe it actually happened. Faced with the resurrected body of Jesus, the disciples found it hard to believe it was Jesus. They thought they were looking at an apparition, a spirit. Jesus invited them to touch Him to make them realise that it was Jesus in a body. A body that bore the wounds of the crucifixion. Even then it seemed to be too good to be true as they were filled with joy. But Jesus had another proof that He had risen from the dead.
Jesus Showed Them That He Was The Crucified, Risen Saviour. 41-42.
41 ‘And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marvelling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.’ Jesus asked them for something to eat. And taking a piece of broiled fish he ate it before them. There was no doubting now that this was none other than the Risen Christ!
Jesus Explained The Significance Of His Resurrection. 24:44-48.
44 ‘Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and 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 for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.”’
The Believers Bible Commentary has these words, “Jesus opened their understanding to comprehend all these Scriptures. In fact, this is a chapter full of opened things: opened tomb (v. 12), opened home (v. 29), opened eyes (v. 31), opened Scriptures (v. 32), opened lips (v. 35), opened understanding (v. 45), and opened heavens (v. 51).”
This was another privileged Bible Study like the one given to the Emmaus disciples, as He opened their eyes to understand how the Old Testament scriptures pointed to Him. He had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and now the disciples were to take that message to the whole world.
Jesus Commanded Them To Wait Until They Were Empowered By God. 24:49
49 “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The “promise of the Father” is, of course, the promised Holy Spirit. Jesus had foretold His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to take His place after His ascension, in verses such as these, John 14:16-17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” AND John 14:26; “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
At a later time, Jesus said to His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8.
Jesus wasn’t just trying to encourage His disciples to take the message to the world but telling them that they would be divinely empowered to do so. We see that happened on the Day of Pentecost as the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to boldly witness to Jesus as God’s long-promised Messiah and Saviour.
An Application For Today
This passage has been very helpful in encouraging believers throughout all generations to believe that Jesus who died on the cross, rose again on the third day. It shows how humans can come from unbelief to a real belief in the Bible’s message of redemption. It also shows why these early disciples were so successful in spreading that message. They were divinely empowered to take that message to the world as they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so.
It means that believers today can know the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to spread the gospel message. That message is centred on Jesus Christ Who was crucified on a cross, was buried, but rose again on the third day. Humans today can come into a personal relationship with God as they put their trust in this Jesus. Just as Abraham was made right with God by his faith, so people today can be declared righteous before God through their faith, “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Romans 4:24-25.
But there is another aspect to Jesus’ resurrection that is comforting for believers today. Many of us have lost loved ones and feel that loss very deeply. But we are comforted to know that we will see those loved ones again when Jesus returns, “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14. What joy to be with them in the presence of Jesus for eternity! Our prayer then for the present is, “[Maranatha] Come, Lord!” 1 Corinthians 16:22 as we await that glorious hour!
Blog No.540 posted on Thursday 21 March 2024.
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.