Community Bible Study -- LUKE

Text of Luke 24:13-53 Presentation, Lesson 24

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Jesus' Post-Resurrection Appearances . . . and Ascension

This session - our last in this study of the book of Luke - opens just after Jesus' resurrection. His tomb was empty when a group of women followers went there Sunday morning to complete his burial; but angels reminded the women that Jesus had predicted his resurrection . . . and "then they remembered his words" (24:8). The women hurry to take the good news to Jesus' apostles, but "(the women's) words seemed to them like nonsense" (24:11). Peter and John run to the tomb to check it out for themselves; and although they find things just as the women said, they don't put it together: Peter "went away, wondering to himself what had happened" (24:12).

Why do the disciples have so much trouble believing? Perhaps it's because what they've seen over the past week is totally contrary to what they have been taught since childhood; and accepting it requires fundamental changes in their paradigm of the Messiah:

1. The Jewish savior - the Messiah - is not a military conqueror who will establish an earthly Jewish kingdom like King David or Judas the Maccabee. The Messiah will suffer and die. So how can he be the Jewish savior?

2. They believe in the resurrection of the dead - but only "at the last day" (cf Jn 11:24), when the Messiah establishes the Kingdom of God. If the disappearance of Jesus' body means he's been resurrected, where's the Messianic kingdom?
   

We asked the rhetorical question last week if the women disciples were more spiritually discerning than the men because they believed right away, whereas the men continued to ponder the question. This may be an example of "receiving the kingdom of God like a little child" (18:17). The women, without formal theological training, accept Jesus' words readily. But the men, schooled since childhood by the rabbis in Jewish tradition, have great difficulty throwing away their old paradigms. Jesus needs to do more with them.

That's why Jesus talks with two disciples walking to the village of Emmaus, about 7 miles from Jerusalem. One of these disciples is named Cleopas; the other is not named. These two were apparently hiding out with the eleven apostles Sunday morning; they know about the empty tomb . . . and what the angels' said to the women . . . and that Peter and John went to check it out. They were probably involved in discussions about these events most of the day on Sunday, before they left for Emmaus in the afternoon.

As they walk along, they quite naturally continue to talk about the weekend events surrounding Jesus. While they talk, the resurrected Jesus "comes up and walks along with them, but they are kept from recognizing him" (24:15-16). Jesus listens for a while, then asks them: "What are you guys talking about" (cf 24:17). They stop for a moment, "downcast" with grief and stunned by such an ignorant question. Everyone in Jerusalem knows about Jesus' Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem as the Messiah . . . his debates with the Jewish religious leaders in the temple . . . his quick trials and crucifixion . . . and his death with such dignity that even his opponents seemed to have second thoughts (cf 23:48). These events are the big news of this year's Passover celebration. How can this stranger be so out of touch? So they summarize "the things that happened in Jerusalem in these days" (24:18):

Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The Jewish religious leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and the Romans crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the Messiah promised by God to "redeem Israel"; we thought he was the savior who would throw off oppression of the Jews and establish the kingdom of God.

But the strangest thing of all: it's the third day since Jesus' death; and some of our women went to his tomb early this morning, and his body was missing! They said angels told them Jesus was alive, so some of our companions went to the tomb. They found it just as the women said . . . but they didn't see either angels or Jesus. We think the women just had a vision." (cf 24:19-24)

Jesus doesn't pull any punches as he tells these two disciples how disappointed he is in the lack of understanding of his closest followers: "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe" (24:25). To believe what? To believe Jesus? No! . . . "to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" (24:25).

Do we get the point Jesus is trying to make? Indeed, Jesus' disciples should have believed him. But more than that . . . they are devout Jews, and every devout Jew has studied the scriptures from childhood. They should know what the prophets have said . . . and should believe it. But they don't! Why? Because they have been misled by extra-scriptural tradition. The bible refers to it as the "tradition of the elders" (cf Mk 7:3); today we generally call it the oral law of the Pharisees." And in this dialog, I hear that great slogan of the Reformation ring out, sola scriptura - only scripture!

Jesus explains exactly what Jews in general - and his disciples in particular - had missed:

"Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (24:26-27).

What an opportunity . . . to hear Messianic prophesy - from Exodus to Malachi - explained by Jesus himself!

This story about the resurrected Jesus with two disciples on the road to Emmaus is recorded only by Luke . . . and it's fitting, because as we have studied this book, it's become clear that a primary theme is not only that Jesus is the Messiah; Luke also wants to emphasize that what the Messiah did and what happened to the Messiah - including his suffering and resurrection - was foretold in scripture. And furthermore, that Jesus knew all this in advance and told it to his disciples.

With Mel Gibson's wonderful movie, "The Passion of the Christ," setting box office records, we again hear the question: "Did the Jews crucify Jesus . . . or did the Romans?" The correct answer is that Jesus was not a victim crucified by anyone. Jesus was the Messiah, who knew his destiny at least from the time of his baptism by John the Baptist. Jesus knew he had to be crucified and die for the sins of mankind. And during his last week on earth, Jesus controlled events, driving them so he would die with the Passover lambs on the day before the Passover (which was also a Sabbath). Why else would Jesus incriminate himself in his trial before the Sanhedrin (cf 22:71) when the Jewish religious leaders couldn't find two viable witnesses against him (cf Mk 14:59)?

Back to the story . . . Jesus concludes his tutorial on Messianic prophesy just as the three approach Emmaus:

"Jesus acted as if he were going farther, but (the disciples) urged him strongly, 'Stay with us, for it is nearly evening.' . . . So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight" (24:28-31).

The disciples don't believe what the women said about Jesus' resurrection because they view everything through the paradigm of the oral law. Then a stranger meets them and explains it in the context of Messianic prophesy - and who knows if they believed the stranger, though they found him pleasant and interesting. But then, as they have supper together and the stranger gives thanks to God for the meal . . . they realize the stranger is the resurrected Jesus, and then they believe." And it all makes sense because "(their) hearts (were) burning within (them) while (the stranger) talked with (them) on the road and opened the Scriptures" (24:32).

What happens next seems routine to us, but I want to emphasize how unusual it was in the 1st century context. People didn't travel at night. There weren't street lights; people had to carry torches. And although the Pax Romana minimizes the danger, people in general tried to spend the night in fortified cities with the gates shut for fear of criminals and robbers. But these two disciples have news that just can't wait . . . so "they . . . returned at once to Jerusalem" to the place the eleven apostles are hiding (24:33).

And what do they find? The apostles and their companions are in high spirits, "saying, 'It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon'" (24:34). Jesus appeared to Simon Peter sometime before the two disciples return from Emmaus. Scripture does not record what was said during Jesus' interview with Peter . . . but I think we can imagine. Jesus told Peter: "I have prayed . . . that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (22:32). Peter protested and promised loyalty to Jesus unto death, but Jesus predicted Peter would deny him three times before dawn (22:33-34) . . . and it happened just like this (22: 56-62). Jesus surely wants to assure Peter everything is OK, and that now he should indeed "strengthen" the others.

The disciples now uniformly believe Jesus has been resurrected . . . and they are anxious to hear what Jesus said to two disciples from Emmaus. But "while they were still talking about this" (24:36), Jesus stands among them. "Shalom," he says (cf 24:36).

Luke records that when Jesus appears to the assembled disciples, "they (are) startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost" (24:37). Why are they frightened? Jesus has already appeared to the two men from Emmaus and to Peter. Haven't they figured things out even yet? Maybe . . . but there's one more important point Jesus wishes to make with this appearance: the resurrected Jesus is not a ghost or a spirit. That's important, because anyone who consults with the dead is detestable to God (Deut 18:11-12). Jesus has a physical body . . . which appears like a human body. Jesus addresses this as he speaks:

"Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" (24:38-39).

Then Jesus "(shows) them his hands and feet" (24:40), including the holes made by the nails. But Luke records "they still did not believe it" (24:41) . . . so Jesus takes things one step further. "Do you have anything here to eat?" he says (24:41). So the disciples "gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he . . . ate it in their presence" (24:42-43). This should be proof positive that the resurrected Jesus is not a spirit, but a real, physical entity!

Now that Jesus has established this point, he confirms just what he had said to the two men from Emmaus. "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms" (24:44). Although Jesus repeatedly spelled things out to his disciples, their minds were shut by the paradigm of the oral law. But now, with Jesus' supernatural resurrection, they are able to "open their minds so they can understand the Scriptures" (24:45). Jesus explains: "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (24:46-47).

Then Jesus adds one more thing: "You are witnesses of these things" (24:48). Jesus deliberately chose apostles who will be witnesses to spread his story to the world after he goes to heaven. And Jesus carefully prepares them, because he "appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God" (Acts 2:3).

Only the Gospel of John records Jesus' promise in the Upper Room to send the Holy Spirit as a counselor to believers (cf John 14-16), but Luke's other book -Acts - records the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus' next comment makes sense only in that context: "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (24:49).

Luke concludes his gospel with Jesus' ascension, saying he "led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven" (24:50-51).

This is another important milestone in the disciples' walk with Jesus. Our 21st century paradigm is based on 2000 years of Christian tradition . . . so we expected this to happen. But what did the disciples expect? We don't know. But we do know that, although Jesus has supernaturally risen from the dead, he made an effort to appear to his disciples as if he were still human: with a real physical body and the ability to eat. Yet Jesus claimed to be God (cf Jn 10:33). So what is Jesus the Messiah: human or divine?

That question is now answered. When Jesus "was taken up to heaven" before their eyes, "they worshiped him" (24:51-52). This confirms their belief in Jesus' claim to be the Son of God - even God Himself. And what's the point Jesus has just made? The same one so hotly debated in early church councils: that Jesus is fully human and fully divine.

Then the disciples "returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God" (24:52-53), just as Jesus instructed.

And it didn't take long for Jesus' promise to be fulfilled. A scant 10 days later at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon believers in Jerusalem, and the greatest religious revival in the history of mankind began as the number of male "Christians" erxploded from only 120 (cf Acts 1:15) to 5000 (cf Acts 4:4). Why? Empowerment by the Holy Spirit - and the disciples' resultant boldness. Everyone in Jerusalem knew about Jesus' empty tomb, and had to decide if Jesus was really resurrected . . . or if Jesus' body was stolen by his disciples, as the Jewish religious leaders claimed (28:12-15). But emboldened by the Holy Spirit, the disciples came out of hiding and pressed their claim right in the temple - unafraid of threats from the Jewish leaders (cf Acts 4:13, 18-20, 5:28-29). And as we say: "the rest is history."

We hope this study of the gospel of Luke has helped gain a better understanding of Jesus by putting him and his words in context. And we also hope to have a new appreciation for Jesus as the Jewish Messiah - that far from being secretive about being the Messiah or ignorant of his role - Jesus literally shouts to the people that he is the Messiah . . . not in ways that would alarm the Romans, but in "code words" from Jewish prophesy, clear to those who knew the scriptures. And further, that Jesus the Messiah was in control of his destiny and his death - not the Jews or the Romans or even Satan. And that all this was necessary so "that whoever believes in (Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (Jn 3:16-17).

And how do we know those who believe in Jesus? They are marked by certain characteristics. When asked what is required to inherit eternal life, Jesus affirmed: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself" (10:27). This is the basic plan of salvation. And in the Upper Room - according to the gospel of John - Jesus said: "A new command I give you: Love one another. . . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (13:34-35).