Jesus Appears to the Disciples
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 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.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, “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.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 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.”
My Understanding: I read in chapter 22 how Judas had agreed to betray Jesus. Then, Jesus sat down with his twelve disciples to eat the Passover feast with them. Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples. He said, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Then, he took the cup in his hand. He said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” He was not just asking them to remember him through the act of taking communion. He was teaching them and he was preparing them for what was about to take place, i.e. his crucifixion, even though they did not understand what he was saying about his death and resurrection at the time. He was letting them know that his coming death, i.e. his body and blood were being given to them as a sacrifice for them and for their sins. And, he wanted them to remember that sacrifice regularly.
Then, he told them that one of them was going to betray him. A dispute arose among them about who was considered to be the greatest. Jesus then seized this opportunity to teach them the importance of being a servant, as he had always modeled to them.
Following this Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray. His disciples followed him. It was there that Jesus struggled in his human spirit with the thought of what was soon to take place. He knew not only the emotional (rejection, mocking, abandonment, betrayal and denial of him) and physical (beatings, scourging, being spat upon and being crucified) suffering he must endure, but he knew that the ultimate suffering would come when he took upon himself the sins of the entire world.
He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus was very God and yet he was also very man, so he struggled in his human spirit with what he knew must take place unless there was another way. So, even though, in his flesh, he hoped there was another way, yet he was submissive and obedient to the Father and to the cross, because of his great love for us and because of him being willing to die for our sins so that we could go free.
Judas did betray him. Jesus was arrested and put on trial. All his disciples deserted him, and Peter disowned him three times. The religious leaders incited the crowd and they called for him to be crucified, although he had committed no wrong. They beat him, mocked him, spat upon him and then they hung Jesus on a cross as though he was a common criminal. When he died our sins died with him. When he was buried in the tomb, our sins were buried with him. Yet, he rose from the dead, triumphing over death, hell, Satan and sin so that, through faith in him, we would be free from the penalty of sin and the control of sin over our lives.
The disciples got word that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as he said he would do, yet they still did not believe the news of his resurrection.
Two of the Lord’s disciples were on their way to Emmaus. They were talking with each other about what had just happened. Then, Jesus appeared and began walking with them, yet they did not recognize him. This reminded me of the time the disciples were in a boat out on the lake during a fierce storm. Jesus came walking to them on the lake, but they thought he was a ghost. He said to them, “It is I, don’t be afraid.” On the road to Emmaus, Jesus asked his disciples, “What are you discussing?” The passage of scripture in Luke 24 states that the disciples were downcast. Then, they went on to tell the stranger (Jesus) about Jesus and how he was a prophet of God and how he had been crucified.
They were downcast because they thought Jesus was going to physically redeem Israel from bondage to Rome and to usher in the kingdom of God on earth. They had expectations of Jesus that he had never promised, at least not in the sense that they understood. So, they were disappointed, confused and sorrowful of heart and were in great need to have their spirits refreshed and their hearts revived by the power of God. They went on to tell how it had been three days since Jesus’ crucifixion and how they had received a report that Jesus had risen and that he was alive. Some of their companions had gone to the tomb and had found it empty, just as the women had told them, but they did not see Jesus alive.
Jesus’ response to these disciples’ story of despair and hopelessness was to rebuke them for their slowness of heart to believe what the prophets of old had told concerning Jesus many years prior to this. He said to them, “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” Then, Jesus began to explain to them all that the scriptures had said concerning himself, beginning with Moses and all the prophets. When they got to their destination, they urged Jesus to stay with them for the day was almost over. So, he went in to stay with them. The scripture says: “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them,” just as they had seen him do many times before. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but Jesus disappeared then from their sight.
These two disciples with whom Jesus had spoken on the road to Emmaus got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. They found the eleven (Judas was no longer with them) disciples and others who were with them. They were all assembled together. They told them, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then, they told them about their encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
While they were still talking about this, Jesus suddenly appeared among them and said, “Peace be with you.” They were afraid and thought he was a ghost – sound familiar? And, again he said, “It is I,” and he encouraged them not to be afraid. Then he reminded them that he had told them previously that everything must be fulfilled that was prophesied by Moses, the Prophets and Psalms. And, then he opened their minds so that they could understand the scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ 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…”
Jesus appeared to many people after he rose from the dead and then he ascended into heaven where he now sits on his throne. He sent his Holy Spirit to dwell inside his followers, i.e. those who truly believe in him as Lord and Savior, as evidenced by their lives and actions. And, since that time he has continued to come inside the lives of his followers via his Holy Spirit. One day he is coming again to judge the world, to gather his faithful ones to himself and to set up his kingdom reign on the earth for 1000 years after which time there will be a new heaven and a new earth and we will be with him forever. Yet, he now lives within us via his Holy Spirit, who counsels, directs, teaches, guides, convicts, assists, empowers and enables his true disciples to live for him, to forsake sin and worldly passions and to walk humbly before their God in obedience and submission.
Before Jesus was crucified, he told his disciples about what they could expect to happen to them as his followers. He told them that they would be persecuted, rejected, arrested, put in prison, flogged, put on trial for their faith in Jesus Christ, and that all this would result in them being witnesses for him. He told them not to worry about what to say, for they would be given both wisdom and words to speak. Then, he went on to tell them that they would be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and that some of these would even put them to death. Ouch! Not only that, he told them that all men would hate them because of Christ. He didn’t paint a pretty picture for them of what it would mean to be his followers. Yet, he gave them many encouraging words, too, throughout his time with them, including he concluded these remarks by telling them that if they stood firm in their faith, they would gain eternal life, not that they were earning their salvation but that their perseverance in suffering for the sake of the gospel was evidence that they were indeed saved by grace.
So, when we go through times of suffering and trials in our lives; when we are hated, persecuted, abandoned, rejected, mistreated, mocked, and even betrayed by those we love and who are the closest to us, we must understand that Jesus told us ahead of time this would happen to us, so that we are not surprised and become downcast within our spirits, thinking that he had promised us a rose garden (without thorns) when he did indeed tell us that we would suffer just as he suffered and because of our faith, testimony and witness for him and for the gospel of repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Not only should we not be surprised when we go through suffering, and we should not be downcast because we had the wrong expectations of what it means to be a Christian, but we are to rejoice and to “leap for joy” when we go through such times as this. We must bring our burdens to Christ and take his yoke upon us and learn from him, because he already bore the penalty of our sin so that we could go free. And, we should surrender and submit ourselves to the cross and to what that means for our lives, and allow Jesus to take control and to do his will in our lives through our times of suffering. Then, he can refresh our spirits and revive our hearts so that we can serve him, love him and obey him always.
Refresh My Spirit, Lord / An Original Work / August 8, 2011
Refresh my spirit, Lord. Revive my heart today.
Move me to serve You, Lord in all I do and say.
Be my heart’s one desire; my spirit set on fire
In pure devotion, Lord, to love you and obey.
Create within me, Lord, a pure heart, this I pray,
So I can worship You and yield to You always.
May all Your love and pow’r be lived in me, I pray,
So I might love as You; be Your witness today.
Jesus says, “Come to me all you with heavy hearts,
And find in me your peace, and give to me your all.
My yoke is light to bear, ‘cause I paid for your sin,
So you might be set free, and purified within.”
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
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