Luke 24: 36-48 - Resurrection Appearances
36While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”37They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate in their presence. 44Then 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, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things.
Background: This passage follows immediately upon the lengthy and rich story of Jesus’ encounter with the grief stricken disciples walking home on the road to Emmaus. That story is perhaps Luke’s most significant resurrection appearance story. We can think of the flow of chapter 24 as one of confusion (the empty tomb that seemed an idle tale), Intimate encounter, (Emmaus) and today’s story, final confirmations. The Emmaus story seeks to answer the question: how can believers experience the risen Christ? Today’s text seeks to answers two questions. One: How can we be sure that what we experience is real? And two, How do we break through our fears to claim the fullness of intimacy with the risen Christ?
The Central Theological Issue: Luke, who is generally understood as a physician, often adds very physical details to his narrative. In these stories it is important to him to impress upon hearers and readers that the resurrection was a very real and physical thing. Jesus is not simply a disembodied spirit, even though he is quite different and has many different abilities after the resurrection. Luke wants us to understand that Jesus is not a ghost, that his body was not stolen and hidden away somewhere. Rather, he wants us to know that the Jesus the early disciples encountered arrived in a physical form that ate with them and talked with them about the deep things of their new reality. In doing so Luke reminds us that we do not have to wait for heaven to share in the fullness of Christ in our lives.
Word Study
Vs. 36 – Peace be with you – this was a common phrase of greeting in Jesus’ day. After the resurrection it was re-understood as a profound prayer and declaration that all would be filled with what Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit’s peace. The word peace (Eirene)refers to harmonious relationships between persons, peoples, nations, between a person and God, and within the various aspects of a person’s life. It awakens when the world’s indifference is replaced by an all-encompassing compassion.
Vs. 37 – terrified – This word, from the Greek phobeo, refers to the desire to run and hide.
Ghost – pneuma – This word refers to the immaterial invisible part of a person.
Vs. 38 – frightened/ doubts – This phrase is always used as a negative. It usually refers to having objectionable thoughts or doubtful reasoning.
Hearts – kardia- The heart was seen as the seat of reasoning, will and judgment.
Vs. 39 – touch me and see – There are a number of words for ‘touch’ and for ‘see’ in Greek. The words used here refer to feeling the surface of something, seeking after an object. It is used of groping in the dark to feel, handle or examine in order to understand.
Vs. 41 – disbelieving – This means to be unable to put confidence in something.
Wondering – This does not mean to question something. I would translate it as marveling.
Vs. 44 – words – logos- This word refers to the intelligence or interiority of a thing or idea, the essence of something, an expression of the reality of something.
Fulfilled – pleroo – This means to be made full or plentiful, like a net full of fish or a house permeated by perfume.
Vs. 45 – minds – nous – This word refers to the organ of mental perception and is used to talk about consciousness.
Understand – There are a number of Greek words we translate as ‘understand.’ This one (suniemi) means to put it all together, to hear, notice, perceive or recognize.
Vs. 46 – written – This refers to something that is written in a formal legal sense.
Suffer – pascho – This word refers to suffering on behalf of someone, to experience evil for a greater purpose.
Rise – This word literally means to stand up again.
Vs. 47 – repentance – metanoia – This word means to change one’s mind about something. It refers to a change of world view so primal that nothing is ever the same again.
Forgiveness – This is the word for dismissal or release, especially from false thinking that leads to false actions.
Proclaimed – kerusso – to preach, to be a herald.
Name – There are few more powerful concepts in the scripture than ‘name.’ The name of someone holds their essence, their power, and their reputation. To act in someone’s name is to act as that person completely.
All nations– the proclamation is not reserved for believers. The call to come to one’s senses, put the pieces together and live differently is for everybody.
Vs. 48 – witnesses – The is the word from which we take the English word martyrs. It refers to one who attests to the truth of what that one sees and knows personally.
Questions for Personal Reflection
- Can you think of any ‘old ghosts’ that continue to frighten you?
- How do you put the pieces of your experience with Jesus together in a unifying whole?
- Are you aware of the call to repent (to change your mind and go in a different direction)? If so, is anything holding you back? What might that be?
- When faced with the love of God for you, how do you feel? Are there fears you would like to release today?