The Resurrected Lord

The tomb was open and empty. The Scriptures were opened and fulfilled.

Luke 24:28-35

I trust you see something by now. The facts of the gospel and even a biblical interpretation of the gospel are not enough to truly see Jesus. We need God—the same God that caused them not to recognize Jesus at first (v. 16)—to open our eyes spiritually.

That’s what’s happening in this section of Scripture. We can’t get to know Jesus merely through Bible study and intellectual understanding. We must have revelation from God.

They are near Emmaus. The Lord Jesus is still playing with them. Verse 28: “He gave the impression that he was going farther.” Our Lord really does have a playful side to him.

J. C. Ryle states that Christ “does not always force His gifts upon us, unsought and unsolicited. He loves to draw out our desires, and to compel us to exercise our spiritual affections, by waiting for our prayers” (Luke, 373). In other words, the Lord likes to be sought and desired, and he was drawing that out of the disciples. Perhaps that’s why he does not come to us so quickly and easily in our times of prayer and Bible reading. He’s pulling out of us our truer and deeper desire for him.

So he pretends with these disciples, and in verse 29 they “urged him” to stay with them. So the Lord does. And when they sit down to eat, the Lord blesses and breaks bread with them. “Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (v. 31). This is the passive voice again: they did not open their own eyes; someone—God—opened their eyes for them. The moment they had their eyes opened, they recognized Jesus, and the moment they recognized Jesus, “he disappeared from their sight.”

Can you imagine the look on their faces? What amazement there must have been! I am sure they looked at each other and said, “Did you see that? That was the Lord Jesus! He’s alive!” And they thought about how they felt while Jesus talked with them. They said, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?”

I once had Mormon missionaries visit my home to tell me about Mormonism. They offered me a copy of their supposed Scriptures and said, “When you read it, see that your heart burns, and then you’ll know it’s true.” Friends, a burning heart is no proof of religious claims. It might be that heavy lunch you had. It was Christ’s presence with them that gave them this warm feeling. They had walked and talked with God. And even the veiled presence of the resurrected Lord has enough glory in it to heat a person’s soul. His presence was everything even when they couldn’t recognize it.

Right away, “they got up and returned to Jerusalem” (v. 33). They’d just walked seven miles to Emmaus. Now they’ve seen the resurrected Lord and they high-step it back the seven miles to Jerusalem. They’ve got good news to tell! When they get back to Jerusalem they find “the Eleven” and others gathered in the upper room. While they were on the road to Emmaus the Lord had also appeared to Simon Peter, and he had given a report. So they shared what had happened with them also (v. 35).

The story is developing. We had the empty tomb. But now we’ve got two other appearances—one to Peter and one to the two disciples going to Emmaus. The newsroom continues to put together its breaking story: The tomb was open and empty. The Scriptures were opened and fulfilled. Their eyes were open, and they recognized Jesus.

Luke 24:36-49

Now it’s time for that in-studio interview with the main character of the story. “As they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, ‘Peace to you!’” (v. 36).

First, notice the phrase “he himself.” See also in verse 15 when “Jesus himself came near” the two going to Emmaus. The phrase teaches us that this was no fantasy or delusion; this was Jesus himself—in the flesh. The Lord proves that to them when he says,

“Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. (24:39-40)

When we speak of the resurrection, we speak of a literal, physical or bodily rising from the dead. This is no ghost. This is not merely a “spiritual resurrection.” It is the Lord Jesus himself.

Second, notice the greeting the Lord gives: “Peace to you!” Verse 37 says, “They were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. Now Luke doesn’t give us a detail that John 20:26 gives us—they were in the room with the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The door is locked, but Jesus just comes on in the room. You would have been afraid too! And you might have thought he was a ghost too! So you would have needed to hear him say, “Peace to you.”

But you would have needed to hear him say that for another reason.

This was a wonderful saying, when we consider the men to whom it was addressed. It was addressed to eleven disciples, who three days before had shamefully forsaken their Master and fled. They had broken their promises. They had forgotten their professions of readiness to die for their faith. They have been scattered, “every man to his own,” and left their Master to die alone. One of them had even denied him three times. All of them had proved backsliders and cowards. And yet behold the return which their Master makes to his disciples! Not a word of rebuke is spoken. Not a single sharp saying falls from his lips. Calmly and quietly he appears in the midst of them, and begins by speaking of peace. “Peace be unto you.”

He is far more willing to forgive than men are to be forgiven, and far more ready to pardon than men are to be pardoned.

Free, full, and undeserved forgiveness to the very uttermost is not the manner of man. But it is the manner of Christ. (Ryle, Luke, 379)

No word from the Lord is as sweet to the weak as “peace to you.”

The Lord bids them peace. He then shows them his body. They’re so excited they can’t believe it. They’re overcome with joy.

Then we get another hilarious point in the story: “He asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’” (v. 41). Well, if you think about it, it’s been over three days since he had anything to eat. So he eats while they talk amongst themselves.

After the Lord finished his fish, verses 44-49 tell us he held another Bible study with them. He had given them physical proof of his resurrection in verses 38-39. Now, once again, the Lord gives them biblical evidence of his resurrection. In the process of teaching them, “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (v. 45). Their minds were opened, and they believed.

I believe the Lord held this second study not only so they would understand the Scriptures as head knowledge, but also so they would be prepared for their mission. He tells them that they must preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations starting right there in Jerusalem. They can’t remain locked in that room afraid. They must go out to the people who murdered Jesus and to all the world telling others that he is risen and there is forgiveness with God. That’s their purpose. And they must do this in the power of the promise of God—who is the Holy Spirit.

Christians since that night have done just that. That’s why we exist: to tell the world that Christ is risen from the dead and that everyone must repent of sin and seek his forgiveness by faith if they wish to live with God. We are, by biblical faith, witnesses of these things.

The tomb was open and empty. The Scriptures were opened and fulfilled. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized. Their minds were opened, and they believed. Are you open?

Luke 24:50-53

If Christ is alive, where is he now? The answer of verses 50-53 is that he’s in heaven at the right hand of the Father. These last few verses are deceptively simple. In these verses are volumes of theology, too.

Jesus has carried our humanity into glory. He rose in the same body that he showed to the disciples. Jesus is ruling over all things in heaven. And as Paul tells us in his letters, everything is being placed under his feet. Jesus is in heaven interceding for us.

The story is not over. The end of Luke 24 is merely the beginning of the church. We are meant to worship him with great joy until all nations do the same. We don’t need to go to the temple in Jerusalem to bless God. We have become the temple of God in whom he lives. We bless him everywhere we go.

This is our story, this is our song, praising our Savior all the day long.