He is Risen Indeed!

Pastoral Prayer

Good morning Lord,

Today, we join the psalmist as we worship you for your omnipresence…

Psalm 139:7–12 LSB

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I lift up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will bruise me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not too dark for You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

You are everywhere. You see us in our greatest joys and deepest sorrows. You know our successes and our failures. You know our pain. You see the injustices in the world around us. There is nowhere that we can run from your presence, but of course why would we want to? Your love is beyond our greatest understanding.

So Lord, we thank you for who you are.

Psalm 107:8-9 We thank you for your steadfast love. We praise you for the ways that you work among humanity. The common grace that we all receive - provision of food, shelter, the presence of people around us who care for us. Lord, by your word you instruct us. By your Spirit you bring comfort and guidance. By your salvation you bring hope and freedom. In your church, you provide a community. In all of this, you satisfy our thirsty souls. For all of this, we give you thanks.

And yet, Lord, you know how fickle we can be. You know how our hearts and desires betray you. We join the psalmist in our confession of those hidden and secret sins that are not hidden from you.

Psalm 139:23–24 LSB

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Cleanse us and we shall be clean. Wash us, and we will be new. Purify us and we shall be whole.

(Psalm 121:1-3) Lord, even as we know that you have made us right with you through Jesus Christ, we still experience challenges day to day. We often “look to the hills” of medicine and physicians to heal our disease. We “look to the hills” of work and luck for financial help. We “look to the hills” of chatbots and AI for guidance. And yet Lord, you are our help. You are our healer. You are our guide. You are our provider. You are our Savior! Forgive us, I pray, when we look in all the wrong places and fail to trust in you. Help us, we pray by your mighty hand and your outstretched arm.

Lord we thank you for hearing our prayers, for meeting our needs, for cleansing our iniquities, and for your continual love and faithfulness.

Lord, you do great and unsearchable and wondrous deeds. For this we praise you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dealing with doubts

Have you ever wrestled with doubts? I have from time to time. There are strange ways that doubts can sneak in.

random thoughts

seeing thin biblical proofs for certain doctrines

suffering - of those around me

faltering faith of trusted heroes or notable figures

teachings that I hear

Doubts have a way of affecting all of us at some point or another. Doubts even affected the disciples.

Today, as we close out the main part of our study in the book of Luke, we get to learn from the disciples’ experience and how Jesus helped them with the doubts that they felt.

If you have your copy of God’s word, open to Luke 24. We’ll be looking at verses 36-53 (p. 843 in the pew bibles).

These are the final verses in Luke’s gospel - you made it! We made it.

Next week, we’re going to take a brief overview of what Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of God Luke’s gospel. Then in two weeks, we’ll begin a summer study in the book of Psalms. Lord willing, in the fall, we’ll study Luke’s second volume - the book of Acts.

A couple of weeks ago, we learned how the women found the tomb empty, but did not find Jesus. Last week, we found Jesus as He conversed with and then revealed himself to a couple of disciples on the road to Emmaus. Today, we get to see Jesus as He presents himself to the rest of the disciples and then ascends back to the Father.

In some ways, Luke 24 reads like it all happens in one day. We do know from the other gospel accounts and the book of Acts, that Jesus did not ascend until 40 days after the resurrection. In some ways, this part of Luke 24 may entail a summary or amalgamation of post-resurrection appearances.

But as Jesus reveals Himself to His disciples, He addresses their doubts and potentially ours about the resurrection. It seems like He is helping us address our doubts in four ways:

behold

believe

behave

bless

Let’s begin where the passage does as we …

Behold the risen Jesus (36-43)

Luke writes:

Luke 24:36–43 ESV

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 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.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Jesus shows up on the scene. The other accounts note that the door to this room was locked and Jesus, in His resurrection or glorified body, was able to show up. Last week He vanished from in front of the two at Emmaus. Now He just pops in to the room where they are. As He does, He finds the disciples…

Perplexed

They are discussing the events that happened - the empty tomb, the testimony of the woman and the angels, the visitation on the road to Emmaus, an appearance to Simon. For three years, many of these disciples had been following Jesus around. Several times, Jesus discussed the suffering that He would endure. He also shared about the fact that He would rise from the dead. Now, all of that has come true and yet the disciples are in a bit of disbelief.

His sudden appearance baffled the disciples, which prompted Jesus to respond with a…

Proclamation of peace

“Peace to you.”

His intention was not to startle or scare them, but to bring peace; peace with His presence.

In the OT, peace or shalom referred to a “completeness’, ‘soundness’, ‘well-being’” (NBD). Peace, of course, has many different ramifications. Peace between people, peace between us and God, inner peace, financial peace, emotional peace, etc.

It seems that these guys initially lacked peace because they didn’t have context with which to register Jesus - being alive from the dead and now standing in their presence.

Since words are often not quite enough to assuage their fears, Jesus provides…

Proofs of bodily resurrection

The ESVSB notes that their doubts included some confusion about whether or not He was physically present. Were they seeing a ghost or a spirit?

Notice, He provides proofs in three ways.

seeing

touching

eating

He invites them to see His hands and His feet. They would have distinguishing marks from the crucifixion.

Then he invites them to touch Him on the reason that a “spirit does not have flesh and bones,” which means that He was not a spirit - but had risen physically.

Then, because they “disbelieved for joy,” Jesus asked for something to eat, because the assumption was that spirits don’t eat food.

Jesus gave them everything they would need to behold Him as resurrected from the dead.

These three-fold proofs provided a firm foundation upon which the disciples were able to minister and testify to others. In fact, decades later, the Apostle John opened his first letter with: 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—.”

The point that we need to get to, like the disciples, is that we should seek to behold the risen Jesus for who He truly is. Now, I know, we can’t see Him physically, but we can read and learn. We have four different perspectives and accounts in the gospels describing His life and ministry. We have dozens of other books in the NT discussing the ramifications of life this side of the resurrection. We have their eye-witness accounts in Scripture. I know that with the advent of AI, it is getting more and more difficult for us to discern what is true from what is fake. The beauty about the Scripture is that we have documents dating back to the first and second century and multiple handwritten copies. I believe we can trust that God’s Word is reliable and helpful for us to behold Jesus for who He is.

Gaze on the beauty of His life as you read the gospels. Observe all that He accomplished in His death and resurrection. Relish in the life that He secured for you!

Like the disciples, our beholding is not all that we should do. We should respond. We should…

Believe in Him and what He accomplished (44-47)

As He did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus took these disciples back to what He had taught them and what the OT Scriptures had foretold…

Luke 24:44–47 ESV

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.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

But notice what he does in this instruction. He talks about the fact that what happened…

Fulfilled scripture

Last week, we went through a variety of texts that Jesus may have referenced, so for the sake of time we won’t revisit that. You can access that through our website or youtube pages. The point is that Jesus didn’t just say something and then act on it as if He could fulfill His own prophecy. He fulfilled prophesies and promises that had been centuries in the making; centuries in the waiting. This was part of God’s divine plan.

But secondly, Jesus notes that all of this (the prophecies, his life, death, and resurrection) happened in order to…

Secure salvation for all nations

Jesus said that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.” This salvation, forgiveness of sins, is available through an act of repentance and paid for by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is where you and I essentially turn from our old way of thinking, believing, and living and turning to Christ. It’s more than sorrow for getting caught in sin, it’s sorrow for being stuck in sin and recognizing that the only way out is through Jesus. Salvation and faith in Jesus is not simply mental assent, though I believe that’s part of it. It is real forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness for those things that we do, those thoughts that we think, those words that we say that dishonor God and betray His holiness. How often do we and others around us wrestle with the guilt of past mistakes? When Jesus forgives us, He expunges the record because He has paid for all of our sins in full! He essentially grants us a clean slate.

There are many people who will try to behold Jesus as much as they can, but His life won’t really make a difference in their lives until they respond with belief. Friend, if you have not yet turned beholding into belief, what’s holding you back? The forgiveness that Jesus secured is available for you - if you would believe.

Romans 10:9–10 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

But notice too, this is not a forgiveness that is limited to one group of people - it’s intended to be shared with “all nations.” It may start locally, but it will expand globally. This is, in part, why we participate in the Cooperative Program and why we support specific missionaries, like the Basses, Goels, Dilworths, Caleb Dummermuth who will spend a year in UAE and Kate Stimson who will be heading to eastern Europe later this year. This is why we seek to do short term trips - like potential camping and climbing trips to Saudi or other opportunities as they arise. This is one of the reasons why I appreciate getting to do the pastor training trips in Asia - because these pastors already know the language and the culture to reach people near to them. This message is good news for everyone!

So beholding Jesus is followed by believing in Him. As Jesus notes here with his disciple that those who believe are then called to…

Behave as a witness (48-49)

Luke 24:48–49 ESV

You are witnesses of these things. 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.”

In some ways, this is a summation of Acts 1:8 “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.”

This word “witness” in Greek comes from the root of the word “martyr.” This is not to say that all witnesses with die for their faith, but that as a witness we observe and testify to what we see. So as witnesses of Jesus we testify of…

what he has done - we see this in what we have in scripture. What he taught, how he healed, how he served. How he saved.

But then there is the personal element…

What He has done for you - this is testifying to those things that you’ve experienced in your life with Christ. Places where you learned something new, experienced God’s grace, felt His presence in times of need through His church. Even memories of how God used family members in your life.

What He has done for others - Our witnessing makes the pages of Scripture and the life of Jesus personal for our hearers. In witnessing we help them to see how much God loves them. We help them to see how much He has done for them. We help them to see how they too can respond in belief, like we did.

I know that we all have varying levels of comfort with sharing the gospel or even testifying a bit to how God is working in our lives. There is a sense though that our behaviors are a witness as well. Our witnessing also happens in our regular routines.

personal devotional times -

praying over meals at home and in the marketplace

reading scripture and praying with our children

our weekly gathering here - the priority that we place on gathering testifies to others

Our times in community groups - these all bear witness.

In a court of law, both defendants and prosecutors need witnesses. Beloved, we are witnesses of Jesus Christ. We need to be willing to testify - at home, at work, with friends, on the golf course, in the restaurant - we need to let the things of God be on our lips.

On Friday, I got a chance to play golf with David Arabe and his boss at a tournament. David’s boss and I got to sit down together early before the tournament began. It was such a sweet time. I was so encouraged by the fact that this brother in Christ, even though he was facing some real challenges in his life, could testify to what Jesus was doing in him. What he was learning through his trials. What a witness! As I left the course, I was both encouraged by his testimony and by the way that he drew us out in conversations later in the round. I was also convicted, as I did not take the initiative to witness. I’m thankful for the way that the Spirit of God overcame my weakness and emboldened this brother.

Speaking of the Spirit, did you notice that this witnessing is not something that we do alone? Jesus told His first disciples that they would be clothed with power from on high - power from the Holy Spirit. By His Spirit, Jesus assures us that we are not alone. When we dive into our study in the book of Acts in the fall, one of the beautiful things that we’ll get to see is that these disciples who scattered just a few days earlier would be emboldened by the Spirit of God to preach in the Temple, in front of the religious leaders, in the face of persecution, and throughout the region. Peter, who denied Jesus three times, would become a bold witness for the risen Jesus.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us behave like followers of Christ. Let us bear witness to His work - in our words, schedule, responses, acts of service, and so much more.

So, in this encounter with the disciples, we learn that we should behold the risen Jesus, believe in Him, behave as a witness. Finally, all of this results in worship! In other words, we should join the disciples and…

Bless God (50-52)

Luke 24:50–52 ESV

And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

When we behold Jesus for who he is, believe in Him and what He did, blessing or worship is a natural response!

However, before we reflect on blessing God, notice that Jesus blessed His disciples. Jesus lifted up His hands and blessed them! What is that?

This blessing, or benediction, is something that goes back centuries. In Numbers 6 Aaron was commanded to bless the people of Israel in this way:

Numbers 6:24–26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

There is something in speaking a blessing over others that is a reminder of spiritual truths that are present in people’s lives - whether purely by the grace of God or in response to a life lived well before God. There is a sense in which being blessed can be affiliated with provision, but it’s more than that. It’s a sort of a declaration of spiritual well-being or of being in a right and good relationship with God.

As Jesus blesses His disciples, He ascended from their presence and was “carried up to heaven.” Joel Beeke notes that Jesus’ ascension led to his “session” or His seating at the right hand of the throne of God. Signifying the completion of His salvation work. (903-4).

Hebrews 10:12–14 “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

In response to the glorious ascension of Christ, the disciples obeyed His instruction and returned Jerusalem with great joy. They worshiped and blessed God.

Worship is our right response to all that Jesus has done! He alone is the One who could secure a place with us before God. He alone is the One who could make us right.

May our times together be marked by joy-filled worship. May our lives be marked by a reverent awe of the grace of God. As living temples of God, may our daily lives be marked by blessing!

Closing thoughts.

We began by considering how to address the doubts that we face. Essentially, we should overcome doubts with reality - the reality of Who Jesus is and what he has accomplished. We do this by…

Beholding the risen Jesus

Believing in Him

Behaving as witnesses of His goodness

Blessing God through worship!

Let’s pray.

Benediction

Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Questions for reflection and discussion

Read: Luke 24:36-53

1. Where have you experienced doubts in your walk with God?

Behold the risen Jesus (36-43)

2. How did Jesus approach the disciples? (24:36)

3. What evidences (3) did Jesus give to prove He was not a ghost? (24:39-43)

4. What did the disciples’ actions reveal about their understanding of what Jesus had told them earlier about His death and resurrection? (24:41)

5. What proof did you need to be convinced of the truth of the gospel?

6. In what ways have you experienced the power Jesus promised us?

Believe in Him and what He has done (44-47)

7. When did the disciples finally understand the Scriptures? (24:44–45)

8. How were the disciples finally able to understand the prophecies about Christ in Scripture? (24:44–45)

9. What did Jesus explain would be the result of His resurrection? (24:47)

10. What responsibility do we have to share our faith with others?

Behave as a witness (48-49)

11. What instructions did Jesus give to His disciples? (24:48)

12. What was the “power from on high” to which Jesus referred? (24:48)

13. How can we bear witness to what Christ has done?  (in word, action, schedule, patterns, etc…)

Bless God (50-53)

14. What did Jesus do for His disciples? (24:50)

15. Why did Jesus bless His disciples at this point? (24:50)

16. What happened while Jesus was blessing His disciples?  Why is that significant? (24:51)

17. What was the response of the disciples to Jesus’ ascension into heaven? (24:52)

18. Why is it appropriate and important for Christians to praise and worship Jesus?

Sources:

Anyabwile, Thabiti. Exalting Jesus in Luke. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018.

Beeke, Joel, Paul M. Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology, Volume 2 - Man and Christ. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020.

Bock, Darrell L. Luke 9:51-24:53. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.

Foulkes, F. “Peace.” In New Bible Dictionary, edited by D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Liefeld, Walter L. “Luke.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, Vol. 8. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.

Marshall, I. Howard. The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Exeter: Paternoster Press, 1978.

Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

McKinley, Mike. Luke 12-24 for You. Edited by Carl Laferton. God’s Word for You. The Good Book Company, 2016.

Stein, Robert H. Luke. Vol. 24. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.

The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2005. Print.

Wilcock, Michael. The Savior of the World: The Message of Luke’s Gospel. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979.