Meeting Jesus! Now What?

Luke 24:36-53

Luke 24:36–53 NASB95

While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing 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. While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them. Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are 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 He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things. “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.

We find ourselves at the end of this fantastic Gospel Luke has written for us. Allow me to make three quick observations here before we apply our study of Luke:

Luke is stressing once again that Jesus is ALIVE!

Eating, Touching, Seeing, Hearing… There is not doubt (well sort of)

Jesus points back not only to what He taught them when He was with them, BUT ALSO to the OT scriptures

(Law of Moses, Prophets and Psalms!)

FOOD is involved! there are few things more human than eating!

Huge aspect of the economy

We all do it! usually 3 times a day maybe more...

Jesus calls us to remember Him during this time!

Prayer before a meal… blessing, thanks, praise

Think ahead to His coming back too!

Now I would like for us to look back and reflect on our study as look has his readers do to some extent...

Your Time With Jesus

We have now spent 25 weeks in our study of Luke gospel of Jesus Christ

This past week on May 2nd, we had an amazing man of God, scholar, theologian and Teacher go home to be with his Savior… He had this to say about the study of Luke...

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Hear the Good News! (Luke 1)

If ever a man wrote a book filled with good news for everybody, Dr. Luke is that man. His key message is, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). He presents Jesus Christ as the compassionate Son of man, who came to live among sinners, love them, help them, and die for them.

In this Gospel you meet individuals as well as crowds, women and children as well as men, poor people as well as rich people, and sinners along with saints. It’s a book with a message for everybody, because Luke’s emphasis is on the universality of Jesus Christ and His salvation: “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10).

We saw the love of God to send us His Son! Consider what Paul says about this in Philippians 2:5-8 consider what Jesus gave up!

Philippians 2:5–8 NASB95

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

We watched Him live, we observed Him interact with those who loved and hated Him! 2 Corinthians 5:21 the perfect life and example for us!

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB95

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We experienced the greatest sacrifice mankind has ever been given on the cross. Romans 5:8

Romans 5:8 NASB95

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

My prayer is that over the last 25 weeks you have daily engaged in this relationship, getting to know Him deeper. But as we have seen:

Time does not equal depth

(Israel... over 33 years He walked among them)

Knowledge does not create understanding

(priest, scribes, pharisees… they studied the scriptures more than most)

Proximity does not create relationship

(Judas… one of the inner twelve, a friend)

What are the results of the time you have spent getting to know Him? What should they be?

First Result… Engage your minds!

Look at Luke 24:45

Luke 24:45 NASB95

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

True

In our relationship Paul challenges us this way in Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1–2 NASB95

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

You and I are not called to merely sit along as spectators waiting for twelve people to do amazing things… This is a relationship you and I need to engage in as the writer of Hebrews 5:12-14 states

Hebrews 5:12–14 NASB95

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

The closer we draw, the more we engage our minds, the more we desire to share the gospel...

Second Result… Proclaim the Gospel!

Do you realize the significance of verses 47-49!!!

Proclaim = to publicly announce religious truths and principles while urging acceptance and compliance

In order to proclaim one must know… and love what they proclaim!

This mandate was to all His followers, many were around during this, many were witnesses= testifying what they know and have seen!

Luke here plugs his next book, almost wetting the appetite...

This will go to the Nations!

This will begin in Jerusalem… where Christ was rejected!

There is power from God coming!

All of this to come! (makes you want to read doesn't it!) Until then… The final result we see here from getting to know Jesus Christ better is:

Third Result… Praise and Worship!

Verse 52… Worship…Joy… Praise...

Encountering our risen Savior results in praise and worship of Jesus!

Cleopas last week,

The disciples in the upper room,

Peter on the fishing boat,

The women at the tomb,

Paul on the Damascus Road,

You and I as we have gone through this study!

Today let’s you and I praise God for the coming and salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, let’s strive to engage our minds and hearts to know Him greater, and let’s live out lives of praise and worship knowing this Savior Jesus Christ will return!