FIFTH APPEARANCE OF JESUS
(Jerusalem. Sunday evening)
MARK 16:14
LUKE 24:36-43
JOHN 20:19-25
My summary of Luke: When Cleopas and the other spoke with the disciples in Jerusalem, Jesus appeared among them, "As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”" -Luke 24:36
"Here are the disciples, with questions mounting and confusion rising like waves on the sea—when suddenly, just as before, Jesus comes to them and stills their storm with one word: Shalom. His first word is, "Peace." He doesn't say, "You guys are busted. Where have you been? I'm on the Cross and you're running around, pretending like you don't even know Me. What's the big idea?" No, that's not what Jesus does. He comes to them and says, "Peace." And that's what He says to you (Rom_5:1)." -Jon Courson
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1
He asked them why they were troubled and full of doubt, showed them his hands and feet, then asked them for something to eat.
"And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” Luke 24:41
"Note Luke’s explanation of the persistent incredulity, as being ‘for joy.’ It is like his notice that the three in Gethsemane ‘slept for sorrow.’ Great emotion sometimes produces effects opposite to what might have been expected. Who can wonder that the mighty fact which turned the black smoke of despair into bright flame should have seemed too good to be true? The little notice brings the disciples near to our experience and sympathy." -Alexander MacLaren
Although it may seem odd that he would ask about food, the purpose was to affirm to the disciples that he was physically present.
"They fled to the ready refuge of supposing that they saw ‘a spirit.’ Our Lord has no rebukes for their incredulity, but patiently resumes His old task of instruction, and condescends to let them have the evidence of two senses, not shrinking from their investigating touch. When even these proofs were seen by Him to be insufficient, He added the yet more cogent one of ‘eating before them.’ Then they were convinced." -Alexander MacLaren
"Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen." Mark 16:14
"He rebuked (ōneidisen, a strong verb not used of Jesus elsewhere) their unbelief and hardness of heart (sklērokardian; cf. Mar_10:5) because they refused to believe the testimony of eyewitnesses to His resurrection earlier that day. By hearing about Jesus’ resurrection (before seeing Him) they learned what it was like to believe the testimony of eyewitnesses. This would be necessary for all those to whom they would preach in their coming missionary outreach" -BKC
"Jesus didn't upbraid the disciples for their denying, for their running, for their fear. He upbraided them for one thing only: their unbelief." -Jon Courson
I wonder, why is belief is critically important to God?
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| Prayers of the People, Ed De Guzman, Phillipino artist |
John's account adds the door to the room was locked and, more significantly, mentions the Holy Spirit's role in their present and future:
"Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” John 20:21-23
One question I had is "How is this filling different than the Holy Spirit's infusion at Pentecost?" The BKC explains the difference this way, "This reception of the Spirit was in anticipation of the day of Pentecost and should be understood as a partial limited gift of knowledge, understanding, and empowerment until Pentecost, 50 days later."
A great reminder:
"Let me remind you, too, that the words which our Lord here employs about these great gifts, when accurately examined, do lead us to the thought that we, even we, are not altogether passive in the reception of that gift. For the expression, ‘Receive ye the Holy Ghost’ might, with more completeness of signification, be rendered, ‘take ye the Holy Ghost.’ True, the outstretched hand is nothing, unless the giving hand is stretched out too. True, the open palm and the clutching fingers remain empty, unless the open palm above drops the gift. But also true, things in the spiritual realm that are given have to be asked for, because asking opens the heart for their entrance....There must be desire before there can be possession" -MacLaren
The role of the will and the Spirit is touched upon here too:
" I suppose no man has ever tried honestly to be what Christ wished him to be amidst his fellows, whether as preacher or teacher or guide in any fashion, who has not hundreds of times clasped his hands in all but despair, and said, ‘Who is sufficient for these things?’ That is the temper into which the power will come. The rivers run in the valleys, and it is the lowly sense of our own unfitness for the task which yet presses upon us, and imperatively demands to be done, that makes us capable of receiving that divine gift." MacLaren
"In Mark 2, when Jesus pronounced forgiveness to a paralyzed man, the Pharisees were aghast. "Only God has the right to forgive sin," they said (see verse Mar_2:7). And they were right. What, then, does this verse mean? It means we as His ambassadors don't provide forgiveness, but we do proclaim it. Therefore, to the one who says, "I don't feel forgiven," it is our responsibility to say, "According to the Word of God, if you open your heart to Jesus Christ and believe in His work on the Cross, your sin is gone." Conversely, to the one who says, "I don't need Jesus Christ. I'm into meditation,"—it is our responsibility to say, "Your sin remains because only the blood of Jesus can wash it away.""-Courson
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