4/27/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
In Luke 24:13-35, Jesus appears to some disciples who have left Jerusalem. They departed after the Sabbath was over, having realized that the one they thought was the Messiah had been killed. Their hopes were crushed. time to pack it up and go home.
The discussion along the road centers on this person they had hoped would be the Messiah. Jesus explained about himself from all the Scriptures as they walked. This was encouraging to them. However, they didn’t identify this person as Jesus. He was just a person who encouraged them.
In verse 28 Jesus acted as if he would go on, but they urged him to stay. Then, in verse 30, he took the role of leadership. He blessed and broke the bread. He gave it to them, and they knew who he was. This is certainly Jesus. He has risen from the dead.
Immediately, Jesus showed them that he was not bound by time and space. He disappeared. They, however, returned to Jerusalem immediately and went to find the eleven apostles, along with others who were with them.
Jesus’ appearances after his resurrection are no hallucinations. He is see multiple times by people who are together with one another, in their right minds. He does things that defy explanation other than being done by someone with a supernaturally enabled body. But what is most important is the purpose of Jesus’ appearances. He shows that he is the Messiah, the one who would come and rescue Israel from bondage to sin. He shows that he is the one his people can believe in. He shows that the resurrection is very real and is the source of hope for the Christian.
Blessed are those who saw Jesus in his resurrection. Even more blessed are those who have believed, not seeing.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
In Luke 24:13-35, Jesus appears to some disciples who have left Jerusalem. They departed after the Sabbath was over, having realized that the one they thought was the Messiah had been killed. Their hopes were crushed. time to pack it up and go home.
The discussion along the road centers on this person they had hoped would be the Messiah. Jesus explained about himself from all the Scriptures as they walked. This was encouraging to them. However, they didn’t identify this person as Jesus. He was just a person who encouraged them.
In verse 28 Jesus acted as if he would go on, but they urged him to stay. Then, in verse 30, he took the role of leadership. He blessed and broke the bread. He gave it to them, and they knew who he was. This is certainly Jesus. He has risen from the dead.
Immediately, Jesus showed them that he was not bound by time and space. He disappeared. They, however, returned to Jerusalem immediately and went to find the eleven apostles, along with others who were with them.
Jesus’ appearances after his resurrection are no hallucinations. He is see multiple times by people who are together with one another, in their right minds. He does things that defy explanation other than being done by someone with a supernaturally enabled body. But what is most important is the purpose of Jesus’ appearances. He shows that he is the Messiah, the one who would come and rescue Israel from bondage to sin. He shows that he is the one his people can believe in. He shows that the resurrection is very real and is the source of hope for the Christian.
Blessed are those who saw Jesus in his resurrection. Even more blessed are those who have believed, not seeing.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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