Encounter Jesus – Post-Resurrection Luke Week 2

Jesus Prepares the Disciples for the Future

Luke 24: 36-49

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Encounter Jesus Luke Week 2 Handout

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Lesson Notes

It’s still Easter Sunday and the risen Jesus is about to make another visit to His disciples.

The Risen Jesus Appears (Luke 24: 36-43)

  • Two major points in this section
    • Jesus is Jesus, the same Jesus they had followed for 3 years
    • Jesus is physically raised from the dead, not a ghost, spirit, or angel
  • Verse 36 – the disciples are still discussing Jesus’ earlier appearances to Peter and to Cleopas and his friend on the road
    • The appearance to Peter is not described in the gospels, but referenced in 1 Corinthians 15: 5
    • Jesus stood among them – it seems He just appeared
  • Verse 37 – disciples are very worked up – startled, frightened – they think Jesus is a ghost
  • Verses 38-43 – Proving the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth – physically alive
    • Verse 38 – He reads their thoughts, knows their doubts and troubled emotions
    • Verse 39 – “See my hands and feet” – visible evidence He is indeed Jesus who was crucified
    • “Touch me” – tangible evidence He is physically alive
    • Jesus isn’t a spirit – He is flesh and bone
    • Verse 40 – shows His hands and feet
    • Verse 41 – emotions change – they are overjoyed and overwhelmed – they still have lingering disbelief, but  now it’s because of their good fortune
      • Like we would feed if we won the lottery
    • Verse 41 – He piles on the evidence – asking for something to eat – ghosts, spirits, and angels don’t eat
    • Verse 42-43 – Jesus eats – He is physically alive
  • Why is the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ so critical?
    • 1 Corinthians 15: 3-8 – Christ’s death and resurrection are of first importance
    • 1 Corinthians 15: 12-19 – If  no resurrection, our faith is a waste, we’re still in our sins, those who’ve died are never coming back – we’re pitiful
    • Verse 20 – Christ has been raised – firstfruits of those who’ve died
    • Verse 21 – Jesus ushered in the resurrection of the dead
    • Verse 22 – This is why Christ’s bodily resurrection matters!

Jesus Prepares Them for the Road Ahead (Luke 24: 44-49)

  • Verses 44-45 – Reminds them of His words – they’ve always been so forgetful and lacked understanding
  • Everything written about Jesus in the 3 divisions of the Old Testament must be fulfilled
  • Verse 45 – He opens their minds – gives illumination to understand Scripture
  • The Holy Spirit gives us illumination today – that’s one of His jobs
    • Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use resources (study Bibles, commentaries, etc), but that our most valuable resource is within us
  • Verse 46 – Emphasizes that nothing that happened in Passion Week was an accident
    • It was God’s good plan to redeem sinful mankind
  • Verse 47 – Repentance and forgiveness of sins to be proclaimed to all nations
    • Picks up our emphasis from Sunday on all nations
  • Verse 48 – You are witnesses of these things – of the death and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the teaching and the miracles
    • Luke 1: 1-4
    • John 1: 14 – We have seen His glory – eyewitnesses!
    • 1 John 1: 1-4 – Seeing and touching and hearing – listen to these words!
  • Verse 49 – Promise of the Holy Spirit – “the promise of my Father upon you” – Joel 2: 28-29
    • Stay in the city until clothed with power from on high
    • The next step in God’s good plan to redeem sinful mankind is to power out the Holy Spirit, form the church, and send out disciples to share what they had experienced when they encountered Jesus

 

Next Week: Acts 1: 6-11 (The Ascension of Jesus)