Day 728: Physical resurrection - Luke 24 vs 28 - 43

28-29 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is towards evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30-31 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.  And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33-35 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37-42 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 marvelling, 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 .Luke 24:28-43 English Standard Version.

The previous verses of this chapter said that the eyes of the two men walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus were “kept from recognizing” the man who'd joined them on the way. But during that 7 mile walk he had shown them all the things the Old Testament taught concerning the Messiah. They invited him to stay the night and at the meal we read that 'their eyes were opened'! They later said it was the way he had blessed and broke the bread that led to realizing it was Jesus. I suspect it was God who opened their eyes. And though the Lord vanished from their sight, what was the impression they still retained? (vs 32)

The way the Scriptures had been opened to their minds had caused their hearts to burn within them. Those are strong words, but it's what happens even now to men and women when the Holy Spirit makes God's word alive in their hearts. I imagine in their eagerness to tell the other disciples they raced back to Jerusalem in half the time their earlier walk to Emmaus had taken, but on arriving there they heard that Simon Peter had also seen Jesus. And in the midst of all the excitement Jesus suddenly appeared in the room with them all. (vs 36)

Verses 37-43 describe how Jesus corrected their understandable assumption that He was a spirit – or what we might call 'a phantom'. He could appear or disappear at will. It suggests that the resurrection body has a whole new dynamic. But by showing them His hands and feet and inviting them to touch Him, as well as by eating food in their sight, He gave what scientists call 'empirical evidence' (i.e. solid proof!) that He was not a mere spirit. What would you say is the importance of what Luke has described here?

I think the apostle Paul gives the answer. He wrote: “I passed on to you what was most important . . . Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, He was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there’s no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ hasn’t been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6,12-14) It is the real bodily resurrection of Jesus that is the believers assurance of being bodily raised also when Christ returns.