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| What Will You Do When You See Jesus? {Luke 24} |
By Sue Desmarais
I’ll admit I snickered at the disciples’
reaction to seeing Jesus for the first time after His resurrection,
“There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared
to Simon.” Then the two told
what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he
broke the bread. While they
were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why
are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at
my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have
flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
When he had said this, he showed
them his hands and feet. And while they still
did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish,
and he took it and ate it in their presence.
He said to them, “This is what
I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is
written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then
he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” -Luke 24:36-45 (emphasis mine)
Especially after they refused to believe
the women’s story at the beginning of the chapter,
“When
they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to
all the others. It was Mary Magdalene,
Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the
apostles. But they did not
believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the
tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went
away, wondering to himself what had happened.” - Luke 24: 9-12
Let’s face it, ladies; it seems from the
beginning of time men have had a hard time believing us! Can’t you just see them
shaking their heads and saying under their breath, “Women.” But Luke tells us that at least Peter decided to run to the
tomb to check out their story and found the tomb empty just as they said. John
also tells us in, John 20:3 that he had taken off with Peter as well and Mary
Magdalene was the first to see Jesus! (John 20:14-18)
Seeing the disciples’ reaction in the upper
room and in Emmaus caused me to begin to wonder just what will be my reaction
when I first see Jesus face to face! Have you ever wondered that yourself? What
will be your reaction? After all, we’ve lived our entire Christian life
believing that Jesus has risen, that He is alive and now ascended to heaven and
seated at the right-hand of the Father. If I could be transported there at this
moment, like John in the Book of Revelations perhaps, what would I do
next?
Will
I run to tell others and invite others to share in my joy?
I love how Jesus let women in on the news
first, for it was also Jesus who elevated us while He walked the earth! He
invited us into Bible studies (Luke 10:39) after we had spent centuries only
being able to glean from the little men would share with us. He healed us,
forgave us and “made whole” even the ones society shunned. I suppose He knew us
girls would want to herald the news!
Will
my heart be “ablaze” as He talks with me?
Can you just
imagine that conversation with the Creator and Writer of all Scripture on the
road to Emmaus? If ever there was a conversation that I’d like to be a fly
sitting on the shoulder for, this one is it!! Jesus leaves them before they
have a chance to react and after reflecting back over all He explained to them
on their journey together, they quickly run back to tell the others as well!
I did a little research and discovered that
it was roughly six miles from Emmaus to Jerusalem
so I imagine it must have been nightfall by the time they make it back to Jerusalem
Will
I too be startled and terrified and think I’m seeing a ghost? Or at the very
least be in disbelief? John helps us once more to
understand exactly why these disciples were scared to death when Jesus suddenly
appears to them in the upper room. (John 20:19) The disciples were locked up
tight for fear the Jews were coming after them next. One minute they are
cheering the news of Jesus’ resurrection and the next they are ready to run for
their lives!!
But Jesus knew that, which is why His first
words to them are, “Peace to you!”
Have you ever been terrified and experienced Jesus coming to speak peace to
your heart? Notice, not even seeing Him in person could instantly calm all of
them, but still Jesus doesn’t grow angry, doesn’t belittle them, only seeks to
reassure them by offering them the physical signs of His resurrected body and
then goes on to share roughly the same conversation He had earlier on the road
to Emmaus. The Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms represents the three
major divisions of the Hebrew Bible. Just imagine what that sermon was like for
a moment!
Now, let me ask you; have you been
reassured by His hands through His constant provision and interventions in your
life and the life of others? Has He gone before you in certain circumstances
smoothing out the way? Then surely you too have seen the hands and feet of our
Savior and been comforted by His words spoken just to you!
Jesus, after reassuring all of them, then sends
them out! They now have a job to do! They can’t sit huddled together in that
room forever! Just as soon as the Holy Spirit comes upon them, they too must go
out and herald the Good News! And so must we.
Father,
You, who are our God of Peace; Who brought us up from the dead through the
sacrifice and resurrection of our Savior and Lord Jesus – the Great Shepherd of
the sheep. May You now equip us with all that is good to do Your will; work in
us and through us all that is pleasing to You through Jesus Christ our Lord.
May Jesus’ testimony ring fresh in hearts theses days leading up to our Easter
Sunday celebration, and may we boldly set out to share the wonderful news of
our Savior, for it is in His name and for His glory we ask these things. Amen.