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Luke 24:36-53 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2024&version=NLT
I love to try to imagine standing in that room. I’m never the life of the party, so I’d probably be making snacks in the kitchen, and suddenly the room just goes silent. I’d stick my head around the corner to see what’s going on and he’d just be standing there with that incredible smile.
“Peace.”
When Jesus says peace be with you it’s kind of a command. It’s as if he is instructing peace to wrap itself around you, as if he is telling you to take his peace.
Remember, other than Cleopas and his friend/wife and apparently Peter, no one had seen him since he died. And even though they had all heard, it still felt crazy, maybe too good to be true. So even when their eyes are telling them it’s Jesus, they are still questioning if this is just some hopeful hallucination. Jesus is so gracious. He doesn’t tell them off. He gives them proof that it’s really him. I have this visceral reaction to the idea of what his hands and feet would have looked like after spikes were hammered through them. I’m not sure I’d want to see that. He wanted them to know, yes, this was the same Jesus who had died. He went through all of what they saw and heard, and now he was alive.
He reminds them, “I did tell you this was coming. There was a lot of prophecy. It all had to be fulfilled, and it has been. You are my witnesses.”
Something brand new begins right here. Don’t miss it. “You are my witnesses.” Jesus reminds them that the scriptures always predicted that one day repentance and forgiveness of sins granted by the God of Israel would be preached to all the nations, and it would begin in Jerusalem. If you want to see it for yourself, Isaiah 2:3 is one reference stating exactly that.
Jesus tells these precious friends of his, this is your job now. You are to testify to the whole world about the things you have witnessed. He also tells them that he is going to send a gift that the Father, through the scriptures, always promised to send. Jesus tells them to wait together in Jerusalem until the gift comes. The gift will give them God’s power to carry out their new commission.
The time comes for Jesus to leave them again. His last departure was gut wrenching. They were confused and hopeless. This time it is victorious. His friends are full of joy and hope. Goodbyes are hard, but this one is different. Their master has left them with work to do and he wants to find them faithful when he returns. They have heard a story like this once or twice and they know what kind of servants they want to be.
The Temple had always been a place of community and worship, so it quite naturally became their gathering place. Followers of Jesus gathered there to share what he taught them and remind one another of all he did.
As Luke closes this account we can almost see the camera zoom slowly out of a Temple window where Peter, John, Mary, Joanna and dozens more are sharing a meal and animated conversation. There is joy, there is hope, and there is work to be done.
We just finished the book of Luke! But don’t despair. There is a sequel and we are going to dive right in in just a few days. Are y’all ready for Acts? Let’s gooooooooooo!
