Luke 24

Luke 24:1

The last ones at the Cross are now the first ones at the tomb. When Joseph of Arimathea placed the body of Jesus in his tomb, there would not have been time for a complete embalming because Passover would begin at sunset. Consequently, these women were now coming to complete the task. All of the gospel writers tell us that they came earlyalways a good time to come to the Lord. “They that seek Me early shall find Me,” the Lord declares (Pro_8:17). Truly, those who seek the Lord earlyearly in life, early in a situation, early every daywill uniquely find Him. These precious women would prove to be no exception. After a grandfather lost his treasured watch during a family gathering, he called his grandchildren together and told them he’d pay twenty-five dollars to the one who found it. This sent the kids on a mad scramblerunning and screaming and turning over every rock. But the youngest grandson just sat and watched his brothers, sisters, and cousins all come back empty-handed. The next morning at breakfast he handed his grandfather the watch. “How did you find it?” asked the puzzled old man. “I just got up real early and listened for the ticking,” replied his clever grandson. There’s some timely advice in that little story. Oftentimes, there’s so much noise and commotion going on all around us that it’s hard to hear the Lord in the middle of the day. The time to hear Him is early in the morningjust as these women did.

Luke 24:3

Because the other Gospel writers tell us these men were angels, Luke’s account implies that angels actually appear to men as men. These women saw two men. Yes, they were shiningbut they appeared as men nonetheless. Therefore, when we get to heaven, I think we will be amazed by how much contact we had with angelic beings without even realizing it. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers,” the writer of Hebrews reminds us, “for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb_13:2).

Luke 24:5

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” People still seek Jesus among the dead. “He was a great Example,” they say, “a powerful Role Model. Study His life and see how He handled this situation, or what He had to say about that matter.” They study Him philosophically. They study Him theologically. But they treat Him as though He’s dead. We as believers can fall into that error as well. As we gather together to worship Him, Jesus is here. He truly is. We’re not talking about the thoughts of Jesus or the memory of Jesus. “Whenever two or three are gathered in My Name, I will be in the midst of them,” He said (Mat_18:20). When we begin to grasp this, the way we worship, study, and pray is affected.

Luke 24:6

The fact that the angels said, “Don’t you remember how Jesus told you He would be crucified and rise again the third day?” indicates that the angels were listening when Jesus said these words to His disciples. Peter tells us that the angels long to look into the things taught and spoken of concerning Jesus Christ (1Pe_1:12). Why? Because they are not saved like we are. They’re not sinners, rescued by the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, the way they understand that their King and Master is a God of incredible mercy and incalculable love is by watching you and me. “Wow, how could our God love her? How could our God be so patient with a guy like that?” they say. And it makes them worship Him all the more.

Luke 24:9

I think Augustine was right when he called Mary Magdalene “the apostles’ apostle.” She, indeed, was the first one to share the gospel with the disciples. Although these women were speaking the absolute truth, because it seemed impossible to believe, the disciples dismissed their report as idle talesor, literally, “babbling that comes from a fevered and insane mind.” As a result, they spent longer in the darkness of despair than was necessary. Wise is the man who takes serious the “babblings” of the woman in his lifefor therein often lies great truth that will shine light in his darkness.

Luke 24:12

After initially thinking the women had lost their minds, Joh_20:3 tells us Peter and John ran to the tomb to check out their story. Peter had sinned incredibly against Christyet John keeps his arm around Peter and stays close to him. That’s the kind of biblical Christianity we need todaypeople who will say even to the one who has erred greatly, “I’m still with you. I’m still for you. I’m not going to walk away from you or turn my back on you.” Oh, how the church needs more Johns. Notice the word “clothes” is plural. The implication from the Greek text is that there was more than just one piece of cloth used to encase the body of Christ. This makes me suspect the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. I doubt its authenticity not simply on the basis of this text, but also due to the way the Lord works. Although the brass serpent Moses had been instructed to make was to be an illustration of Jesus on the Cross, the people had begun to worship the serpent itself. So when revival came to Israel during the reign of Hezekiah, it is no wonder he broke the brass serpent into pieces, calling it “Nehushtan,” or “thing of brass” (2Ki_18:4). Because man has a craving for something tangible and touchable, his tendency is to venerate and idolize relics. But because the Father’s purpose is to move us into the realm of the spiritual and eternal, He wants us to walk by faith not by sight.

Luke 24:13

I love this! As these two travelers are talking about Jesus, guess who shows up right in their midst. Don’t you love talking with brothers or sisters about the Lord? Something more than just an intellectual exchange transpires. These two didn’t have answers or insights. They were just talking about Jesusand He joined them.

Luke 24:16

“Are You from out of town?” they asked. “Don’t You know what’s been going on the last few days?” I love how Jesus answered…

Luke 24:19

Did Jesus not know? Of course He knew. Sometimes we think, The Lord already knows what’s going on. Why pray? But every parent knows the answer. When your child has something to share with you, even though you already know the story or the facts, you love to hear it from him. So, too, Jesus would say to you today, “Talk to Meabout that trouble at work, about that feeling in your heart. I already know all about it, but I want to hear it from you.” In talking over the events that had transpired in Jerusalem, the two on the road to Emmaus will find themselves convicted by their own words. As they start talking to the Lord, they will inadvertently give all sorts of reasons for why they shouldn’t have been sad, shouldn’t have been weak in faith. This is the beauty of prayer. Read the Psalms, and you’ll find the psalmist often pouring out complaints to the Lord. But by the time he works through it, about ten verses laterhe ends by giving praise to the Lord. When I talk things over with the Lord and recount the situation to Him, suddenly I begin to see I’m wrong. Here I thought I had this case or this reason to be upset; yet as I begin to recount the tale to the Lord, my own words convict me. “Don’t you see it, guys? The apostles went to the tomb and it was empty. The women had a message from the angels. All of these things are happening. You should be excited and full of expectation. Instead, you’re sad, depressed, and slow of heart. The word from the angel, the witness of the apostle, the emptiness of the tomb should stimulate in you hope and interest. Instead, you’re just trudging to Emmaus, sharing your sadness.” No wonder Jesus lovingly but pointedly called them fools.

Luke 24:27

Whether you’re a Sunday-school teacher, a youth worker, or a Bible study leader, your job is to look for Jesus in every part of the Word. Focus on Him, look for Him, speak of Him every time you teach. Do you think Jesus was carrying scrolls of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms under His arm? I don’t. Thoroughly immersed in the Word, I suggest He was quoting Scripture from memory and from His heart. Sometimes you might think, I don’t need to study the Word because I’ve already studied it. I already know it. Do you? Can you walk along the road and discuss Genesis 37-50, Ezekiel 44, Luke 21-24, Romans 5-8? Until you’re at that place, you need to be where the Bible is taught consistently.

Luke 24:28

Always the perfect Gentleman, Jesus does not impose Himself, but would have kept going. Jesus will never burst in to your situation. He’ll walk with you, but won’t force Himself on you. He’ll stay with you as long as you want Him to, He’ll go with you as far as you want Him tobut He won’t break in and make you listen to Him, learn of Him, or be with Him.

Luke 24:29

The travelers were won by the Word. No longer slow of heart, they are on fire in their hearts simply through hearing the Scripture. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of hearing and studying and reading the Scriptures. Not only were the travelers won, but they were one. “Did not our heart burn within us?” they exclaimed. So, too, we have one heart because we’re in the Word together, listening to the Lord together. Being with the Lord together, we are one.

Luke 24:33

In 1Co_15:5, Paul mentions the fact that before the Lord appeared to the others, He appeared first to Peter. Where, when, and how we don’t know. It was a personal meeting, a private meeting in which Jesus had a special session with Peter to affirm His love. If you feel like you’ve blown it completely, the Lord will seek you out first and foremost and meet you uniquely. That’s not a sentimental thought. That’s a fact based upon the ministry of the Resurrected Lord.

Luke 24:35

The only thing man-made in heaven are the nail prints in the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. Why do they remain? I suggest two reasons… First, to identify Himself. It was the nail prints that showed an unbelieving Thomas not only the reality of His Resurrection, but the depth of His love. Second, to identify with us. Life is painful. Hurts, pains, and problems abound. So often, we find ourselves tempted to think we can’t stand it any longer or handle it anymore. But then we hear Jesus say, “When you think you can’t handle it, look at My hands and be reminded that I know the pain you’re feeling, the pressure you’re facing. When you think you can’t stand anymore, look at My feet and be reminded that I understand.” This is the point the writer of Hebrews makes when he writes, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb_2:18). If Jesus loves me enough to die in my place and bear nail prints for eternity, why am I going through what I’m going through right now? you might be wondering. If I’m really in His hand, if I’m really on His heart, why is my business collapsing or my body decaying? Why aren’t things working out the way I thought they would at this point in my life? If he really loves me, why am I being scarred? Again, I suggest two reasons… First, that we might identify with Him. Paul said, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…” and Christians say, “Amen! I want to know You, Lord, and the power of Your resurrection.” But then Paul went on to add, “…and the fellowship of suffering” (see Php_3:10) A unique intimacy is the result of suffering with someone. The people with whom you are closest are not those with whom you laugh, but those with whom you cry. Therefore, the Father says, “If you want to really know Me, it requires the fellowship of suffering.” Second, we suffer not only that we might identify with Him, but in order to identify with others. The teaching of present-day American Christianity that says that God wants His children to be healthy and wealthy, that those who walk in faith should never have problems flies in the face of the early church and the teachings of the apostles. It flies in the face of the martyrs of every continent of every age who knew nothing of such a so-called gospel. Shipwrecked on the island of Malta, Paul gathered sticks to build a fire to warm the drenched soldiers and prisoners. When a poisonous snake fastened itself to Paul’s hand, the villagers thought Paul must have been a murderer to deserve such a fate. So they watched him and waited for him to swell up and die. But Scripture records that, although he was smitten by the same serpent that had killed others on the island, Paul shook it off. And then they thought he was a god (Acts 28). When will people listen to what you have to say about Christ Jesus? When, although you’ve been smitten by the same serpents that smite them, you shake it off and go on. When your business goes bankrupt, when your health fails, when problems mount, unbelievers expect you to swell up or fall down, to no longer love God or walk with the Lord. But when, like Paul, you shake off the snake and keep praising God, the islanders take notice. The cynics and skeptics who live on your street and work in your office are not waiting to see how rich you can get. What they are waiting to see is what you do when the serpent strikes, when pain comes, when things get tough. Will you swell up and fall down, or will you keep on? Such are the results of suffering.

Luke 24:41

“I want to share a meal with you,” Jesus said. And He still does. “I stand at the door of your heart and knock,” He says. “If any man open the door, I’ll come in and enjoy a meal with him. I’ll have fellowship with him” (Rev_3:20).

Luke 24:42

Verse Luk_24:45 is clearly marked in my Bible. Oh, Lord, open my understanding, that I might indeed understand the Word.

Luke 24:46

Notice Jesus doesn’t call His disciples defense attorneys or judges, lawyers or juries. He calls them witnesses. We often think we have to argue with people, debate against people, present persuasive cases to people. But the Lord doesn’t call us to any of that. He simply says, “Share with people what you’ve seen. Share with people what you’ve found. Share with people what I have done in and for you.” Witnessing is a total joy when you simply share with people that which blesses you. If you have an answer to prayer or an insight into the Word, share it with those around you as if they’re already saved. That way there will be a lot less arguing and a lot more sharing. Share with those around you whatever you’re learning, whatever you’re experiencing. Be faithful in being a witness, and leave the rest to the Lord.

Luke 24:49

What is the promise of the Father? It is the Person and power of the Holy Ghost. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.Joh_14:26 Jesus came to implement something brand newthe New Covenantbased upon a promise given centuries previously… Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.Jer_31:33 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.Eze_36:26-27 In Hebrews 8, we see the New Covenant further articulated. I find the comparison and contrast between Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant, and our Resurrected Lord, mediator of the New Covenant, intriguing… Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai to get the law. Jesus went to the top of the Mount of Olives in order to send us the Spirit. Mount Sinai was in the wilderness. The Mount of Olives was in the center of the Promised Land. On Mount Sinai, Moses ate nothing for forty days. With His disciples for forty days, one of the first things Jesus said was, “Have ye any- thing to eat?” Moses was isolated from the people of God. Jesus was in the midst of the people of God. Moses lifted up his hands to smash the law and blast the people. Jesus lifted His hands because He fulfilled the law and could therefore bless the people. The law was written on tables of stone. The New Covenant is written on hearts of flesh. The law says, “Do.” The New Covenant says, “Done!” Life is confusing. Therefore, oftentimes the tendency for people is to want a prescribed program of rules and regulations: Ten Steps to Better Parenting, Fifteen Keys to Prayer, Seven Ways to Witness. But we err greatly whenever we look for programs, plans, and pointers instead of to the Person of the Holy Ghost in our lives to guide us moment by moment. The most radical group of believers in the history of the world was the group of Christians who, having received the promise of the Father, turned the world upside down without a single book of the New Testament (Act_17:6). They didn’t have Romans, Hebrews, or the Epistles of John. They didn’t have the Gospels, Galatians, or the Book of Revelation. What they did have, and the reason they were so powerful, is an understanding that Jesus truly was writing His will on the tables of their hearts, whispering, “Go here,” “Do that,” “Stay away from this,” “Avoid that.” Decades later, the Lord saw fit to inspire writers to record New Testament teachingnot to become the baw, but rather so that when believers read Paul’s writings or Peter’s exhortations, they could say, “Right on. That’s what we’ve been doing for years. John tells us to love each other. Of course! That’s what the Lord’s been showing us all along. Brother Paul tells us to flee youthful lusts. That’s exactly what the Lord has been telling us.” Two thousand years later, what do we do? We so often have the tendency to come to church and say, “Give us some rules, programs, regulations, lawsand then we’ll go our way.” That’s why so much of present-day Christianity is so dead. We’ve made the New Testament the New Lawrules, regulations, and external expectationsinstead of expecting the Lord to guide us hour by hour, step by step. So many Christians wonder why their church is so dead or why their own walk is so dry. The reason is that, although they study the Bible, although they believe the Bible, although they’re submitted to the Biblethey’ve lost the essential message in the Bible, which is that the Old Covenant, the old law is over. It was only the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ who, day by day writes His will upon our hearts… You’re relaxing at home when suddenly you find yourself inspired to call your sister. As you do, you discover she needed the encouragement you alone could give her. You’re at the office, and suddenly the Spirit prompts you to have lunch with your co-worker in the next office. As you do, you find it was ordained of God. Your Christian walk only becomes vibrant and real to the degree that you’re living it hour by hour, moment by moment according to the New Covenant working within you. The Lord is alive, gang. Moment by moment, not only will He put on your heart the things He wants you to do and say and be, but He’ll give you the power to carry them out perfectly (Php_2:13). When He says, “Write the letter,” write the letter. When He says, “Take a break and worship Me for five minutes,” do it. When He says to go into your son’s room, lay your hands on him while he sleeps, and bind the work of the Enemy on his life," do just that. When He says, “Bring your wife red roses,” don’t bring her marigolds.

The key to parenting, to the Christian walk, to marriage, and to life is to realize that Jesus is alive in you and will direct you moment by moment. Don’t let church become ritual. Don’t let Christianity become a series of responsibilities. Don’t make the New Testament the Old Covenant. Respond to the Spirit’s leading moment by moment and your walk will be transformed.

Luke 24:50

The last act of Jesus after His resurrection was to bless. The first act of the believers after His ascension was to worship. People often think worship is the means of getting blessed. True worship, however, is simply responding to what God has already done for us. The Gospel of Luke began in the temple with Zacharias unable to say a word because he didn’t believe what he was told. It ends in the temple with people believing, rejoicing, singing, and worshiping. We are the temple. Part of our numbers are like Zachariasnot saying a word because they don’t believe that the Lord really is with them right now and desires to bless them just as they are. So they leave in silence. Others, however, do believe. Because of His Word, they believe that the Lord loves them and lives inside of them. They believe the Lord has forgiven them and will walk beside them. As a result, they go their way rejoicing, worshiping, and praising Him. In every session, the choice is ours whether to slink out silently or to leave rejoicing; whether to be slow of heart, or to listen to the One traveling alongside us. May God give us the grace tonight to believe that Jesus is alive, is with us, and is truly for us. The Narrow Way A Brief Look at The Synoptic Gospels “Broad is the way that leads to destruction,” Jesus declared. “Narrow is the way that leads to life” (Mat_7:13-14). In fact, so narrow is the way that it is only as wide as one Personthe Person of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is the only One who has done the things He taught us to do, the Christian walk is not about trying to be Jesus. It’s about being impressed with Jesus. It’s about falling in love with Him, being amazed by Him, and drawing near to Him. With this in mind, reconsider with me some of the passages we have seen in Luke’s Gospel… The Roman Centurion Directly following the account of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Luke 6, we come to the story of the Roman centurion who sent word to Jesus that his servant was sick. When Jesus neared his house, the centurion again sent word, this time that he was not worthy that Jesus should come to his house, but that simply a word from Him would heal the servant (Luk_7:7). Here, Jesus had just finished giving a sermon in which He had said in effect, “If you think you can get to heaven simply by not killing your brother or committing adultery, I have news for you. You can’t even be angry with your brother or look lustfully at another woman. You have to be more righteous than those among you who follow the most detailed letter of the law. In short, you must be perfect.” On the heels of this sermon, Jesus hears from a centurion who doesn’t say, “I’m okay,” or, “I’ll try harder,” or, “I’ll do better,” but simply says, “I’m not worthy.” Bingo. No wonder Jesus commended him (Luk_7:9). There are two ways to heaven: either by keeping the law perfectly or by realizing we need a Savior desperately. And because it is impossible for us to do the former, our only hope is the latter. Therefore, the purpose of the law from before eternity began was to be a schoolmaster, a tutor to show us that it’s impossible to think we can enter the presence of God through the law, through our own works, or through our own energy (Gal_3:24). A lifeguard’s abilities are never seen until someone is drowning. So, too, we never see the magnitude of Jesus’ work on our behalf until, like the centurion, we realize we are sinking in our own sin and selfishness. To showcase the glory of His Son, God sent Him to a drowning world to rescue all of humanity, leaving mankind no other option but to say, “Thou art worthy, O Lord.” His greatness and beauty, His kindness and glory would never be known apart from our collective sinking into the sea of our own iniquity. You see, it’s not as though God said, “Here’s Plan A: The law. That didn’t work? Okay, let’s go with Plan B: the Cross.” No, the law was given from the outset to bring people into an awareness of their sinking condition in order that the Son’s glory, greatness, and mercy could be seen very clearly by all of humanity. The Good Samaritan “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” the lawyer asked Jesus. “How do you read the law?” Jesus asked in response. “You shall love the Lord and love your neighbor,” the lawyer answered. “This do and you shall live,” Jesus said. “But just who is my neighbor,” the lawyer asked, looking for a loophole. In answering with the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus essentially said, “Your neighbor is anyone at any time in any situation who is in need for any reason.” Who of us is able to say, “I help every person I ever see in need"be it the person whose car is broken down by the side of the road or the homeless man begging for money in front of the grocery store? Only Jesus has, does, or ever will do this. The Prodigal Son When the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them,” Jesus gave three parables about lost things. The last parable concerned a lost son and his seemingly righteous older brother. In this parable, when the lost son returned, the older brother was trying to prove his worth by working in the field, even though all that the father had was already his (Luk_15:31). We often think that the Lord is looking for some good men who will hold the course, steady their hand on the plow, and labor in the field of ministry. But maybe He’s not. Maybe there are times He wants us to come to the party with those who were lostyet we can’t because we’re busy trying to prove how spiritual we are. And, like the older brother, we miss out. Even as he was claiming he never disobeyed his father, the older brother was indeed in a place of disobedience because he was working instead of rejoicing. The Rich Young Ruler “Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” asked the rich, young ruler. “Sell all you have, give the money to the poor, and follow Me,” Jesus answered (Luk_18:22). But of the rich young ruler, this was, evidently, too much to ask. The story following that of the rich young ruler is that of Zacchaeus, whom Jesus declared to be saved after he simply said he would give away half of all he owned (Luk_19:8-9). Why did Zacchaeus get saved after giving only half of all he owned, when the rich, young ruler was told to give all he owned? Because Zacchaeus admitted he had cheated people. The rich young ruler claimed to be righteous. Zacchaeus, on the other hand, recognized his need for Jesus. All of Jesus’ stories and parables are for the purpose of bringing people into an awareness that, without Him, we fail completely. We’re either prodigals in the pigpen living in sin, or we’re older brothers in the field trying to be righteous. Either way, we’re guilty. Either way, we’re lost. Jesus took everything the law said and made it tougher. Everything He does in Matthew, Mark, and Lukeuntil the time of the Crosssays, “You are in a heap of trouble. You’re in hot water, and it’s going to get hotter.” It’s shocking for those who think they are religious to realize that they’re not okay. It took three GospelsMatthew, Mark, and Luketo say this. Thus, these Synoptic Gospels are, to a certain degree, more closely related to the Old Testament than to the New Covenant. I suggest this is the reason that, in the thirteen letters he penned, Paul quotes Jesus only once (1Co_11:23-25). One would think that Paul would quote Jesus constantly. After all, we do. But Paul didn’t. He talked about the work of Jesus continually, but not the words of Jesus directly because, I believe, the message of Jesus was intended for the Jew, for the religious person who thinks he’s righteous. But Paul was called to the Gentiles. “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deu_6:4-5). How often is thisthe great Shema, the most foundational, fundamental tenet of Judaism quoted in the epistles? Not once. We preach sermons on it, but the apostle Paul never mentions it. Neither does James. Neither does Peter. Why? Because it is impossible. Who of us could say, “I love the Lord with all my heart, soul, and strength”? There is only One who always did the things which pleased His Father (Joh_8:29). It’s all about Jesus. Jesus would take three years to explain to the people of Israel, to the Jew, to the religious mind-set, the hopelessness of their condition. This is the purpose of the synoptic Gospels. The law had to be established by no less than three witnesses (Deu_19:15), so Matthew, Mark, and Luke were the three witnesses the Holy Spirit chose to record not only the beauty of the Savior but the helplessness of the sinner. Therefore, as you journey through the synoptic Gospels, so named because they present similar views of the life and teachings of Jesus, I encourage you to look at them not as a presentation of rules for us to live by, but as the portrait of a Redeemer who came to rescue. The Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation were the last of the canon to be written. Eusebius tells us that the apostle John had the synoptic GospelsMatthew, Mark, and Lukebefore him and was able to draw from them as he defined, commented upon, and explained them in his Gospel. John, therefore, wrote not only to the Jew, but also to the Roman centurion, to the prodigal son, to Zacchaeus. He wrote to any and all who believe in the One who made room for us on the narrow way that leads to life by stretching out His arms as wide as they would reach and allowing them to be nailed to a Cross (Joh_20:31).