Imagine this scene: it was that first Easter Sunday and the disciples had just heard the recent news of Jesus’ appearing to the two men on the Emmaus road (see Luke 24:13-35). The commotion caught them off guard and their mixed emotions of sorrow and hope were stirred. And right as they were discussing this shocking announcement, Jesus suddenly appears! Of all the things Jesus could have said as He suddenly appeared to His disciples, He said this, “Peace to you!” (Luke 24:36). This scene is found in Luke 24:36-53 and it contains seven striking realities of the ongoing significance of Jesus’ resurrection. Today we will look at the first three.

Because Jesus has risen from the dead…

We Can Have PEACE

The meaning of Jesus giving peace carries with it not just the absence of conflict, war, worry, or fear, but the presence of a full or whole life despite our circumstances. The Hebrew word shalom comes into play here and informs our understanding of the word used for peace. Shalom portrays a state of undisturbed well-being, a life lived in harmony and unity with God and others. It’s life as it ought to be, or life as God designed it to be.

Again, this is not a circumstantial peace, but a personal peace. At this point, the disciples’ current and future outlook wasn’t looking too good. They lost their Messiah and leader. They were scared, discouraged, and most likely paralyzed with fear. But when Jesus is present, peace is available. Because Jesus is the “prince of peace,” His presence dispels our doubts and scatters our fears, and lets us know that God is in control and we can trust Him. Are you in need of peace today? Because Jesus was raised from the dead, you can have peace. Peace with God, peace with others, peace with yourself.

When Jesus is present, peace is available. Because Jesus is the “prince of peace,” His presence dispels our doubts and scatters our fears, and lets us know that God is in control and we can trust Him.

Because Jesus has risen from the dead…

We Have PROOF

Despite Jesus’ offer, the disciples weren’t feeling or receiving Jesus’ peace. They remained afraid, confused, and doubtful. Does that describe any of you today? Well, this text gives us good news! Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have proof that He is real and that He is all He said He is! Look at how Jesus presents proof. First, He appeals to the disciples’ sight (they can see Him). Then He appeals to their hearing (they can hear Him speaking), and finally He appeals to touch (inviting them to touch Him to see that He was real).

Notice what is said in verse 40: “He showed them his hands and his feet.” Why His hands and feet? We see here what the Scriptures bear witness elsewhere, that the scars of the wounds of the cross remain on Jesus’ resurrection body. Why? Well, the scars remained so that we would always remember the cross. This is key to being a disciple of Jesus. Jesus said, if “anyone would follow me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and come after me” (Luke  9:23). If we are going to follow Jesus faithfully, we must remember the cross daily. No doubt as the disciples saw Jesus’ hands and feet, they remembered the cross. They remembered that Jesus had been dead, and now they were seeing Him alive! Look at how the disciples react in verse 41: “They still disbelieved for joy and were marveling.” It was too good to be true! At this point, Jesus makes an almost comical gesture of proof by essentially saying, “Hey guys, you got anything to eat around here?”

If we are going to follow Jesus faithfully, we must remember the cross daily.

Jesus’ resurrection is the stand-out feature of Christianity. In fact, there would be no Christianity without it. Of the four major world religions that are said to be started by a solitary person (rather than a set of ideas), there is one major difference that cannot be ignored.

First, there’s Judaism, the first of the Abrahamic religions founded by Abraham. Second, there’s Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Guatama (a.k.a. “The Buddha”). Third, there’s Islam, an Abrahamic religion founded by Muhammad. Fourth, there’s Christianity, an Abrahamic religion founded by Jesus of Nazareth.

Now when a famous person dies, their grave is memorialized. We can see this with people in our own day such as Princess Diana, Bruce Lee, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, etc. But when a famous religious leader dies, their grave is enshrined. Each of the religious leaders just mentioned has one thing in common: they each DIED. And today we can go visit Abraham’s tomb, called the “cave of the patriarchs” and located in Hebron. We can go see Buddha’s tomb, called “kushavati”, located near the Hiranyavati River in Northern India. We can also go visit Muhammad’s tomb, called the “Mosque of the prophet”, located in Medina, Saudi Arabia. BUT, if you wanted to go visit Jesus’ tomb, you will find no shrine, because no one really knows with any degree of certainty where it is! Because, unlike the other three religious leaders, Jesus didn’t stay dead! Jesus conquered the power of the grave and rose from the dead, proving He was everything He said He was. He is God in the flesh, and HE is still ALIVE TODAY!

This truth has enduring and eternal ramifications that break into our present moment and infuse us with courage as we now live in anticipation of Jesus’ promised return. I invite you to stop right now and simply celebrate the cross and the empty tomb that have broken the power of sin and death. Enthusiastically express gratitude for the indestructible life Jesus has graciously given to us!

Because Jesus has risen from the dead…

 PROPHECY is fulfilled and we can understand the Scriptures

Here is one of the most amazing things about the resurrection. It wasn’t just a stand-alone event disconnected from the rest of history. It didn’t happen in a vacuum but arises out of a deep context of prophecy. Jesus mentions two prophetic contexts in this passage. First, He said that He Himself spoke of His death and resurrection and reiterates this numerous times throughout His ministry. Yet Jesus’ own teaching arises out of the context of the Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament. He says that “everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). The title “Law of Moses, Prophets, and Psalms” were the three major divisions of the Old Testament in Jesus’ day. It would be like saying, “everything in the whole Bible” written about me must be fulfilled.

Here, Jesus gives us the interpretive key of all of Scripture. The story of the Bible is ultimately about Jesus, which is to say that everything is either pointing to or flowing from the cross and the resurrection. We are completely dependent upon Jesus for a proper understanding of the Bible. Yet, we have a role to play too. We must open the Scriptures in order for Christ to open our minds to understand them.

We are completely dependent upon Jesus for a proper understanding of the Bible. Yet, we have a role to play too. We must open the Scriptures in order for Christ to open our minds to understand them.

And here’s the amazing part. While the canon of Scripture is closed, the storyline of Scripture is still being fulfilled through the new resurrection community that Jesus is building until it reaches the ends of the Earth. You and I have a vital role to play, and next week we will examine and apply the final four pathways for us to live as Easter Sunday people all year round.

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