The Resurrection of Jesus
Christ - accompanied by
earthquake and presence of angels. Christ appeared to
many after His resurrection - to solitary individuals, to
companies of people - above 500 at once, to the eleven,
at different times of the day and in different
localities.
These people were
"eye witnesses of His majesty" -
II Peter 1:16 and
"which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our
hands have handled, of the Word of Life"
But as we studied last
week of the three hour darkness
while Jesus was on the cross, no one was able to see as
Jesus transacted business
for our souls, no one saw the
resurrection, either.
True, we walk by faith and
not by sight but God has
made concessions -
Noah's ark? the Shroud of
prophecy of earthquakes, sea thereof roaring, etc.
vs. 4-8 - "much perplexed.....afraid" - two men in shining
garments - representatives of
the legions of the
Lord of Hosts who would have come to the aid of
Christ on the cross except He tread
the winepress
alone. The ministering spirits - Matt. 26:52-54,
The 185,000 in II Kings 6:15-17
"He is not here but
risen" -
Do you remember what
He said when He was with you?
Transpose this to the end
of time.
Over 300
Old Testament prophecies that Christ would come.
Over 300
New Testament prophecies that He will come a second time.
Don't forget the appointed place - Don't you
either!
"Go to
didn't. Same when He told them when you see the
threatening signs on
Those who did escaped -
those who didn't perished.
ch. 21:21
The appointed place for us
is the sky when He comes "in the clouds"
v. 5 - "bowed down
their faces to the earth" - Do you
think that you would have
reacted differently?
v. 11 - "idle
tales" - Christ's enemies apparently paid
more attention - Matt. 27:63-64
vs. 13-35 Jesus
meeting with the two on the road to
Emmaus
v. 15 - two is enough -
Matt. 18:20 - Jesus drew near
and went with them.
This was more than
"angels unawares" - this was the SON OF GOD!
v. 16 - They didn't know
Him - there had been a change
wrought in the person of the
Lord - He could just
appear out of nowhere.
You think that strange - it
is not without precedent'
Witness Elijah
disappearing from Ahab - Phillip in
Acts 8:39-40
The women were preoccupied
with sorrow - the men
with fishing.
Jesus spent a quarter of a
day opening their minds.
He is the
best escort on the pilgrimage of life - He can
make the present a heaven - fellowship with Christ is the
chief element
of heaven. MAY
WE HAVE HIM WITH US ALL THE WAY!
v. 21 - "we
trusted...and beside all this, today is the
third day since these things
were done"
v. 25 - "fools"
(aphron - not understanding - not applying the
mind - senseless - an unworthy lack of understanding -
in contrast with sophron - sober-minded, self control -
describes one who does not
govern their lusts.
"slow
of heart"
v. 26 - a spiritual necessity
- Christ must be a
suffering before He could be a
triumphing
Messiah.
Now
nothing remains but to enter into His glory.
v. 27 - "beginning at
Moses...." - Christ is everywhere!
John 5:39-40
27 “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded
unto them
in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” The three divisions, the
Pentateuch (Moses), the prophets,
and all the Scriptures, cover the whole Old
Testament received then in the
same words as we possess them now. The Lord’s
proofs of what He asserted He drew from the whole series
of writings, rapidly
glancing over the long many-colored roll called the Old
Testament. Jesus had
before Him a grand field, from the Protevangelium,
the first great Gospel of Genesis,
down to Malachi. In studying the Scriptures for Himself, He had
found Himself in
them everywhere (John 5:39-40). The things concerning
himself. The Scriptures
which the Lord probably referred to specially were:
o
the promise to Eve
(Genesis 3:15);
o
the promise to Abraham
(Ibid. ch.22:18);
o
the Paschal lamb (Exodus 12.);
o
the scapegoat
(Leviticus 16:1-34);
o
the brazen serpent
(Numbers 21:9);
o
the star and scepter
(Numbers 24:17);
o
the greater Prophet
(Deuteronomy 18:15);
o
the smitten rock
(Ibid. ch 20:11; I Corinthians 10:4);
o
Immanuel (Isaiah
7:14);
o
“Unto us a Child is
born,” etc. (Ibid. ch. 9:6-7);
o
the good Shepherd
(Ibid. ch.40:10-11);
o
the meek Sufferer
(Ibid. ch.50:6);
o
He who bore our griefs (Ibid. ch. 53:4-5);
o
the Branch (Jeremiah
23:5; 33:14-15);
o
the Heir of David
(Ezekiel 34:23);
o
the Ruler from
o
the Branch (Zechariah
6:12);
o
the lowly King (Ibid. ch. 9:9);
o
the pierced Victim
(Ibid. ch. 12:10);
o
the smitten Shepherd
(Ibid. ch. 13:7);
o
the messenger of the
covenant (Malachi 3:1);
o
the Sun of
Righteousness (Ibid. ch. 4:2);
and no doubt many other passages. There is not one of the
prophets without
some distinct reference to Christ, except Nahum, Jonah (who was
himself a type
and prophetic sign – Matthew 12:39-40), and Habakkuk, who,
however, uses
the memorable words quoted in Romans 1:17. To these we must
add references
to several of the psalms, notably to the sixteenth and
twenty-second, where
sufferings and death are spoken of as belonging to the perfect
picture of the
Servant of the
Lord and the ideal King. His
hearers would know well how
strangely the agony of
He called before their memories in
the course of that six-mile walk from
Capable to be committed to
memory - contain all that
we need for enlightenment - for guidance to God and
heaven.
We want to know how to
live - we want to know how to
die!
Christ walked seven miles
with them - a Bible class of 2-
two humble and obscure disciples -
I wonder who today
is
in the fold because of this encounter?
Christ came in to tarry - "the day far spent" - transfer
to old age - toward evening/urgent need/day far spent/
the near presence of the Savior needed.
Enoch walked with God of
old - I have
asked God to
walk with me! (history of that) - below is a
picture of my
son running through the gate where - I, an adolescent,
asked God to walk with me as Enoch walked - Genesis 5:21-24
v. 29 - "abide with
us"
v. 31 - "He vanished out
of their sight" - not on this earth
will we understand the nature of
the resurrection
body.
He permitted the test of
touch.
He ate.
He comes through a closed
door.
He could withdraw from
touch or sight & vanish.
He could disappear into
the clouds.
He was known as He pleased
and when He pleased.
The miracle was His
appearing instead of His disappearing.
v. 32 - Polly's comment
about the preaching during the
revival - undiluted Word of God
- not some
spiritual filibuster.
Let us go to our Bible and
to the house of God - the
Holy Spirit will guide us
unto all truth" -
John 16:3
vs. 33-34 - What
a meeting!
Tired - spiritual
adrenaline - retraced steps back to
altar call -
Fatigue, loss, danger,
death itself - nothing to a soul
alight with celestial fire.
A new hope, a new faith, a new
purpose - Kevin Wharton - Mr. Yancey
v. 36 - "peace be
unto you" - don't make too much of
but there is a serene expression
on the Shroud of
His resurrection body was
not bound by present conditions.
He could be visible or
invisible - known or unknown as He
pleased and when He pleased.
v. 37 - Thought they saw a
spirit - the doors were shut &
there He was - no attempt to
explain.
v. 39 - "behold my
hands and my feet, that it is I, myself"
Tokens
of His victory and atonement.
To Thomas - John 20:27 -
"handle me" - "flesh & bones"
I John 1:1 Rev. 5:6 - "stood a Lamb
as it had
been
slain"
"flesh
and bones" - a body - the same one which
was crucified - He could eat -
perform normal
functions
v. 44 - The weight that
Christ attached to the Old
Testament. What about us?
v. 45 - "Then He opened
their understanding that they
might understand the
scriptures"
Law/prophets/Psalms -
"all things in them concerning me"
"the
entrance of thy words give light" - Psalm 119:130
John 5:39-40 20:21-22 - "He breathed on
them"
"opened
He their understanding" - Go back to v. 25 -
What a blessed "
v. 46 - "suffer and
rise from the dead" - The Old
Testament showed the necessity of an atoning
Redeemer, from the sin which it everywhere
revealed, of a dying Redeemer,
from the death
which it proclaims as the
consequence.
v. 47 - "repentance
and remission of sins should
be preached"
Immediate, full, real,
thorough forgiveness - no delay -
no dangerous postponement. Why not Now? Almost
Persuaded.
Take full, free mercy of God
unto eternal life - the full
honor of sonship, wear the best
robe and ring, sit at a
table to your honor - having access to His Presence -
referring to Him in terms of endearment.
The message - the Christ
whom God sent and the world
needs, a historical Christ, incarnate, suffering, crucified
Savior, risen
as the fulfillment of Scripture. The
Lamb from
the foundation of the world.
Acts 26:18 -"to open
the eyes, and turn men from
darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan
to God" - forgiving sins -
making the inner vision
clear - In the name of Christ,
all nations are
summoned to repent and receive
the remission.
"among
all nations" - a message of hope & mercy to
everyone in the name of Jesus Christ!
Preach - How dare say the
world - you cannot preach -
the idea, whoever espouses it, is an idea straight from
hell.
Whether we are to obey God
or men - you judge -as
you are.
"Whosoever is not with me is against me and
he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad"
Matt. 12:30
v. 48 - "ye are
witnesses"
v. 49 -
"tarry" - then go - John 15:26-27
"And behold, I send
the promise of the Father to you"
Life is the school - the
Holy Ghost the Instructor!
vs. 50-53 - The
Ascension - Acts 1:9-11, 4:33
Many will not listen but
those who do will be
"endued
with power from on high"
The early chapters of Acts
show how that the Lord
Jesus continued to work on
earth through His disciples
and the church.
vs. 52-53 - read -Men had
seen Him without knowing Him.
Now we know Him
without seeing Him.
Sight without
knowledge/Knowledge without sight!
And as we look forward to
the future and realize our
own mortality, we cherish the thought, that if we
"abide
in Him" as the evening shadows gather and life's
long day
passes into the darkness of death, we shall in heaven's
eternal morning, open our eyes to see the "King in His
beauty" to "behold His glory" and shall
"sit down with
Him on His throne"
sharing life forever and ever!
“As for me, I will behold
thy face in righteousness:
I shall be
satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness”
Psalm 17:15
We should never undertake
any pilgrimage without
securing the companionship of Jesus Christ, the Son
of the Living God!