18.01.14 Mk. 16:14; Lk. 24:36-43; Jn. 20:20; Lk. 24:44 (cf. 1 Cor. 15:7) Sunday night
JESUS APPEARS TO DISCIPLES
Mk. 14 Later, He appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw Him after He had been resurrected.
Lk. 36 And as they were saying these things, He Himself stood among them. He said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 “Why are you troubled?” He asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Touch Me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” 40 Having said this, He showed them His hands and feet. 41 But while they still were amazed and unbelieving because of their joy, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, 43 and He took it and ate in their presence.
Jn. 20 Having said this, He showed them His hands and His side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Lk. 44 Then He told them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
In Mark 16:14 Jesus scolded the disciples for three reasons.
- They failed to go to Galilee as previously directed.
- They failed to believe the witnesses and
- They believed they were looking at a ghost, not at Jesus.
The reason Jesus ate with them was to demonstrate that He was not a ghost or spirit, but real flesh and blood. He also affirmed the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible (“Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms”).
Where they gathered is unknown. Some have said they returned to the Upper Room to reminisce about the holy hour they had at Passover. They were speaking of bygone times and conversations, when mysteriously Jesus stepped into the room! He entered without opening a door, yet stood before them in a body of living flesh. In a moment, in less than the twinkling of an eye, their deep sorrow had turned into overwhelming joy. To say that “the disciples rejoiced” is without question a phenomenal understatement. The vivid Hebrew imagery is lost in translation. Literally, they were ecstatic, jubilant and extremely overjoyed. They were overjoyed beyond the ability of English to capture the intense emotion. The early church father Jerome wrote commentary concerning this gathering in his book of Hebrews, which he called a gospel,
The gospel that is called “According to the Hebrews” and which I recently translated into Greek and Latin….
…When the lord had handed over the linen cloth to the priest’s servants, he went to James and appeared to him. For James had made an oath to eat no bread after he had drunk the cup of the Lord until he saw him risen from those who sleep.
Shortly thereafter the Lord spoke to him: bring a table here with bread…. He took the bread, spoke the blessing and gave it to James the just and said to him “My brother, eat your bread, for the Son of Man is risen from those who are asleep.”
Jerome, De Viris Illustribus 23
Most certainly, the gospels give us only a glimpse of the conversation that followed. Perhaps this moment was too precious and personal to be shared in writing. Regardless, Jesus then proceeded to send them to go out and tell others of the good news of the Kingdom of God.
18.01.14.Q1 Does Luke 24:41 oppose John 20:19?
In Luke’s narrative the disciples would not believe whereas in John’s narrative they could not believe for the joy they had. Luke 24:36 and John 20:19 both agreed that the disciples were talking when Jesus suddenly stood among them. Furthermore, in Luke 24:37-39 and John 20:19-21 Jesus revealed Himself to his disciples. Luke 24:41 is not unbelief of faith or doctrine, but the disciples were awestruck at what had happened and they had difficulty perceiving the reality of the moment: the resurrection of Jesus. The gospel writer used the same terminology as would be common today, if an event would seem unbelievable. The two passages agree.