Luke 24:36-51 stands as a powerful and transformative passage within the Gospel of Luke, capturing the essence of Jesus Christ's resurrection appearances and His ascension into heaven. This passage serves not only as a conclusion to Luke's Gospel but also as a bridge to the Acts of the Apostles, offering profound insights into the nature of the resurrected Christ, the fulfillment of Scripture, and the mission of the disciples.
**Luke 24:36-51 (NIV):**
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?
39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,
43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.
49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
The narrative begins with Jesus appearing to His disciples who were gathered together, discussing the recent events, particularly His resurrection. His sudden appearance among them, accompanied by the greeting "Peace be with you," is significant. This greeting is not merely a formality but a profound declaration of the peace that comes from the risen Christ, a peace that dispels fear and doubt.
The disciples' initial reaction of being startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost, underscores their struggle to comprehend the reality of the resurrection. Jesus addresses their doubts directly, inviting them to look at His hands and feet and to touch Him. This invitation serves to prove that He is not a ghost but has a physical, resurrected body. By showing them His wounds, Jesus provides tangible evidence of His identity and the continuity of His person before and after the crucifixion.
The act of eating a piece of broiled fish further reinforces the reality of His physical resurrection. In the ancient world, ghosts or spirits were believed to be incapable of consuming food. By eating in their presence, Jesus demonstrates that He is truly alive in a physical sense, yet transformed in His resurrected state.
Following this, Jesus reminds His disciples of His teachings and the necessity of fulfilling all that was written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. This is a crucial moment where Jesus connects His life, death, and resurrection to the overarching narrative of Scripture. He opens their minds to understand the Scriptures, revealing that His suffering, death, and resurrection were part of God's redemptive plan.
The emphasis on the fulfillment of Scripture highlights the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. Jesus' life and mission are the culmination of God's promises and prophecies, demonstrating that the events of the Gospel are not isolated incidents but the climax of a divine story that began long before.
In verses 46-47, Jesus outlines the core message that His disciples are to proclaim: the Messiah's suffering, death, and resurrection on the third day, and the call for repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name to all nations, starting from Jerusalem. This commission sets the stage for the mission of the early church as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The disciples are to be witnesses of these things, bearing testimony to the reality of the resurrection and the transformative power of the Gospel.
Jesus then promises to send what the Father has promised, referring to the Holy Spirit. The disciples are instructed to stay in the city until they are "clothed with power from on high." This promise of the Holy Spirit is pivotal, as it is through the Spirit that the disciples will receive the power and guidance necessary to carry out their mission. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as described in Acts 2, is the fulfillment of this promise, empowering the disciples to preach the Gospel boldly and effectively.
The passage concludes with Jesus leading the disciples to the vicinity of Bethany, where He lifts up His hands and blesses them. As He is blessing them, He is taken up into heaven. This ascension is a significant event, marking the end of Jesus' earthly ministry and His exaltation to the right hand of the Father. The ascension signifies that Jesus' work of redemption is complete and that He now reigns as Lord and King.
The blessing that Jesus imparts to His disciples is not merely a farewell gesture but a powerful impartation of grace and peace. It is a reminder that even though He is physically departing, His presence and blessing remain with them through the Holy Spirit.
In reflecting on Luke 24:36-51, several key themes emerge:
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The Reality of the Resurrection: Jesus' physical resurrection is central to the Christian faith. His appearances to the disciples, the invitation to touch His wounds, and His act of eating all serve to confirm the reality of His resurrection. This affirms the hope of eternal life and the future resurrection of believers.
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The Fulfillment of Scripture: Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan as revealed in the Scriptures. This underscores the unity and continuity of the biblical narrative, showing that the events of the New Testament are deeply rooted in the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament.
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The Commission to Witness: The disciples are called to be witnesses of the resurrection and to proclaim the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations. This mission is not limited to a specific group but is universal, reflecting God's desire for all people to come to repentance and faith.
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The Promise of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is essential for the disciples' mission. The promise of being "clothed with power from on high" emphasizes the necessity of the Spirit's empowerment for effective ministry. The Holy Spirit equips, guides, and empowers believers to fulfill their calling.
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The Ascension and Exaltation of Christ: Jesus' ascension marks His exaltation and the completion of His earthly mission. It signifies His lordship and His ongoing intercession for believers at the right hand of the Father. The ascension also points to the future return of Christ, when He will come again in glory.
In conclusion, Luke 24:36-51 is a rich and profound passage that encapsulates the core truths of the Christian faith. It affirms the reality of the resurrection, the fulfillment of Scripture, the universal mission of the church, the promise of the Holy Spirit, and the exaltation of Christ. As believers, we are called to embrace these truths, live in the power of the Holy Spirit, and bear witness to the risen Christ in our lives and to the world.
