This week we will continue to study the Gospel of Luke.
(1) Recollect what we have considered about how the women spent the Sabbath. How might you describe the state of their minds and their emotions?
(2) What did the preparation of the spices indicate?
(3) What might be the first thought of the women when they saw the stone removed and the body of Jesus missing?
(4) To whom did the angels appear at the birth of Christ? To whom did they appear at Jesus’ resurrection? Why not to Jesus’ disciples first?
(5) Mull over these first words of the angels, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”
a. Do you think the angels’ rebuke was a little harsh? Why or why not?
b. What was the error made by these women according to the angels?
c. In what way might we still make the same error these days?
d. How then should we approach our own death as disciples of Jesus?
e. How then should we approach the funeral of a true believer of Jesus Christ?
(6) “He is not here; He has risen.”
a. How much might the women understand by these words?
b. How did the angels help them understand these words in the rest of v. 7?
c. How would you describe the state of their minds and emotions now?
(7) Can you imagine how these women ran back to tell the disciples and how they could not hold their excitement? Why didn’t the disciples believe them; why did they think it was nonsense? If you were one of the Eleven Disciples, would you believe them? Why or why not?
(8) Peter (and John, see Note below) ran to the tomb to check it out:
a. What did he see?
b. Why did he go away still “wondering to himself what had happened”?
c. What did his disbelief point to? Was it due to slowness of mind? severe lack of faith? or the depth of his hurt, fear and devastation in the last few days?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
Perhaps, it is helpful to set out the order of events on Easter morning, combing the accounts of the four Gospels:
- In the early morning, the women went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body. (Mk. 16:2-3, Lk. 24:1)
- The three women were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James) and Salome, followed by other women. (Mk. 16:1 and Lk. 24:10)
- The three women found the stone had been removed by an angel. (Matt. 28:2)
- Mary Magdalene hurried to tell Peter and John, who ran toward the tomb. (Jn. 20:2-4)
- Then, Mary (the mother of James), Salome and then the other women arrived at the tomb, entered it and saw angels who assured them Jesus had risen. They ran in joy and fear back to inform the disciples. (Matt. 28:8)
- Peter and John arrived and saw the empty tomb without understanding what happened and left. (Jn. 20:4-10)
- Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb (outrun by Peter and John) and stood there weeping, and Jesus revealed Himself to her. (Jn. 20:11-18)
- As the other women returned to tell the disciples, Jesus appeared to them. (Matt. 28:9-10)
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, He has risen!” (Lk. 24:5-6)
I am not a big movie fan. Apart from the fact that I do not have the luxury to watch too many movies, I simply do not have the patience. I prefer reading novels. Perhaps, it is because I can pause when I want to and pick up where I left off at my convenience. In any case, one of the movies that left a deep impression on me is “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. Apart from the fact that it is quite a funny story, it gives me a bit more insight into the Greek culture, especially how they celebrate Easter.“Once the Priest (of the local church) has called out 'Christos Anesti', friends and neighbors exchange the same, saying 'Christos Anesti' and, in response, 'Alithos Anesti' (truly, He is risen) or 'Alithinos o Kyrios' (true is the Lord)".
(Nancy Gaifyllia)
In one of the churches that I was privileged to serve in, this is how we greeted one another at Easter. It is such a pity that such a meaningful and important greeting is being reduced to “Happy Easter”. Without Christ’s resurrection, there is no "Happy Easter”; for that matter, there is no happiness at all in the world!
The recounting by these two disciples gives us insight into the mindset of Jesus’ disciples concerning how they looked at the death and disappearance of Jesus’ body and how they viewed who Jesus is.
(1) While the Eleven Disciples remained hiding in Jerusalem, what did these two disciples do? What might be their plans for their lives?
(2) From v. 19, what do we know about whom they considered Jesus as?
(3) According to v. 21, what was their hope concerning Jesus? How was it dashed?
(4) What was their interpretation of the “empty tomb” of Jesus?
(5) If the view of these two disciples was representative of most, if not all, of Jesus’ disciples, what was wrong with their view in the following areas?
a. Who Jesus is
b. The purpose of His mission
c. The purpose and necessity of His death
d. The implication of His resurrection
(6) How did Jesus rebuke them? What was their core problem?
(7) V. 27 is a very significant statement:
a. What does it tell us about the Old Testament?
b. If Jesus had not come, how would you describe the Old Testament?
c. But Jesus has come. How should we look at both the Old Testament and the New Testament?
(8) What might be the significance of Jesus breaking bread with them and being recognized just as they were breaking bread together?
(9) How did they describe their experience of having the Scriptures explained to them by Jesus? Have you had a similar experience?
(10) What might be the purpose(s) of Jesus’ appearance to these two disciples?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized Him...” (Lk. 24:30-31)
It is true that the two disciples who left Jerusalem on the first day of the week were not part of the Eleven, and one of them was even unnamed. But just the same, Jesus chose to reveal Himself to them, perhaps, even before He showed Himself to the Eleven, except Peter (24:34).
And, it is also true that the two disciples were “foolish” and “slow of heart” (24:25) and they incurred the rebuke of Jesus. But just the same, Jesus revealed Himself to them. Why?
I believe that speaks volumes of the heart of our Lord Jesus. They were just as downcast as the Eleven. As they walked, they must be conversing with each other and were trying to make sense of the death of Christ which utterly shattered their hope that Jesus would be the Messiah, and their dream of the redemption of Israel (24:21). As foolish and slow of heart as they were, I believe, they loved the Lord and that was the reason that Jesus had to show Himself to them, to prevent them from unnecessary grief. Their departure from Jerusalem would mean that the testimony of the Eleven of seeing the Risen Lord would not reach them for some time. That is how good our Lord is to all those who love Him, although they were not necessarily perfect in faith and understanding.
However, I am deeply touched by how Jesus
finally revealed Himself to them and helped them recognize Him: It was when He
was breaking bread with them, just as He broke bread with the Eleven on the
night that He was betrayed — giving thanks and giving it to the disciples. It was just at that moment that, “their eyes
were opened and they recognized Him” (24:31). Again, it is true that these two lesser-known disciples were likely not
part of the Last Supper, but just the same, the Supper was meant for them and the
bread was meant for them. This
reinforces the significance of the Lord’s Supper instituted by Jesus Himself in
these ways:
- It is meant for all disciples of His, you and me included.
- As the Lord’s Supper reminds us of His death for us on the cross — the consummation of His redemption and His forgiveness of our sins, we have to continually encounter Him afresh in this event — though not as an re-enactment, still as a significant, constant reminder of His amazing love and the completeness of His redemption.
- It appears that the first disciples took it as a daily remembrance as “Every day they… broke bread in their homes and ate together with gladness” (Acts 2:46). In other words, it is meant to be more than a ritual, but part of the believer’s daily life to remind themselves what the Lord has done for them and to look forward to His return “every day”.
What a wonderful time of “eye-opening” it was for the two disciples, and may your eyes and my eyes be opened every time we break bread with the Lord — Yes, He is with us; and may we daily put His death and His return in front of us, as part of our life.
(1) We are not sure if the Lord was in the habit of using the greeting “Peace be with you”. How significant was such a greeting at a time like that, and how much do you think it meant to the disciples?
(2) They had already heard from the women, from Simon and now from the two disciples, who said in their own words, “It is true! The Lord has risen” (24:34). Why would they be “startled and frightened”? In their minds, what was meant by “The Lord Has risen”?
(3) Jesus rebuked them for doubting (24:38). What might they still be doubting?
(4) How did Jesus prove to them that He is not a ghost?
(5) How then do you understand the meaning of Jesus’ “bodily resurrection”?
(6) With the showing of His hands and feet, the disciples still did not believe it “because of joy”. What does it mean?
(7) Have you ever desired something so intensely that when it comes true, you are afraid to believe it?
(8) Even with the presence of the Risen Christ, how were the disciples able to understand the Scriptures? What about us?
(9) In summarizing the talk by Jesus, Luke ends with the Great Commission in vv. 47-49:
a. What is the message?
b. What is the scope of the commission?
c. What is our role?
d. How can we carry out the Great Commission?
(10) Were the “eye-witnesses” the only ones who carried out the Great Commission in the first century? (What about Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos in Acts 18:1-4; 24-28?)
(11) Now Luke comes to the end of his account. Re-read Luke’s introduction in 1:1-4 and the closing account of this chapter. How has he affirmed the faith of Theophilus in these areas?
a. What the gospel is (according to what he has been taught)
b. Who Jesus is
c. Why He had to die
d. Where He is now
e. What the disciples of Jesus are to do from now on
(12) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
“You are witnesses of these things.” (Lk. 24:48)
One of the most powerful testimonies of the early church were given by the “Apostles” who were first-hand eye-witnesses of the Risen Lord. As Jesus emphasized, the important role of the first Christians in His Great Commission was to be His “witnesses” (Lk. 24:48, Acts 1:8). Peter understood that the Twelve were uniquely qualified and chosen to be such witnesses, and as a result, in order to fill the vacancy left by Judas, “it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22)
Unfortunately, it was this “narrow’” definition that caused the Apostle Paul to defend his role as an “Apostle” (one being sent) and effective witness for Christ (1 Cor. 9:2, 2 Cor. 11:5).
It is true that their testimonies as eye-witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection had been most powerful, but ultimately, it was the fact that they were “clothed with the power from on high” (Lk. 24:49, Acts 4:33) that really mattered. Furthermore, the term apostles (those being sent) is certainly not confined to the Twelve:
- Jesus sent 72 other disciples (Lk. 10:1-17);
- Paul and Barnabas were called apostles (Acts 14:4,14);
- Apollos was also mentioned alongside the apostles (1 Cor. 4:6, 9);
- Andronicus and Junias were also called apostles (Rom. 16:7).
As a result, we find that those who might not be “eye-witnesses” of the Risen Lord had not only assumed the Great Commission as theirs, but were also effectively used to preach the gospel. Aquila, Priscilla and Apollos were prime examples (see Acts 18). It is also important to note that it was not the Twelve Apostles who carried the gospel beyond Jerusalem; it was the other disciples (Acts 8:1-4).
Since the 1st century, disciples of Jesus Christ have continued to assume the Great Commission as their own, and bear witness to the Risen Lord, though not as eye-witnesses of His resurrection, but as eye-witnesses of the power and reality of the Risen Christ in the forgiveness of their sins and the transformation of their lives — not just theirs, but all those who would believe Jesus as their Lord and Savior.