Luke 24: 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.
When Cleopas and his friend realized that Jesus had walked with them all the way to Emmaus, they were so excited that they nearly ran all the way back to Jerusalem! They must have been panting and near collapse as they informed their friends that they had seen Jesus. Just about the time the other disciples were ready to call these guys crazy, Jesus appeared. To prove that he was not a ghost, Jesus had the disciples touch him and see that he had a solid body. Then Jesus ate a piece of fish, something no ghost could ever do.
Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would be resurrected. (Isaiah 53: 11 “After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied…”) Now the disciples were witnesses. The shock and joy of seeing Jesus in the flesh must have been incredible! The resurrection WAS real! Nobody had stolen Jesus’ body; his resurrected body was there in that room – clean, no sign of decay, no blood, no evil. The disciples were literally overjoyed!
For the rest of their lives, the disciples would never forget that night with Jesus! The Romans and the priests thought they had killed him, but they were wrong! It’s possible that in that room there were men who knew some of the people who had screamed for Jesus’ blood. Early the next morning, those disciples were probably out telling everybody they knew that they had actually touched Jesus. (Nobody ventured out in the streets at night if they could help it; you never knew when a Roman guard might decide to harass or arrest you.) And that experience and the experiences that followed in the next few days stayed with those disciples for the rest of their lives. They could face anything; they had touched Jesus!
PRAYER: Father God, this morning, we want to touch Jesus! Some of us are tired or frightened or anxious about loved ones. Some of us must work in dangerous places. Lord, touch us with your mighty power! Give us grace and wisdom and courage and joy, so that we will follow you no matter what you ask us to do. In Jesus’ mighty Name. Amen.
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