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The
Reality Of The Resurrection; Yeshua’s Appearance
To Two On The Road To Emmaus; Yeshua’s Appearance
To Them And To The Eleven And Others; His Commands
To Them To Continue His Mission And Receive Empowerment
By His Spirit; His Ascension To Heaven
Yeshua
of Nazareth is The Most Important Person in human
history - greater than any of the prophets of
Israel, or the leaders of any other religion.
He is the eternal Son of God and the perfect,
flawless, blameless, righteous, innocent and holy
Son of Man. He is the Seed of the Woman, the Messiah,
the God-sent, God-approved, God-blessed, God-anointed
Prophet, Priest and King. He is the Supreme Teacher
Of Truth. He gave confused human beings the greatest
teachings. He did the greatest miracles, showing
us that He was very closely connected to God.
He is able to bring estranged humanity closer
to God, and bring God closer to alienated human
beings. He is the rightful ruler of Israel and
the rest of mankind.
He died
the most special death that any human being ever
died - a unique atoning death that alone made
possible for all who know and believe - reconciliation
to God, and the complete forgiveness of all of
our sins.
Then,
Messiah rose from the dead, showing His superiority
to the utterly destructive forces that have conquered
and dominated humanity - the very real powers
of Satan, sin and death.
We are
in the last chapter of Luke’s Holy Spirit inspired
book. The focus is on the reality of Yeshua’s
resurrection. The Spirit of God wants us to know
with great certainty that Yeshua of Nazareth overcame
death, and that He is alive - now and forever!
And, since He is alive, if we are joined to Him
because of our faith, we will be alive - now and
forever!
We left
off with the first reports of the empty tomb.
Knowing that Yeshua’s tomb was empty - and the
fact that His body could not be found is good
- but our faith has something more than just an
empty tomb to rely on. We have encounters between
the Resurrected Rabbi and many reliable eyewitnesses
of!
If a robber
held up and bank, and was caught, and at his trial
a reliable eyewitness testified that he saw that
man rob the bank, and he was sure he could positively
identify him, that robber would likely be sent
to jail on the testimony of that one witness.
If there were two or three reliable witnesses,
the prosecution’s case would be a slam dunk. Luke
lets us know that there were at least 15 or more
reliable eyewitnesses to the Resurrected Messiah!
Luke informs
us about a fascinating first encounter between
the Risen Rabbi and two of the Lord’s followers.
And behold, two of them were going that very
day (the first day of the week, the first
day that Yeshua appeared to His disciples) to
a village named Emmaus, which was about seven
miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with
each other about all these things which had taken
place. While they were talking and discussing,
Yeshua Himself approached and began traveling
with them. But their eyes were prevented from
recognizing Him. A kind of supernatural but
limited blindness prevented these two from immediately
being able to recognize the Resurrected One. This
enabled Messiah to educate them about Himself,
and that education greatly benefits us - because
one of our most important responsibilities is
to do the same thing with other human beings -
teach them the truth about the One who rose and
overcame Satan, sin and death!
First,
notice that Yeshua took the initiative to approach
these two men. Then, after He approached them,
He took control of the conversation. And He
said to them, "What are these words that
you are exchanging with one another as you are
walking?" And they stood still, looking sad.
After Yeshua approached them and took control
of the conversation, He moved it in a specific
direction - toward Himself. Like the Risen Messiah,
we need to take the initiative to go to others,
and not just wait for them to approach us. We
also need to take control of our conversations
and direct our conversations to the Messiah of
Israel who is the Savior of the world.
One
of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him,
"Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem
and unaware of the things which have happened
here in these days?" The irony here is
delicious! Of course the One talking to them was
aware of the momentous things that had just happened,
but He didn’t want them to know it!
Without
blurting out too much too soon, again Yeshua directed
the conversation toward the very important things
about Himself. And He said to them, "What
things?"
And
they said to Him, "The things about Yeshua
the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed
and word (the things He did and the things
He taught were powerful and were approved by God)
in the sight of God and all the people
(the young miracle working Rabbi was popular among
many of the common people. Please don’t believe
inaccurate statements like: “the Jews rejected
Jesus” - as if all the Jewish people rejected
Him - it’s just not true.), and how the chief
priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence
of death, and crucified Him. (Even though
many of the people approved of Him, the vast majority
of the leaders rejected Him, and eventually most
of the people followed the leaders).
These
two men were very disappointed by Yeshua’s tragic
death, and they were confused about some reports
they had heard earlier that day about their Rabbi’s
grave. But we were hoping that it was He who
was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all
this, it is the third day since these things happened.
But also some women among us amazed us. When they
were at the tomb early in the morning, and did
not find His body, they came, saying that they
had also seen a vision of angels who said that
He was alive. Some of those who were with us went
to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women
also had said; but Him they did not see".
These
two men were moving in the right direction. They
knew quite a few things about Yeshua of Nazareth
- that He was a great prophet and a powerful teacher.
They were hoping that He was the Messiah who would
redeem the nation of Israel from our religious
and political problems, but they were very disappointed
by His death. How could Yeshua possibly be the
Redeemer if He died?
These
two men had a lot of truth about the Messiah,
but they needed more truth. Yeshua provided the
missing information they needed about Himself
from the Word of God. And He said to them,
"O foolish men and slow of heart to believe
in all that the prophets have spoken! The
Son of God assured them and is assuring us that
every word of the prophets that is found in the
Bible is true and inspired and should be believed.
Since God has sent true prophets who have spoken,
we should know it and believe all that they said.
The Lord expects each one of us to become serious
students of the Word of God, and to know and interpret
properly and understand and trust everything that
the God-sent prophets of Israel have spoken!
And, the
prophets had spoken about the coming of the Redeemer,
and that at His First Coming, something amazing
would happen to the Seed of the Woman. Immanuel
would be rejected and suffer and die. Yeshua,
who knew and understood the prophets, asked them:
Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer
these things and to enter into His glory”? And,
the answer is yes - it was necessary for the Messiah
to come twice - the first time to suffer and die
to make final atonement, and then rise from death,
and enter into a new and glorious condition, and
then come again to Earth as the honored King of
Kings and Lord of Lords.
The prophets
had been given a lot of truth about the Messiah,
and these disciples needed to understand it. Then
beginning with Moses and with all the prophets,
He explained to them the things concerning Himself
in all the Scriptures. What a great Bible
study that must have been! I wish I could have
been there! But in a sense, I didn’t need to be
there to benefit from that Bible study, because
the New Testament writers learned the things about
the Messiah that are in Moses and the all the
prophets, and they incorporated those Messianic
truths into their writings, and so have the benefit
of their knowledge, and our faith has been greatly
strengthened!
Now we
get some fascinating details that could only have
come from eyewitnesses. And they approached
the village where they were going, and He acted
as though He were going farther. But they urged
Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting
toward evening, and the day is now nearly over".
So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined
at the table with them, He took the bread and
blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it
to them. What the risen Lord had come to accomplish
with these two had been accomplished. Then
their eyes were opened and they recognized Him;
and He vanished from their sight.
They suddenly
recognized Him! Now it all made sense! Yeshua’s
great teaching and mighty miracles, His death
and the reports of the empty tomb, the Messianic
prophecies in the Tenach! They were finally able
to put it all together! They understood that Yeshua
was indeed the Messiah, and He had to suffer to
make atonement, and that He had not only been
raised from the dead, but that He Himself was
the One who had been talking with them that day!
They
said to one another, "Were not our hearts
burning within us while He was speaking to us
on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures
to us"? Unable to fully understand while
Yeshua was with them, they nevertheless sensed
something powerful as He spoke to them and taught
them from Israel’s Divinely Inspired Writings.
But now their lack of sight was over. Finally
they understood that Yeshua was really alive!
And, He was able to appear to human beings, and
able to advise them, and teach them the Scriptures
and guide them into the truth that they needed
to be saved. He was the risen and honored Rabbi
and Lord and Savior and Messiah who was able to
appear and disappear at will.
This information
was vitally important! Others needed to know!
Especially, Yeshua’s key disciples needed to know
these amazing things! The rest of their trip to
Emmaus would have to be postponed. And they
got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem,
and found gathered together the eleven and those
who were with them (at least the 11 and two
others were there, and with the two who were going
to Emmaus, the total number of people present
was at least 15.), saying, "The Lord has
really risen and has appeared to Simon".
Peter also had more than just the experience of
the empty tomb. Simon Peter, who only days earlier
had three times denied the Lord, had graciously
been blessed with one of the very first visits
by the risen Son of God.
They
began to relate their experiences on the road
and how He was recognized by them in the breaking
of the bread. So far we know that Yeshua had
appeared to three people. That is a significant
number of witnesses to give credence to a matter.
But, we have even more!
While
they were telling these things, He Himself stood
in their midst and said to them, "Peace be
to you”. What gracious and comforting words
to men who might have thought that their Rabbi
whom they abandoned might have the right to be
angry with them. But, Yeshua wasn’t angry. He
didn’t want them to suffer. He wanted them to
be blessed, and to experience shalom - peace with
God and genuine well being.
Their
first reaction to Yeshua’s sudden appearance was
one of fear and misunderstanding. But they
were startled and frightened and thought that
they were seeing a spirit. But Yeshua wasn’t
a disembodied spirit coming from the place of
the dead! No, Yeshua really was alive, and had
a new and glorious and real body! This was not
some vague spiritual experience, but a real resurrection
of the body, and Yeshua wanted them and us to
be completely convinced of that.
And
He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and
why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands
and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and
see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones
as you see that I have”. And when He had said
this, He showed them His hands and His feet
- which still carried the wounds of His crucifixion.
Those wounds will remain forever in the resurrected
body of the Son of God as eternal badges of honor,
reminding redeemed humanity how much God loves
us and what it cost the Lord of Glory to rescue
us.
While
they still could not believe it because of their
joy and amazement - and, wanting His disciples
to be absolutely convinced that He was very much
alive and had experienced a bodily resurrection,
He did something more to prove that He had risen
from the dead with a new and honorable and eternal
body, He said to them, "Have you anything
here to eat"? They gave Him a piece
of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before
them. And, only a real man with a real body
can eat food - not a spirit.
Now there
were at least 15 reliable eyewitness who were
completely convinced that their great and beloved
Rabbi was gloriously alive, and had died but had
overcome death, and had been magnificently vindicated!
That makes the case for the resurrection of Yeshua
very, very strong!
These
very special men needed to be further established
in their faith. They needed further instruction,
and Rabbi Yeshua was there to provide that teaching
to these key disciples. Now He said to them,
"These are My words which I spoke to you
while I was still with you, that all things which
are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the
Prophets and the Psalms (the traditional Jewish
way of dividing the Tenach) must be fulfilled".
Yeshua reminded them that He had taught them that
He was the long-awaited Messiah, the One predicted
in Israel’s Holy Writings, and that everything
Moses and the prophets had predicted about Him
would surely take place. And, they had, just as
Yeshua and Moses and the prophets had said!
And, everything
else that Yeshua and Moses and the prophets and
the writers of the New Testament said will be
fulfilled! And so, if we are wise, we will study
and learn and believe all of the Tenach, and the
New Testament. This is one of our most important
duties. This is one of our great life-tasks.
Just reading
the Bible is not enough. Many people read the
Bible and it doesn’t sink in. We need the help
and the blessing of God to really understand and
believe and practice the Scriptures! When we do
our part - humbly come to the Bible as diligent
students of the Word of God, God will do His part
- open our minds to enable us to understand this
supernatural Book of Books - and that is what
Yeshua did for these men.
Then
He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
It was Yeshua, the Wonderful Counselor, who
gives unfailing wisdom to all those who come to
Him for it, who opened the minds of those who
had faith in Him, to understand the Scriptures.
And, even though He is no longer physically present
with us, and is now in Heaven, seated at the right
hand of God, He still can and does that!
And, what
is the message of the Scriptures that the One
who is rightly called Immanuel - God with Us,
and El Gibor - the Mighty God, wanted these key
men to understand? And He said to them, "Thus
it is written, that the Messiah would suffer and
rise again from the dead the third day, and that
repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed
in His name to all the nations, beginning from
Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
The main message of the Scriptures - the entire
Bible, Old and New Testaments, is simple. The
promised Messiah has truly come! The God-sent
and ultimate Prophet, Priest and King came the
first time and suffered and died - not a needless
death, but a purposeful death to make the complete
forgiveness of all of our sins possible - if we
turn from our ignorance and our sins to Him and
to the Father who sent Him.
He rose
from the dead and is the Living Savior, and only
Savior of humanity! This Good News would be carried
by these very special Jewish men. These specially
prepared and equipped chosen people would start
bearing witness to this great truth that alone
can rescue Jews and Gentiles from Satan, sin and
death, in Jerusalem, and then they would go on
to disseminate this true and only message of salvation
to all of nations of the world.
These
special representatives of the Chosen People needed
to do their part and be witnesses of these things,
but they would also need supernatural help to
accomplish this great task. They needed heavenly
power for the great task of world evangelism,
and they would soon receive it! Yeshua promised:
And behold, I am sending forth the promise
of My Father upon you. Not just the Father,
but also Yeshua Himself, sends the Spirit of God
to human beings, to save them, to transform them,
to empower them, to unite them to the Father and
to the Son and to one another. Only One who is
fully God, who shares the nature of God, can send
the Spirit of God. So, this means that Yeshua
is indeed the divine Son of God!
Yeshua
gave them further instructions: But you are
to stay in the city until you are clothed with
power from on high”. Which they did, just
about 50 days later, on another Jewish holiday
- Shavuot.
Yeshua
continued appearing to them, and teaching them,
and instructing them and others for a time. Then
this part of His time on Earth was over. And
He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted
up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing
them, He parted from them and was carried up into
Heaven. Where He is right now. And they,
after worshiping Him (and it is right to worship
the Son of God, because He is fully God in His
nature, and worthy of the worship that is properly
reserved for the Creator, returned to Jerusalem
with great joy, and were continually in the temple
praising God.
Luke continues
with the book of Acts, describing how on the Jewish
holiday of Shavuot these special men were in Jerusalem,
and they were filled with the Holy Spirit of the
Father and the Son, and were empowered to bring
the message that alone results in eternal life
first to the Jewish people, and then to the Samaritans,
and then to the other nations, and how they turned
the world of their day upside down.
And, the
Lord is asking us to do the same thing in our
day! We need to continue the Son of God’s great
mission to seek and save the lost! We need to
continue the mission entrusted to the apostles!
That is what being a Messianic Jew or a Christian
is all about! We need to understand the Word of
God, and know that Yeshua is the Risen Lord. We
need His Spirit poured out on us, so that we can
have great joy and continually praise the Lord
together, and be His witnesses to the world of
our day - starting with the Jewish people first,
and also going to the other peoples of this spiritually
dead world!
May God so work among
us to make these things realities in our lives!
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