The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Cultural Pressure to Deny the Resurrection

Calendar-oriented very much, but it is hard to avoid the reality that it is what is known as Resurrection Sunday and if you didn't know that you would have been reminded sadly by the fact that we now live in a society where in the couple of months leading up to this particular day and that other day in December there seems to be a rash of television specials, interviews, and books that come out all meant to remind us and to instruct us that what we believe really isn't true anyways.

So it was just a few months ago, actually a few weeks ago now, that Bart Ehrman put out a new book, How Jesus Became God, and so he's getting his free airtime on NPR and so on and so forth now. And so that kind of thing is extremely common and one of the new things that came out in his new book is his theory that Jesus was actually not buried in a tomb but in a common grave and so on and so forth.

And so even if you weren't really looking at a liturgical calendar you'd be reminded just by how much stuff is thrown at us these days with very little response, at least in the mainstream media. Obviously there's still a quote-unquote Christian media, there's all sorts of Christian radio and television stations and things like that running about, but certainly within the mainstream media you would not hear much of a meaningful dialogue and interaction on these particular issues.

And so with that in mind I thought it would be appropriate to look at the 24th chapter of Luke to remind ourselves of the primary issues relevant to the day and hopefully be encouraged by some of the things we see here.

The Empty Tomb and the Angelic Message

My focus actually would be post-resurrection but it's always good to be reminded of what is said here in Luke's account of this particular portion of scriptural revelation. On the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb, bring the spices which they had prepared.

We've learned a lot about Jewish burial customs. It was customary to bury the body that there would be an embalming process and then later at a later period of time a removal of the bones of the body and the placing in what's called an ossuary.

And the museums in Israel are now filling up with these ossuaries. You may recall a few years ago the story came out of the finding of the James ossuary and then the people trying to say they had found the Jesus family tomb and stuff like that and all that went on with that particular situation.

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this behold two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground the men said to them why do you seek the living one among the dead?

We will someday eventually get to this portion in our synoptic studies, someday. I'm gonna have to find someone to make a commitment that if I get run over by a truck or something before we finish this somebody else will finish it just simply because I just be wrong to get so far through the synoptic Gospels and not finish up with the tough part.

But if we eventually get there one of the many many many allegations and issues that we will be dealing with is well was there here's the assertion if you look at Matthew, Mark, and Luke well one says there was one angel, two men, and one man or something along those lines and see they're all in contradiction to themselves.

Well the reality is that I don't know too many men who stand near graves in dazzling clothing who are not actually angels. It's fairly obvious that's being referred to here and and if there is two then there has to be at least one and so if you only focus upon one speaking or something like that these kinds of alleged contradictions and things like that are some of the weakest.

I mean there's some there's some tough issues to deal with. There's no question about it in looking at Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John but this kind of stuff is not overly difficult to to deal with and left again you adopt that unusual standard that says that each one of these Gospels is meant to be a when I was younger I used to I used to be able to you know say something like a CBS Evening News reporter because they were supposed to be unbiased and just giving you the facts.

I can't think of anybody anymore I can use that actually follows standards of journalism anymore where you're actually just supposed to reporting the facts not a spin on it but unless you think that's what the Gospels are supposed to be that they are meant to be taken in that way then you're not going to have any problems seeing what the purposes were.

Anyway notice the message is delivered, why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here but he has risen. And then very very important I think the next section remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee saying the Son of Man must be delivered to the hands of sinful men and be crucified and rise again and on the third day rise again so this discussion that Jesus had had with his disciples more than once remember with Peter and Peter says you it from you Lord and Jesus says get behind me Satan and verse 7 there's a little three-letter Greek word di is the way it's pronounced it is necessary the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and the very used to term Son of Man very important if you look back at Luke again Mark chapter 14 verses 60 and following when Jesus uses this exact terminology and it's the basis upon which the death sentence is given because the Son of Man is an angelic figure a not even an angelic figure a divine figure that receives worship and a kingdom in Daniel chapter 7 and when Jesus applies this to himself the chief priest says what further evidence you need.

You've heard the blasphemy with your own lips. This man deserves to die and so the Son of Man material continues on post-resurrection. The Son of Man must be delivered in the hands of sinful men be crucified in the third day rise again and they remembered his words and return from the tomb.

Report all these things the 11 and to all the rest now of course it's the 11 now because of what happens with Judas but they had been called the 12 for so long that I forget which one it is but one of the Gospels will still use that term especially because there's going to be one added back the 12 just become a just another name for the disciples even though there was one missing now because of the the betrayal.

Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna the Mary and Mary the mother of James also the other women with them were telling you things to the Apostles. There will be a huge discussion of the names lists and that actually has become one of the really neat confirmations of the historicity of these narratives is for a long time people are wondering man those people back there did not have much in the way of imagination when it came to names I mean everybody's named Mary.

I mean seriously this is weird but reality is as boring as this study must have been. I mean I thank God for ever did it. But wow what a life it must be. People have actually been tabulating the names that have been discovered in the tombs in all the archaeological research and digs you know every time they try to build something around Jerusalem the archaeology department has to get involved because everything is an archaeological site and they have to go rushing in there and try to save as much stuff as they can before it's obliterated by the modern the modern buildings and there are people who have collated and processed and entered into databases etc etc the the names on the ossuaries and in the places of burial and lo and behold when you take the the names that we can identify as first century Palestinian grave sites and compare them with what we have in the Gospels they're within like three percent one way or the other in the in the utilization of names I mean seriously I put that I put the numbers in that that little book that I wrote very quickly a number of years ago in response to the tomb story.

But if I recall correctly if if you're walking down the streets of Jerusalem around this time and yelled out Mary without any identification of Mary daughter of Mary of such-and-such to see just yelled out Mary about a third of women would turn around look at you it's just how common Miriam was as as a name at that time.

So and that's what the grave sites have have likewise demonstrated. So they are reporting these things the Apostles but these words appeared to them as nonsense and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb and we know that John does the same thing but doesn't get mentioned here and in fact gets out run to the tomb stooping and looking in.

He saw the linen wrappings only and he went away to his home marveling at what had happened. And behold two of them now here we have a story that only Luke really wants us to to understand and to to hear about.

The Road to Emmaus and Supernatural Recognition

I'm sure there were other stories that could have been included but each writer is now choosing what is most important to him. And behold two of them were going that very day 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 Jesus and self-approach began traveling with them but their eyes were present prevented from recognizing him.

Now it's important to notice that that terminology it's there there the term is is which means to to grasp hold of something. And so there is a a supernatural activity here where they are are kept. They have to be kept from recognizing who Jesus is now someone might say well you know I don't know.

It's necessarily you know maybe it's just because they know the last person in the world they would expect to be walking with them would be Jesus. You know I don't know. Obviously later on there is an opening of their eyes to recognize Jesus and so it seems to me that it's supernatural at the beginning and supernatural at the end.

Because obviously if they had recognized him immediately then the ministry that he's going to have to them in the explanation of the scriptures would not have been able to take place because of their shock and amazement.

And so I think that there's a specific purpose being accomplished here. Their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. And he said to them what are these words that you're exchanging with one another as you are walking.

And they stood still looking sad. 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. I don't know about you but I detect a small element of sarcasm in Cleopas's words.

I think there's something similar here to do you live in a lead mine or something along those lines because are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days.

The talk of the town and Jesus wants them to explain. No he said to them what things. And they said to him the things about Jesus the Nazarene was a mighty a prophet mighty indeed and word in the sight of God and all the people now the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to the sentence of death and crucified him.

But we were hoping we were hoping. This is in what's called the imperfect in the original language refers to a continuous action in the past the idea being that they had been experiencing an ongoing hope in the past not in the present.

But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. And there was of course a very rich tradition and in belief amongst the Jewish people of the coming Messiah there were all sorts of different ideas as to what the Messiah was to do and to accomplish.

And certainly what was not expected was that the Messiah would would suffer and die at the hands the Romans in the most ignoble possible way. And so they they know that there is a need for the redemption of Israel.

They know that there is one that is going to come from God to redeem Israel. But the very sadness upon their face and the language they express demonstrates beyond all shadow of a doubt that from their perspective the events that have taken place has ended that hope for them this was not what they expected Messiah to be nor did they understand Jesus his own teaching on this particular subject.

Indeed besides all this it is the third day since these things happen. Now we a couple of years ago it hasn't been that long ago but a couple years ago spent an entire class time on the big issue of the timing of the crucifixion and I'm not going to do that again today.

But let me just briefly especially because every year at this time it comes up just briefly point a couple things out to you. It is very common Bart Ehrman's one of the people that says this to say that Matthew Mark and Luke have one timing one day the crucifixion and John a different day of the crucifixion.

And they based that upon some rather simplistic misunderstandings of what the Passover was. The Passover is not a single meal it was a multi day celebration and it's all based on the idea that well John was just trying to make connection that Jesus the Passover lamb and so he moves it one day.

It's all theological and John isn't historical. Anyways let's not bother. Don't worry about. Well we spent an entire class time just looking at John and demonstrating that John actually says the exact same thing as the synoptic Gospels do.

The same thing is true as to the day the time of the day. We've seen for example that Matthew Mark and Luke use Jewish reckoning of time. John uses Roman reckoning of time. There's a six hour difference between them.

So when you read ninth hour versus third hour it's got him know which which clock you're supposed to be looking at. We of all people shouldn't have any problem with that living in Arizona. What time is it there.

Well I don't know. Did have you move your clocks recently. Well I'm not sure. Did we spring forward fall back. I don't know. You know. So we we understand how how clocks can change a little bit and things can get confused but there's all sorts of that.

But the big thing a lot of the a lot of the cult groups like to use in fact someone just this week asked me about this and it was raised to them by someone in a cult group they like to say well look you know you're just following your church traditions and stuff like that.

The reality is that Jesus could not have been crucified on Friday because it says three days and three nights. And so there are some people that will say well three days three nights mean that I'd have been as early as Wednesday.

Others will say Thursday. But you've got to have the three days three nights. Jonah in the whale da da da da da da. And they ignore two real obvious facts. First of all Jewish reckoning of time. Any portion of a day is a complete day.

So even these men say it's been three days. These things have happened. But the most important thing is is really simple. If you were to right now whip out your your smartphone and for those of you who have smartphones which is pretty much everybody today except for just a few people who remain nameless.

But if you were to whip that out and go to translate dot Google dot you didn't have to put your hands up. Roxy I was trying to avoid any specific mentioning of things but but if you will go to translate dot google .com and put in English for your input and Greek for your output and type in the word Friday what will appear in the other side in Greek letters but fairly easy to figure out is the word cross UK and you might wonder why that's relevant.

Well that means preparation. It's a verb that means preparation to prepare and so it becomes a substantive in the sense of preparation day. That's the normal word for Friday in the Greek language today.

And it came from the New Testament. It came in the New Testament because the preparation day what was the Sabbath was Saturday and so the day you prepared everything for the Sabbath was preparation day which was Friday.

And all the Gospels said crucifixion took place on preparation day. Now people say well but there is a special high Sabbath and there is this. Then it's just it's all special pleading. The fact is all the Gospels say it happened on Friday and it's the actual day for Friday.

Most people don't catch that because most of our translations will render it as preparation day and so we sort of miss that not realizing that that's the actual Greek term for Friday. Our Greek brother isn't here today.

He could have confirmed that for me it would have been really cool for him to go. Yeah yeah. But maybe we'll remember to do that some other time. But so it's what when you when you hear folks digging this up and and stuff like that just keep and keep in mind that a little closer examination will will reveal the harmony of the Gospels at that point.

So he says third day since these things happen. But also some women among us amazed us when they were at the tomb early in the morning did not find his body. They came saying they had also seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.

So the men and shining garments yes that is indeed angels. Some of them some of us who are with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as women also had said. But him they did not see. And so they are pretty much up to speed on on the current stuff.

It does make us all wonder what was going on between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. There has been all sorts of speculation down through the years about what was Saturday like for the followers of Christ.

And from our perspective it's really easy to go. And why didn't they hear. Why didn't you know. Indication is that you know even even here you know the angels said to the women did he not tell you this.

And they remembered. Yeah yeah I did. So you would wonder why weren't they sitting around combing through the scriptures and and with with great anticipation looking forward to that Sunday morning. Evidently they were not.

Evidently they were not. There might be some some application here of the necessity of supernatural enlightenment of the mind that's going to come out here in Luke 24. Certainly in regards to the coming and presence the Holy Spirit.

But there's I think more purposes will see here in a moment. And he said to them Oh foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all the prophets spoken. There is absolutely no question whatsoever that from the viewpoint of the early church from the the apostolic viewpoint that the Christian faith is not some new religion while there is newness in what has taken place while there is there are things that were hidden from the prophets of old.

One thing that cannot for a second be questioned is the fact that the fulfillment in Christ is a fulfillment of prophetic utterances and divine prophecy that to believe the prophets is to follow Jesus.

No question about it. And when you look at the term foolish that might seem rather harsh on Jesus's part. But the reality is that the term refers to lack of understanding. There was a a lack of understanding.

There's a foolishness. There's a slowness of heart to believe in all the prophets have spoken. And it's easy for us to look back at them and say well I was before the spirit. We have the spirit. Now we've got all figured out.

But to be honest with you there is a tremendous amount of slowness of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken in our day as well. We may talk about prophetic fulfillments of the ancient texts and things like that.

But certainly within what calls itself academia there is a tremendous amount of naturalistic materialism that causes people to be even slower of heart than these men would have been to believe in all the prophets have spoken.

Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory. Now it would seem by the rhetorical question and the context in which it is placed that the expectation that Jesus has is that a true and believing reading of the prophets should have told them these things.

Was it not necessary for the messiah to suffer these things and to enter into his glory. Wow. There's no response given. I can just sort of can you sort of imagine they're sad. And at first the thing in this guy's clueless I mean he you know you don't even know it's gone on here.

And then the first thing is to call them foolish and slow of heart and unbelieving. And then to hit them up with a graduate-level Bible quiz. Was it not necessary. I mean if you just read it would you not have understood.

Was it not necessary for the messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory in there they're like oh we've heard a lot about the glorious messiah and delivering Israel from political oppression and stuff like that.

But this suffering part not computing here this is not you know. And so we once again have a warning here of what happens when tradition overtakes scripture as the primary source of instruction. And certainly that had happened with pretty much everybody at this particular point in time.

The Scriptures Opened on the Road to Emmaus

So then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures. Now give me a second one two three four five six seven eight it skipped on me one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen words.

Eighteen words in Greek 18 words. I don't know about you but I I know a lot of Christian theologians and historians and and stuff that really wish there was more than 18 word there. I mean I think we get it we get a glimpse.

I mean if we were to sort of take all if we were to take like Peter's Pentecost sermon and a bunch of the sermons in the synagogues you know Paul and then go to Hebrews and and pull all that stuff together.

And then look at the the epistles where there are references to Old Testament text that would give us at least an outline I think of what these men experience as they're walking along the road to Emmaus.

But it would be an incredible thing. I sort of wonder I don't know but will we sort of get to find out you know I mean are there big screens in heaven. You know we'd like to watch what happened. We could we sort of see what happened on the road to a man loved you know maybe we'll just be so far beyond that won't even have thought.

But I sure would like to I sure would like to have been the proverbial you know bug on the wall type thing to to have listened in to what that conversation was like something tells me it was heavily one-sided.

No I don't think there is a lot of give-and-take on this one. I think it was really quiet in learning mode shall we say. And so I love to think about that. And of course there's that rather well-known work of art of the of Jesus walking with the disciples on the road to Emmaus and he's gesturing and they're just listening and what a privilege that would have would have been for them.

And they approached the village where they were going and he acted as though he were going farther. So they start. You know there's the path that leads in the village and he's not going over that part of the path you know.

And they urged him saying stay with us for his gang toward evening in the day is nearly is now nearly over. So he went in to stay with them. And 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.

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he vanished from their sight. So in the breaking of the bread why that. Well there's been all sorts of speculation that says some Eucharistic significance or something like that.

I think it's fairly obvious that even as we look at the life of the Apostles and and not just the twelve but it would have been times and there is more than just the twelve that Jesus is giving of thanks and prayers must have been a pretty amazing thing.

And it seems quite fitting that at that very point in time when the living bread from heaven is breaking the bread and blessing it and giving it to them that that time their eyes were opened and so once again there just seems to be a very obvious external power in in in action here and he vanished from their sight.

That does not mean that Jesus Jesus broke bread. He was it wasn't a ghost it wasn't a spirit. But while we do not have any and I know it's real popular right now due to certain movies who pretend to know a lot about heaven personally I think it's best to go with the Bible there rather than four-year-olds.

But anyways when you when you put it all together the resurrection body is incorruptible is the fact that the resurrection body is not limited by is it limited by time. What's time after after the resurrection.

What. How is that measured. How is that seen. How's that experience. I don't know. I mean if I really believe the Bible says I have not seen here is not heard hasn't entered the heart of man. So I either have to believe that or all the other stuff that people can come up with.

It's all speculation. But John pretty much clearly tells us that Jesus can enter locked rooms for us that seems to deny physicality. But I think that's the limit things way too much. And to ignore the emphasis that the text is emphasizing and that is the physical resurrection of Christ.

And so I said to 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 what must that have been like we I think need to be careful lest we fall into a form of hyper red letterism.

That would have been an incredible privilege to be in their shoes and to have their sandals I guess and to have heard this kind of of explanation of the prophetic witness. But the Spirit of God is no less capable of causing our hearts to burn in the instruction of his truth than Jesus was.

And so I think what we can take away from this is that God delights to open up his word to his people and just as he did that then the ministry of Christ does that now the ministry of the Spirit of God.

And they got up that very hour return to Jerusalem and found gathered together the 11 and those who were with them wasn't just 11. There's others saying the Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon and they began to relate their experiences on the road and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread while they were telling these things he himself stood in their midst doesn't say he knocked on the door etc etc.

So it seems to be similar to what we have in John he said peace be to you. But they were startled and frightened and thought they were seeing a spirit. And he said to them why are you troubled. Why do doubts arise in your heart.

See my hands my feet that is I myself touch me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have so very clearly those who would want to deny the reality of the physical resurrection have to simply turn these texts into myth and legend they that's one of the reasons why these individuals will try to date the Gospels as far away from these events as possible to provide maximum amount of time for the creation of mythology and legend and get these things as far away from eyewitnesses and living witnesses as possible.

It's all it's all part and parcel the same attempt because very clearly these words would indicate to us a concern first of all a a recognition that at first the disciples are saying they're seeing a spirit but Jesus make sure that they understand see my hands and my feet.

Why would he do that. Well obviously because the signs of the crucifixion touch me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones. You see as I have. And when he had said this he showed them his hands and his feet while they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement.

He said then have you anything here to eat. They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate it before them. So there is a clear purpose in why the gospel writers include this information.

One of the greatest heresies the early church were those who denied not only the physical nature of Christ but then taught the idea that there was really no resurrection. It was just simply a spiritual situation not a not one that would have any direct relevance to rising from the dead.

And you have clear concern by the expression of these actions on the part of the Lord Jesus. Now he said to them this is very this is where I want to get to get just a few minutes. Now he said to them these are my words I spoke to I was still with you that all things that are written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Notice the recognition of the Old Testament division the law the prophets and the writings that are found in these words. What's being said is I told you this before and was very one of the very first things Jesus then emphasizes instructionally with his disciples afterwards is the Old Testament witness the scriptural witness to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

And he reminds them I told you these things while we were walking along the dusty roads of Galilee and you didn't think you were walking with a spirit. Then that's all these things which are written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled must be fulfilled again that same term die necessary that these things be fulfilled.

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures 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 be proclaimed his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem your witnesses these things you hold.

I'm sending forth the promise of my father with you. But you are to stay in the city into your clothes of power from on high. So notice please verse 45 especially possibly as you think about this verse you will not experience the common frustration that is ours as believers especially at this time of year when you are faced with the the mockery of the unbelieving world even faced by the mockery of those who proclaim themselves to be Christians but are actually unbelievers in regards to the things of the Word of God.

For there are many of those and they are given tremendous freedom to express their unbelief in the world. Today when that happens remember verse 45. Then he opened their minds to understand the scripture.

Now some of you might be saying sounds like a bit of a cop-out. Sounds like a bit of a cop-out. If you have done apologetic work in your own experience you have talked with people who in your seeking to reason with them and to demonstrate errors in their understanding of scripture their misuse and abuse of scripture have basically said to you you know you just lack the spirit.

If you just had the spirit like I have then you'd see what these texts really mean. And once you've heard that from about the 20th person all of whom contradict each other you start rather naturally stepping back from from saying anything like well you know it's the spirit that we must depend upon for enlightenment and so on and so forth same time here you have the disciples themselves.

No one is going to accuse them of having an anti-supernatural bias. Certainly not at this point in time. Yeah they've got a tradition issue there. There is that and they're going to continue to have a tradition issue all the way to the Mount of Ascension.

They're gonna have a tradition issue all the way until the Spirit of God comes. And even after that God's gonna have to send down a dream to Peter three times. You have to whack him over the head with a dream to get him to start examining his traditions.

So yeah there's there's all that going on. But no matter what else we say we have to recognize that there is a spiritual element to the proper handling and understanding of the Christian scriptures. I mean why else would he have said that these men were were slow of heart.

It's not that. Well it's so obscure that there has to be this supernaturally opening of your eyes or like a Gnostic thing where if you just if you get initiated right then all of a sudden you know you discover that actually it's every fourth letter.

You know if you just read every fourth letter and put that there's a secret message that's that's not what's being said but there is something about the very text of Scripture that is in its origin supernatural.

And therefore there needs to be an opening of the mind. Now what has closed mind. What has closed the mind. It's all sorts of things we've already listed a number of them. Tradition can close the mind and ignorance can close the mind and selfishness and every kind of sin can close the mind.

I mean there's just all sorts of things that can close the mind. That process began the day that Adam partook of the fruit. But opening the mind is a gracious act and it's something that God himself has to do.

So when you see really intelligent people grossly mishandling the scriptures you can either blow a gasket get all angry and upset thank God that God in his mercy has opened your mind so that you do not mishandle the scriptures in that way and that you see the consistency and harmony of the Word of God as well.

That's an important thing to keep in mind that it can help you some people all you know I often get the question how do you stay sane with some of the people you deal with for hours on end on television or in debates and stuff like that.

It's like well yeah I keep this in. I keep this in mind and I think we need to keep it in mind as well. Okay all right we are out of time. Let's let's close our time. The word of prayer my grace. Heavenly Father we thank you for this day where we do indeed remember that great act of redemptive grace the cross the burial the resurrection.

We live in light of that we trust that our own resurrection will come about because of that and Lord may we rejoice in that truth this day. We thank you we love you pray in Christ's name.