Luke 24:1-53
Jesus Has Risen
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
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. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Acts 1:1-26
Jesus Taken Up to Heaven
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:
“‘May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,’
and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 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.”
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
1 Corinthians 15:54-55
On the Sting of Death
54 “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The last chapter that St. Luke writes in his gospel is a little different than his first chapter in his book, the Acts of the Apostles...They really are similar accounts of the same story...And since the author is one and the same, we have a very fluid transition when reading the Gospel According to Luke and then immediately reading the Acts of the Apostles...We know from Luke, and his Book of Acts, that after Jesus rose from His death, He is on earth for forty days...However, Luke does not mention that in his gospel...He only mentions that in the Book of Acts...And these forty days are of the most important...I believe that these days are the forty of the most important days that we have had on earth...This is because, I believe, that the resurrection is the most important historical fact in the world...THese forty days remind us that He is Divine and that He is the Anointed One, the Messiah that was to come...
In Luke's gospel and in the last chapter of Luke, Luke tells us that the women who followed Jesus goes to His tomb and find out that He has risen...Then we learn that Jesus meets with two of His followers on the road to Emmaus but goes unnoticed...And the three talk for quite a while walking down the road, until sometime later He reveals Himself as Jesus...Then still in Luke's gospel Jesus appears to His Disciples...He opens their minds so they can better understand the Scriptures and says, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem...You are witnesses of these things...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.”...And Luke's last verses in his gospel are, "When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them...While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven...Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy...And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God...
This last section of Luke is then given to us in a little different way, than what he writes his Book of Acts...Luke writes in Acts that in his former book, that he wrote the book for Theophilus, that he wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the eleven apostles (less Judas) that He had chosen...After His suffering on the cross, He presented Himself to them and gave them many convincing proofs that He was still alive...He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God...On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about...For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”...Jesus in a matter of His time would be sending His Disciples the Holy Spirit...Then the Disciples gathered around Him and asked Him, “LORD, are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”...He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His Own authority...But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”...After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight...The Disciples were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them...“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?...This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”...Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city...
We can see how many things were added by the same author from the last section in Luke, to Jesus' ascension into heaven in the Acts...Not that the books have changed, but that the author has given us more detail about the ascension and some things about Jesus' last forty days on earth, and in fact, He did spend forty more days on earth after His death...And during these forty days Jesus made it clear to His Disciples and to some others (and to us) that He was still alive...He was still in human form...However, He does seem to have the ability to "pop in and appear" to people or come and go, as if He is not confined to our sense and understanding of time...Just like He did on the road to Emmaus, and like He did when He first appears to His Disciples...Jesus makes it clear to His Disciples that He is not a ghost and Luke makes the point that He eats with them, both in his gospel when Luke tells us that Jesus asks, "Do you have anything here to eat?"...The Disciples gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate it in their presence....Imagine that Jesus ate broiled fish after He died...And again Luke tells us in the Book of Acts, that on one occasion, while Jesus was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about...Jesus was eating with them on this occasion, to which I must believe He is still human, and is hungry...
The mention of Jesus' ascension is a monumental sight, but for me seems to get overshadowed by Jesus' resurrection...But His ascension must have been Grand...And still it seems that Jesus is in His humanly body as He ascends to heaven...Jesus' work on earth is now done...He can go home...He can ascend to heaven...We know that He left us in His human form and is now in heaven...And we know He will return...Two men who also just popped in appear to His Disciples...These two men are in white...They must be angels of Jesus...These two men say, "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven."...
The picture we often have of the body is one of growing old and becoming feeble...But here we see that the body of Jesus makes it into heaven...Jesus has shown us that death has been swallowed up in victory...There is this victory for the physical body, and we can ask, where o' death is your victory, where o' death is your sting?...