“While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost 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. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:36b – 49

It is late at night. News has spread throughout the community of disciples that the tomb was empty. Some have stated to have seen the “Risen” Jesus. “Risen Jesus?” What could that mean? There would be no context for a risen anybody……

Alright, we know about Lazarus – but I am not so sure too many others know about him. The disciples do. But even with that event, I am sure there were doubts – like maybe Lazarus wasn’t really dead. So the context of a risen “anybody” would still be foreign to them – the only way someone comes back from the dead is that they are some ethereal spirit – a ghost. These were superstitious people – anything we might call paranormal today would have be interpreted as something demonic – or other-worldly – certainly beyond their comprehension. But while these two disciples are telling the other eleven that they have seen Jesus, suddenly he appears in their midst. There he was. He first appeared to Simon, Peter. Then he appeared to the two, including Cleopas and his friend. Now he is in the midst of all of them. And their reaction?  Certainly not joy, at first. It is doubt, mixed with amazement, terror, and joy.

This is the third appearance – and Jesus is getting a little disturbed with their doubt. What else could he do to convince them – to get them to drop the skepticism? He does for them what he did for Thomas in last weeks Gospel – he shows them his hands and his feet. If you remember with Thomas, Jesus told him to put his fingers in the nail holes in his hands, and to put his hand in his side. Here Jesus tells them to look at his hands and his feet – and then he tells them to touch him – grab hold of him – he is not a ghost.

Did they do that?

Well, we don’t know. They were still doubting. Would you have taken Jesus up on his offer and walked over to hug him? After all, dead people do not come back to life. And live people do not just appear in a room and disappear – or alive people do not walk through walls. And, look, once you are dead – you are dead. Doubt did not just creep in with Thomas, doubt was contagious among all of the disciples. Doubt was the prevailing thought – not belief. Jesus was going to have to do something else – something big – something so spectacular that no one would doubt. Put yourself in the minds of the disciples, and the other followers. And not just those within a generation of his death, but those 100, 200 even 300 years following his death. They would debate and argue over the details of Jesus – his relationship with the Father, the role of the Holy Spirit. It would take an Ecumenical Council in the fourth and fifth centuries to nail it all down – no pun intended. They would agree on two universal teachings for all Christians – two Dogma:

1. We understand, believe and teach that G-d is known to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2. We understand, believe and teach that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine – simultaneously – not half and half – not a drop of humanity in an ocean of divinity – not that he just “appeared to be human but was only divine”.

In the moment though, Jesus has no time for an ecumenical council – he has no time to debate the issues with his disciples – so he says:

“Can I have a bite to eat?”

What – Really Jesus? You are hungry?

How else is he going to prove to his disciples that the post-resurrection body is both flesh and bone – and spirit?  How do we know? Because Jesus asked for a piece of broiled fish, and he eats it, right there, in front of them all. It is really Jesus – flesh and blood – bone and spirit – and now, they believe. How do we know they believed? Because you and I are sitting here 2000 years later still worshipping and talking about the resurrected Jesus. Do we have doubts? Of course we do. We are human. We are no different than those early disciples. We are no different than those followers of the Ecumenical Councils, trying to make sense of something so terrific and awesome that it is mind blowing.

But truly, my friends, this is why we need to come to the table of communion and share in the meal of his body and blood often – because we have our doubts – and we have our trials – and we have our struggles – and we need Jesus to come to us often to remind us that everything written about him in the law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms has been fulfilled. And we need to come to church often so that the scriptures are opened to us – so that we can fulfill the mission Jesus has given us – to be witnesses of all these things.

Pastor Dave