Introduction.

Every Easter there will be a theological argument about whether or not the resurrection really took place in history, and if its historicity is really a matter of importance to faith. These questions were introduced by sin and the devil at the very time Jesus was resurrected. The Disciples were not quick to believe and understand the significance of Jesus death and resurrection. The risen Saviour took the Disciples patiently through the Scriptures to explain how his death and resurrection were foretold by God and how the world would be blessed by the things he had accomplished. The Disciples heard, saw and touched Jesus, but still struggled with the enormous implications of the Gospel. 2000 years later we are still struggling with the issues the Disciples wrestled with. In Luke 24:36-44 Jesus appears in the midst of his Disciples and exhorts them to set aside unbelief and in the boldness of faith go and proclaim the Gospel to all the world. (I have used an outline from C. H. Spurgeon for this sermon)

1. The historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

1. The resurrection is better attested as a historical fact than most historic events recorded in history. History which we accept as true often comes from believing and accepting the testimony of men and women. Written records are but the testimony of men and women put down in writing. We accept what happened at Gallipoli on the basis of the testimony of the survivors. The record of the sinking of the Titanic comes from the testimony of the adults among the 705 survivors. Listen to Paul listing those who witnessed the reality of the living risen Lord. ‘He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.^ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.' (1 Corinthians 15:5-8) This is not a comprehensive list as it does not include the women to whom Christ appeared. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth some witnesses of the living risen Lord were still alive and could be interviewed about their testimony. The testimony of the Eleven Disciples is extremely important and we need to consider the depth of their testimony.
   
   
2. The disciples were eye-witness to the resurrected Jesus. They saw Jesus close up face to face on a number of occasions. They did not see him at a distance which allows for mistaken identity or a figment of the imagination. In 2003 people standing about 300 metres away at Coogee Beech in Sydney mistook a fence post for a sighting of Mary the Mother of Jesus. There can be no doubt that this was nothing more than a figment of the imagination. The disciples were not 300 metres away but close enough to touch him. Jesus invited them to examine the wounds in his hands, feet and side. They watched him as he ate some fish and honeycomb which rules out any idea that they saw an apparition or a ghost. The Jesus of Nazareth whom they saw crucified at Calvary was the one who according to Luke 24:36 now stood among them.
   
   The disciples were ear-witness to the voice of the risen Lord Jesus. The voice heard was the same voice with the same Galilean accent that they had heard during the 3 years they were with him. They would have been able to identify Jesus by the sound of his voice. We all have voices that are distinctive and those who know us can quickly identify us when speak even if they can't see us. When I speak on the phone most people who know me recognise my voice immediately. Not only would the Disciples have recognised the sound of his voice, but the way he spoke and the manner he addresses them was typical of the Lord whom they loved. When Jesus said, ‘Peace to you' they would have recognised that it was said with the same authority, sympathy and grace that they heard when he said, ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you.'  What and how Jesus spoke to them would have been exactly what they would have expected. Jesus lovingly and gently rebukes them in Luke 24:38, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts rise in your hearts?'  It was our Saviour's custom to clothe his rebukes to the Disciples in questions. Think about the rebuke they received from Jesus when a storm was about to sink the boat that they were in. Jesus according to Matthew 8:26 rebuked them saying, ‘Why are you so fearful, O you of little faith?  What they heard would have intellectually confirmed that Jesus has risen from the dead. In verse 44 Jesus tells the Disciples, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.' The way Jesus expounded the Scriptures would have been with insight, passion and application that were quite distinctive. No one but Jesus could talk about the Scriptures being fulfilled in himself. When Jesus explained the Scriptures he spoke about himself; why he had come, what he had accomplished, the will of his Father and the love of God towards his people. No other man could ever speak about the Scriptures in this way.
   
   
3.  The disciples were able to touch and feel his reality. Jesus wanted to remove every doubt that lingered in the hearts and minds of the Disciples, so he urged them to examine his wounds. Jesus wanted them to handle him to make sure that he was not a ghost. He wanted them to know that he was physical having flesh and bones. Jesus had not risen from the dead as a ghost, he still had the body that was crucified. Jesus was establishing to the Disciples, not only his identity, but also his substantial corporeal existence. He defeated death and rose from the grave not as a spirit but with a physical body that could be handled.
   
   
4. The characteristics that were present in the Disciples before the crucifixion are very evident in their response to the risen Lord Jesus. How did they respond? Luke 24:37 tells us, ‘they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.' Does this response not sound very similar to the response the Disciples made when they saw Jesus walking on the water towards them? Listen to Matthew 14:26, ‘And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.' The disciples were not mystics or given to fanaticism, but men of sober mind who need to be convinced of a truth before they believed it. They were all slow to believe anything that they did not understand or seemed incredible to them. The Disciples could not be gullible men for they would be asked to die rather than deny the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. If they were gullible men then we would be foolish to rely on their testimony of the truth concerning the resurrection.
   
   
5. If the testimony we believe came from persons whose impartiality is questionable, uncritical persons who saw what they evidently wished to see, unreliable persons who are given to exaggeration, devious persons who wilfully deceive others we would be foolish and pitiful to accept their witness. In the Disciples case the facts were clearly tested, and truth was not admitted unless it was the only conclusion to be drawn. They were not sceptics who refused to believe in spite of the evidence, but men who needed to be convinced of something before they believed. Thomas may be called doubting Thomas and criticised for his reluctance to believe, but his doubts make his testimony even weightier than that of the others. As role of the testimony of the Disciples who were to become Apostles was to be significant in the establishment of the Church and the writing of Gospels they needed to be men who were competent witnesses. We have not believed the testimony of naive and gullible men, but believed the testimony of men who were competent and fully prepared to die for the truth of their testimony. We need to rejoice in the fact that the Lord chose such men be his witnesses for if we are guilty of believing false testimony then we believe in vain. If there is no truth in the resurrection then we are on a par with those who believe in Father Christmas or the Easter Bunny. If the testimony of the Disciples is not true then we will stand guilty before the judge of all the earth without hope of not being condemned to Hell. The men whose testimony we believe concerning the resurrection are competent and reliable men. For this we ought to give praise to God. The resurrection is a historical fact with huge spiritual implication and eternal consequences.

2. The character of our resurrected Lord.

1. Did Jesus change in any way after passing through the suffering needed to accomplish the atonement for his people? The simply but superficial answer is; 'No', Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. However Jesus is no longer in the state of humiliation which he took on to himself through the incarnation and his work as the suffering servant of the Lord. The work Jesus came to do is finished and he has now returned to the Father. Jesus is now seated on the throne of grace crowned with glory, majesty, power and dominion. In this sense Jesus has changed. Having completed the work his Father sent him to do Jesus now rules over all things to bring the fruits of his work to a conclusion for the glory of God.
   
   
2. From this appearance of the Lord to the Disciples recorded in Luke 24:36-43 we learn that the Saviour is still promoting peace in the hearts of his people. Before Jesus was arrested he knew that the Disciples were deeply troubled by the things that he had told them about his coming death. There can be no doubt that after Jesus' arrest and crucifixion that the trouble in their hearts greatly increased. Peter had the additional trouble in knowing that he had thrice denied that he knew Jesus. Is it not fitting that the first words the Saviour speaks to them are ‘peace to you'? We might have expected Jesus to say, ‘Do not be afraid it is I?' The risen Lord wanted to stop the distress and anxiety the Disciples felt in their hearts, minds and souls. Jesus wanted to stabilise their faith which had been thrown into confusion by the events of his betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion. Christ's concern for the peace and stability of his disciples had not changed. You and I like all believers ought to be greatly comforted by the fact that our Saviour wants us to find peace in him and enjoy a stable faith. Jesus wants his people to know that they are securely held in the palm of his hand and none will ever pluck them out. Jesus is concerned about his people and desires to have them full of confidence that he is with them.
   
   
3. Not only does the Saviour continue to show deep concern that peace may dwell in the hearts of his Disciples, but also continues to admonish them. Admonition describes correction with great encouragement and guidance. Listen to Jesus admonishing his fearful Disciples, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?' The correction Jesus gave them is clear, stop you hearts being troubled, and stop the doubts that arise in your hearts. It is as if Jesus is saying, I am with you there is no longer any reason for your hearts to be trouble or to be filled with doubts. In this case Jesus had come to reveal the truth to them about his death, resurrection and ascension. The troubles and doubts cause by a lack of understanding and insight are swept away by the truth, the truth set them free from the fears that ignorance generated in them. Jesus saw the turmoil unbelief caused in them and he is quick to challenge them on this matter. They were slow to believe the Scriptures and this slowness gave unbelief opportunity to disrupt their hearts, minds and souls. The encouragement in this admonition is in Jesus' invitation to them to touch and handle him. They were told the truth, now they handle the reality of that truth, so that their troubles and doubts could be replaced with an unshakeable sense of ‘I know Jesus is alive, he has risen from the dead.' The guidance of the admonition is found in Luke 24:46-48, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.' Exercise your faith and security by going out to preach the gospel and calling men and women to repent and believe. Did the Disciples feel better about Jesus giving them truth to set them free from their troubles and doubts? Absolutely, but feeling better was not the goal, being liberated from fear, trouble and doubts so that they were able be bold in the sharing of the Gospel was the goal. Our Saviour continues to admonish his people, and we should praise him for that gracious work. However we need to recognise that the lie the Devil has sent like a plague on modern society is that feeling better is the ultimate goal. Jesus has not changed he still requires all who follow him to share the gospel with others and call them to repent and believe.
   
   
4. Another lesson we learn from this appearance of the Lord to his Disciples is that he is still willing to be condescending towards his loved ones. The condescension of Jesus reveals itself most strikingly when he stoops to wash the feet of his Disciples. He was their LORD, Creator and Master and yet he washed their feet. The King of all glory serves those he loved by washing their feet. Even in the midst of a very busy schedule Jesus told his Disciples, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of God.'  The more you read the Gospels, the clearer it becomes that those who received kindnesses from Jesus knew that his concern for them was real, and that they really mattered to him. Jesus will always hear our problems and sorrows with grace and mercy. While on earth Jesus took time to show compassion on the outcasts of society, tax-collectors, prostitutes, lepers, adulterers and thieves. The risen Jesus has not changed, he still shows compassion on those who are undeserving. Every believer knows first hand how gracious our Lord is in condescending to meet the needs of his people.
   
   
5. The risen Lord Jesus was amazingly patient with the Disciples after his resurrection. The Disciples were pathetically slow to believe and apply the Scriptures, yet at no time do find the Lord scolding them on their tardiness. He patiently explains the Scriptures and when he sees that they do not comprehend he uses a visual aid. The Disciples were slow to believe that Jesus' resurrection was physical, so he asks, ‘Have you any food here?' If they saw him eating some broiled fish and honeycomb they would have to conclude that the resurrection involved Jesus' physical body. The slowness of the Disciples to believe the full implications of Jesus work on the cross is seen in Acts 1:6 when they as him, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' That Jesus had not changed in showing great patience towards those he loves is a great encouragement to me, because I am sure that I am even slower than the Disciples in understanding and applying the Scriptures to my life. It is a great blessing to know that our Saviour is wonderfully patient with his people.
   
   
6. The final two lessons which I want to draw from this appearance of Jesus to his Disciples are;
1. Believers ought to rejoice and take note that the risen living Lord Jesus gave himself to fellowship with his Disciples. He graced them with his presence and entered into conversation with them. After Pentecost Jesus continued fellowshipping with his Disciples by the Spirit through the Word. Jesus gives every believer the privilege of meeting with him in prayer and meditation on the Word. The very idea that you and I can fellowship with Almighty God is awesome. That we talk to God and hear him talk to us through the Word is wonderful. We are meant to enjoy and be thrilled by this fellowship with the King of kings.
   
   
2. Unbelievers need to know that the Saviour is still anxious to see sinners come to Salvation. When Jesus walked on earth he was anxious to seek the lost, to come as a physician to the sick, to call his sheep to follow him.  These desires still burn in their heart of him who now sits at God right hand, who is exalted, and to whom all authority, power and dominion belong. The King Eternal finds no joy in the destruction of unbelievers and he calls sinners to repent and believe Him.

Conclusion.

The resurrection of Jesus is a historical reality, and the resurrected Jesus holds all things in his hands. The Jesus who humbled himself by becoming a man to redeem his people from their sins is now the glorious King of Heaven, the supreme sovereign of all creation, yet he still delights in his people and is anxious to see sinners saved by his work. Let us rejoice in our wonderful God and urge sinners to seek the King of all grace.