When Jesus appeared to his closest followers in the Upper Room, they were not expecting it. In fact, they had doubts and were greatly troubled by both Jesus’ death and his appearance before them. Jesus told them they shouldn’t be surprised at all…
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.”
Luke 24:36-48 NIV
“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.” Jesus proclaimed to his followers that he was risen bodily. He was not a ghost, but rather the Lord Jesus arose from the dead.
This was, Jesus told them, written in advance in the Old Testament and fulfilled on this day. “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.”
This was not expected, even though it was ‘written.’ Written where? If you go back and look up prophecies of Jesus which are fulfilled in the New Testament, you will find 300, 400, and even over 500 of them, depending who you ask. There is some ongoing mystery in terms of these prophecies and their fulfillment. If it was that clear, why didn’t everyone know Messiah had to die in the first century? No one was expecting that, even though it was ‘written.’
Even the idea that Messiah would come from Bethlehem was not evident when Herod asked the teachers for the backstory. The Magi and the teachers of the law helped Herod figure out what was not common knowledge.
“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?” The answer is that this was all a surprise to them. Jesus needed them to get over that surprise, so he invited them to touch him and eat with him. There was more teaching to impart to his team who would be the missionaries of Messiah’s message:
“Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” One of the qualifications of Apostle in the first century was that the person had to have seen the risen Jesus. In order to be a ‘sent one,’ carrying the message of Jesus into the world, the person had to be an actual witness of the resurrection. They were. And they did.
You might be troubled or have doubts. Here is one resource to help you if you would like to explore 55 important prophecies of Jesus from the Old Testament.
Amen.
Marc Kinna
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