Finally Enlightened

Luke 24:36-53

³⁶ As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” ³⁷ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. ³⁸ And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹ And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate before them. ⁴⁴ 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 and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” ⁵⁰ Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. ⁵¹ While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. ⁵² And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the temple blessing God.

The perfection of God’s plan now comes full circle as Jesus meets with all of the Disciples (excluding Thomas for the moment) and they all get to see for themselves the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. Luke dramatically describes their reactions of confusion, amazement, and tear-causing joy. There stands their Master, in the flesh (as He proves by eating a piece of fish) and He is glorious, not bloody or dead! Jesus does, though, still bear the scars of His sacrifice in His hands, His side, and His feet. It is indeed their Lord.

Jesus affirms for them that He is the One whom they followed but also the Great “I AM” of the Old Testament. “I AM myself.” These are powerful words and bring all of what He has done while on earth into focus. Verse 45 helps us understand that it was Jesus who opened their eyes and their hearts to the truth.

The center of this passage is Jesus’ statement to those gathered, “I AM myself”. “I AM” stands before them in flesh and bones. By claiming for himself this OT title of God, Jesus is also confirming the claims he made earlier in his earthly ministry, particularly during his trial before the Sanhedrin, when Jesus was ascribed four divine messianic titles including this same one: “I AM”. The same I AM who became flesh, was condemned, beaten, and nailed to a cross now is physically raised from the dead and remains the eternal I AM.

Just, A. A., Jr. (1997). Luke 9:51–24:53 (p. 1044). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

Luke collapses the 40 days between Jesus' resurrection and Ascension into one passage which he follows up with The Book of Acts, the next edition of his story of Jesus and His Church. This important passage ends with the Disciples returning to the Temple to worship the truly Living God – the Person of Jesus Christ.

The gospel ends where it began—in the temple—and it ends how it began—with worship. Standing in the center of this final passage is the ascension of Jesus, where he is enthroned in his humanity and divinity as the glorified Son of Man, and the worship of the ascended Jesus by the disciples. This is the first time in the gospel Jesus is worshiped in knowledge of who he really is. The whole gospel has been a journey toward this moment, when the ascended Jesus is worshiped by those who finally perceive that the cross and empty tomb were the goal all along. From Zechariah’s sacrificial offerings in the temple before the incarnation to the blessing of God in the temple by the disciples after the ascension, the hearers and readers of the gospel, like the disciples themselves, have journeyed toward faith in Jesus as the Messiah who, according to Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms is the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord.

Just, A. A., Jr. (1997). Luke 9:51–24:53 (pp. 1055–1056). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

Luke has taken us with great detail through the events of Jesus life from before He was born to the moment of His Ascension. This book is written with the intention of leading those who do not know Jesus to becoming fully formed disciples of the Living God. Luke causes us to marvel at the works of God in our own lives and to see that everything Jesus did while here on earth was for our salvation. To God alone be the glory.