Luke's version of Jesus' Resurrection

Dear Friends:  This Sunday we will be looking at Luke's version of Jesus' Resurrection appearance to that same group of doubting and disspirited disciples that we found last week in John's Gospel.  You might want to check out Luke 24:36b-48 before we get together for worship at 10 am!!

 

The difference here is that Thomas, or anyone else for that matter, is singled out for special attention.  They all receive Jesus with "joy and disbelief".  They all think they are seeing a ghost.  Jesus eats a piece of fish in front of all of them, so they might believe that it is He, and that He is alive and well and with them.  And Jesus opens all their minds to the transforming power of Scripture, which explains God's wonderful plan of salvation for all people through Jesus Christ.

 

But here, there is no Pentecost, no action by Jesus to "breathe" on the disciples, so they might receive the Holy Spirit.  No, for Luke, the disciples spend forty days with the Master, learning what they need to know for their future ministry.  In Luke, Jesus ascends into the clouds, to go back to Heaven to be with the Father.  And in Luke, volume II, also known as Acts, we find the gift of the Holy Spirit given to the disciples on Pentecost.  It is the Spirit who equips them, transforms them, and sends them out to evangelize the world.

 

Now for my money, I suspect that Luke's account is more historically accurate.  But this doesn't make John's account inaccurate.  Just different.  John had a different point to make.  And in the long run, the message is the same.  Jesus has given us of His Spirit, who gives us spiritual gifts to use in ministry, and He has given us mission to fulfill in His Name, with the constant presence and aid of the Holy Spirit.

 

You know, the message of the Gospel is the same, even if the way of telling the story is different.  For different people respond positively to the message when it is delivered in different ways.

 

This Sunday we will celebrate the "bridging" of our children from one grade to another.  And so the sermon will be directed especially to them, through the words of C.S. Lewis.  I am going to share a passage from vol. 6, "The Silver Chair".  It is perhaps one of the best telling of the story of the Resurrection I have ever heard.  It stars Aslan the lion, who as we all know represented God/Jesus in the Chronicles.  But adults, don't worry -- you're going to find much in this story that speaks to our situation today as well!  See you Sunday!!