9 April 2017

My dear readers,

(Extracts from RPG, Jan – Mar 1998, Edited by Dr SH Tow)

1. THE RISEN LORD APPEARS
Luke 24: 33-43, John 20:19-31

The Bishop of Durham, England, would have us believe that the Lord Jesus (whom he pretends to serve) never really rose from the dead, but that the disciples had "pinched his body". Other sceptics explain away the resurrection as "hallucination" and "visions".

Luke's account is one of ten recorded appearances of our risen Lord. These should suffice to banish all doubts and idle speculations. In today's passage we read that –
(a) Jesus stood in the midst of the despondent and fearful disciples, appearing as it were out of nowhere while "the doors were shut". The risen Lord, in His glorified resurrected flesh and bones body passed through closed doors, against physical laws.
(b) Jesus spoke words of assurance. "Peace be unto you", and words of instruction: "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day ... These are the words which I spake ... while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me."
(c) Jesus shewed His hands and His feet, saying, "Handle me and see; for a spirit (or ghost) hath not flesh and bones." The sight of the nail prints and our Lord's wounded side caused doubting Thomas to exclaim: "My Lord and my God!'
(d) Jesus supped in the presence of the disciples, eating a piece of broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. In all this we see the super abundant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as He accommodated to the disciples' faithlessness by demonstrating His personal and physical presence with them. But most kind and gracious was this: that our Lord forgave the disciples for shamefully deserting Him in His hour of trial, and Peter for denying Him thrice.

QUESTION: Have you learnt to be gracious and forgiving as the Master?

2. WALKING AND TALKING WITH JESUS
Luke 24:13-32, Psalm 16

For the two disciples on the Emmaus road, life was never so sad and dreary. They had high hopes in the Lord, having "trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel." The crucifixion put an abrupt end to all their expectations. But that morning they had heard startling reports from certain of their womenfolk of an empty tomb and a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive. Could it be that Jesus had risen from the dead, as the angels testified? If this were true, where was Jesus? No one had seen Him alive.

Doubt and gloom clouded the minds of the two disciples as they reasoned and debated along the way, until the risen Lord Himself joined them. "But their eyes were holden that they should not know him." Jesus did not reveal Himself to them, for a purpose, in order that they might more freely express their innermost doubts and fears, and in order that He might expound the Scriptures as a detached "third person". So He did, explaining to them all the things concerning himself. And how their hearts did burn within them as He opened to them the Scriptures.

We too are, as it were, on the road to Emmaus. Until the risen Lord comes into our life, our walk will be dreary and sad, gloomy and purposeless. If the one on whom we had pinned our hopes is dead and gone, what future is there for us? Sadly, this is the state of many Christians. The risen Saviour has yet to come into their lives. To all true believers our Lord says, "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations ... and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matt 28:19,20). When the risen Lord comes into your life, He will walk and talk with you, and your heart will also burn within you. Things will never be the same again.

PRAYER: O Master let me walk with Thee, In lowly paths of service free.

3. THE RISEN LORD ASCENDS
Luke 24: 45-53, Acts 1:1-11

In His post-Resurrection ministry among His disciples our Lord appears ten times on record. At the end of forty days He visibly ascended up to heaven from the Mount of Olives, bringing to a victorious conclusion His earthly ministry. Let us ask ourselves: what are the implications of our Lord's Ascension? We can think of four.

(a) It was divine strategy. Before His death, Jesus told the disciples: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). The coming of the Holy Spirit Comforter was to inaugurate the era of the presence of the Spirit in the Church, fulfilling our Lord's promise, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt 28:20).

(b) It was to prepare us a place. "In my Father's house are many mansions ... I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2,3). Peter describes this as "an inheritance incorruptible ... that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Pet 1:4).

(c) It was to intercede for us. Seated at the Father's right hand of glory, His atoning work completed (Heb 10:12), Jesus makes intercession for us (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25), pleading with the Father on our behalf, looking after our interests. Nowhere in the New Testament is He said to be continually offering Himself in Heaven, for His one sacrifice of Himself was complete (Heb 10:12-14).

(d) It was to await His return to earth. Soon, at a time appointed by the Father, when "his enemies be made his footstool" (Heb 10:13) our Lord shall return ... "this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Then, "every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him ..." (Rev 1:7).

PRAYER: Even so, Lord Jesus, come!

God bless all readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor