Jesus Appears To His Disciples

Reading: Luke chapter 24 verse 36 to 49.

Ill:

• It was November 1942:

• Hitler's air-force had invaded and was terrifying English skies,

• Britain was feeling the dread of his enlarging shadow,

• And the country was asking the question;

"How long can they endure the unrelenting darkness of their situation?"

Winston Churchill who was the Prime Minister

• Needed to answer that question, and answer it quickly!

• What could he say to give the people hope & courage?

• On November 10th,

• He addressed a worried audience at the Lord Mayor's Day Luncheon:

• Slowly and in his own particular style,

• He spoke these immortal words:

"Now is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end.

But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning".

The disciples in Luke chapter 24 also needed to hear those words:

• The dark shadows of their Lord’s death hung heavy over them;

• All hope was gone.

• They were frightened and confused.

• Their initial response to the reports and the evidence of the resurrection was disbelief.

• Now they are hiding behind locked doors,

• Grieving in the safety of their own quarters.

• Life seemed to have closed in on them;

• And it now seemed impossible for them continue in their ministry.

• Their faith had been tried and tested,

• And when all was said and done, most of them ran for the hills.

• One (their un-elected leader) had even denied ever knowing Jesus.

• Talk about defeated and down and out!

• It seemed like the end of all their hopes and dreams;

• BUT! They are about to discover “It is only the end of a brand new beginning!”

Before Jesus returned back to Heaven (Ascended – next weeks study);

• There were some final things that he wanted to do for his disciples.

• And………….he still offers to do these things for his followers today.

(1). HE TURNED THEIR PANIC INTO PEACE (vs 39-43)

Ill:

The whelk is a this little ocean creature can ruin an oyster’s day.

• The whelk has an appendage that works like an corkscrew,

• With which it can bore a small hole in the top of an oyster’s shell.

• Then through this very small hole a whelk can devour an entire oyster,

• It simply sucks it out little by little until the oyster is gone.

• The circumstances of the last week like a whelk;

• Had sucked out all hope and peace from the disciples;

• They were left hiding behind locked doors,

• Worried and panicking for there own safety.

36”While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

37They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39Look 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."

40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence.”

• Suddenly and un-expectantly in the room;

• Before them stands the very last person they expected to see – Jesus!

• Notice: that his presence so startled them that his first words to them were;

• “Peace, be with you.”

• Their leader who they thought was gone, dead and buried;

• Was now standing before them in perfect health!

Notice:

• In verse thirty-eight he asked them a question, “Why are you troubled?”

• The word troubled literally means “to be stirred up.”

• These disciples are now more terrified by the person in front of their eyes;

• Than they ever were by their previous circumstances.

• Because they were so stirred up and afraid;

• Jesus did two things to reassure his disciples that it was indeed Him and not a ghost.

• First, He allowed them to touch Him.

• He wanted them to understand the He was not a mere an apparition or spirit being.

• Secondly, he asked for and received something to eat.

• Everyone knows that ghost don’t eat, right?

• He wanted to assure them that he was in control;

• He was bigger than there circumstances and bigger than their problems,

Application: What was true for the disciples is also true for us today!

Ill:

• Have you ever asked someone “How are you doing?” only to have them reply,