Category Archives: MATTHEW 28(ii)

The final occasions when Christ was with His own before He ascended to heaven.

MATTHEW 28(ii)

We now come to the incident recorded at length only by Luke of the two on the way to Emmaus. Mark summarises the incident as follows:

Mark 16:12
After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

After that he appeared in another form unto two of them- the word for form is the same as is used in the expressions “form of God”, and “form of a servant”, Philippians 2:6,7. It has been defined as “reality in manifestation”. Just as Mary Magdalene thought the Lord was the gardener, so these think He is a humble stranger, making His way away from Jerusalem, as they were. He appears in this way so that they come to know Him as risen in His true character. Mary realised the “gardener” was the Lord when He spoke her name. The two mentioned here will recognise Him when He breaks the bread, and He is “known unto them in the breaking of bread”. The reality of His person is manifest in these ways so that there was no mistake. They knew His voice and saw His hands. It could not have been anyone other than He.

By “two of them” Mark means two of the company that Mary Magdalene went to with the news that He was risen. Some of these had gone to the sepulchre and “found it even as the women had said”, but did not see the Lord Himself, Luke 24:24. These two had not done that, and left for Emmaus without knowing any more developments, not even that He appeared to Peter at some later time.

As they walked, and went into the country- Peter and John had run to the sepulchre, but these are walking slowly and sadly away from Jerusalem. How different their feelings, (and no doubt their pace), as they made the return journey later on that evening. Should not we follow Him with quicker pace when He has revealed Himself to us in some way?

Luke’s fuller account is as follows:

Luke 24:13
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus- the last people mentioned by Luke are the apostles, but John’s account of the report of the women was to the disciples, and the Lord Himself had called them His brethren, so it is not exclusively apostles in view. This is confirmed by the fact that one of them is Cleopas, whose name does not appear in the list of the apostles. Presumably they are husband and wife, or father and son, so it is typical of Luke to bring in a domestic touch, as he does throughout his gospel. It is the same day as the resurrection took place, and yet these two have not seen the Lord. Mary Magdalene has, and so have Mary the mother of James, and Salome, but apparently no-one else. It seems that the first man the Lord appeared to was Peter, as 1 Corinthians 15:4,5, “that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures: and that was seen of Cephas”. This must have happened after these two had set out on their journey. Either that, or it had happened but they had not heard about it.

Emmaus does not feature in the gospel records. In Luke’s gospel the only place that is specified after the Lord set His face to go to Jerusalem was Jericho. Even Bethany is called “a certain village”. It is as if Luke has set his face on Jerusalem also. But now Christ has gone to Jerusalem and died, Luke tells us the name of this village. He is anticipating the time when Jerusalem will not be the centre of attention, but in obscure places in the earth, and by obscure people, the presence of Christ will be known.

Which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs- this is the only indicator as to where it was. Sixty furlongs is about seven English miles. As they have sad hearts, we may suppose them to be walking slowly, so the journey may have taken them three and a half hours. As they arrived home “toward evening”, and the day was “well spent”, verse 29, we may think of them as beginning their journey sometime after midday.

Luke 24:14
And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

And they talked together of all these things which had happened- they did this without knowing He was risen. This is why they were sad. Should not those who do know He is risen not only talk together about them, but rejoice together? There is a special place in the heart of God for those who fear the Lord and speak often one to another. In fact He has a special book of remembrance to record each conversation, and such people are to Him like jewels in a treasure-chest, Malachi 3:16.

Luke 24:15
And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

And it came to pass- one of Luke’s characteristic expressions, impressing on us that it is real history that he is relating.

That, while they communed together and reasoned- they talked over what had happened in the last few days, and tried to make sense of it together. Until they know Christ is risen they will not understand. Then everything will fall into place, and they will be sad no longer.

Jesus himself drew near, and went with them- Luke’s gospel is constructed around the expression “Jesus himself”. After he has recorded His baptism Luke writes, “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age”, Luke 3:23, and then he gives us His genealogy, thus linking His baptism with His birth. So the man baptised is “Jesus himself”. The same one who was born holy has lived holily, and can be baptised without repentance, unlike the rest of those who came to John. Now it is “Jesus Himself” who draws near to these two. The same one who had lived and died amongst men is now in resurrection. And He not only communes with individuals, but with His gathered people, for in verse 36 we shall find that it is “Jesus himself” who stands in the midst of the disciples.

It is the Lord’s promise to true believers that “they shall walk with me in white”, Revelation 3:4. He associates with those who are holy, so we need to ensure we are living holy lives if we wish to walk with Him now. But He wants to walk with those who are intelligent as to who He is, hence He engages with these two to reveal Himself to them.

Luke 24:16
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

But their eyes were holden that they should not know him- Mark, writing of this incident, tells us that “He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country”, Mark 16:12. It seems, therefore, that the Lord could modify the way in which He manifested Himself in resurrection. The word for “form” is the same as Paul used when he writes of “the form of God”, and “the form of a servant”, Philippians 2:6,7. He is manifesting Himself as a pilgrim. He is in fact on His way to heaven but they do not realise that. Their eyes were in some way held back from penetrating through His appearance. He is going to reveal Himself in the way of His choosing.

Luke 24:17
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? His sympathetic heart goes out to them as He discerns they are sad. He gives them the opportunity to open up to Him. Unlike Mary at the tomb, they do not recognise His voice. Perhaps they had never been in a situation where He spoke to them personally, so that His voice was different to when He was preaching. Or perhaps “in another form” involves a temporary change of accent.

Luke 24:18
And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him- Luke purposely avoids saying that they were husband and wife, or that Cleopas was the husband, in order that the incident may be applicable to every situation where believers are sad.

Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem- He has appeared to them in a way which suggests He was just passing through, and was not, as they were, journeying from Jerusalem after celebrating the feast. There were many strangers in Jerusalem at this time, but they were not “only strangers”, they were “pilgrim strangers”, who had come from all parts of the earth to worship at the feast.

And hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? They cannot understand how someone who was obviously journeying away from Jerusalem could be ignorant of the dramatic events that had taken place there in the last few days. He must have passed though Jerusalem without speaking to anyone. And yet He seemed sociable as He joined them as they walked.

Luke 24:19
And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

And he said unto them, What things? He cannot say He does not know. He cannot say He does know, or else the conversation will simply be a discussion of events. He is intending to explain the meaning of the events, and dispel their sadness. “What things?” gives them opportunity to open up to Him, even though He is a stranger, as they think.

And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people- note that they are ready to testify to a stranger about this Person. It is good if we are “ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”, 1 Peter 3:15. It is a pity, however, that they only call Him a prophet, seeing that the deeds and words they refer to were designed to show that He was the Son of God. They were indeed believers, for Luke is careful to tell us they are “two of them”, verse 13, so they were disciples. They do not say He was the prophet promised by Moses, Deuteronomy 18:18. They do testify to the fact that He was mighty in word and deed, and that God recognised His ministry, as did the people. Perhaps their faith in Him as the Son of God has been affected by the fact that He did not avoid being killed, and they are embarrassed to testify to this stranger lest it be discovered that their faith is wavering.

Luke 24:20
And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death- it is interesting to notice how closely these words correspond to what Peter said on the Day of Pentecost, “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs…ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain”, Acts 2:22-23. Peter went on, however, to prove from His resurrection that He was indeed the promised Messiah, verse 24.

And have crucified him- this implies that they had handed Him over to the Roman authorities, for their rulers could not impose the death penalty, and even if they could, it would have been by stoning.

Luke 24:21
But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel- in a contrast to the thoughts of the priests and rulers, (hence the “but”), they thought Him to be the redeemer of Israel, about to throw off the Roman yoke. Instead, it was the Romans who crucified Him. This is the opposite to what they were expecting. Their faith in Him as the Messiah is being shaken, and they have reverted back to the opinions of the people who said He was just Elijah or Jeremiah come back from the dead.

Anna in the temple at His birth was looking for redemption in Jerusalem, Luke 2:38, and Zecharias also spoke of being saved from their enemies, 1:71. In other words, they were looking for political redemption. They had been taught by the prophets that just as God had redeemed them as a nation from Egypt, so He would deliver them again from their low state. See Jeremiah 23:7,8, for example. In the New Testament, however, that political redemption is used as a figure for the spiritual redemption of individuals as they come into the good of what the blood of Christ secures. It is nonetheless true that Christ will indeed rescue His earthly people when He comes to earth to reign.

And beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done- this is the final blow to their hopes. Despite being a prophet He has been crucified. Despite being the one they thought would deliver them from Rome, He was crucified by Rome. Despite His word about rising again the third day, the day is nearly ended and He has not risen, so they think

In their sadness and disillusionment they are being illogical. If He was indeed a prophet, then His word about rising the third day would be fulfilled. At least they have taken the third day literally, and expected Him to rise soon after His death.

This expression “third day”, spoken, as it was, on the first day of the week, seems to establish that Christ died on a Friday. To the chief priests “after three days” is the same as “the third day”, Matthew 27:63,64. To the Western mind, the third day after Friday is Monday, but the Eastern mind makes the day that is being counted from, the first day.

Luke 24:22
Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished- it seems as if later on in the day of the resurrection, there were at least two companies gathered together; one group was the apostles, and “they that were with them”, Luke 24:33, and the other group was “the rest”, Luke 24:9, otherwise called “the residue”, Mark 16:13. So the two on the road to Emmaus were of the latter company, but verse 33 tells us they went to find the apostles first when they went back to Jerusalem.

Which were early at the sepulchre- this must be a reference to the company Luke tells us of, as the next verse will show.

Luke 24:23
And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

And when they found not his body- this is the language of verse 3 of this chapter, “And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus”.

They came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive- this corresponds to the words of verses 4-7, where the two men in shining garments say, “He is not here, but is risen”, verse 6.

Luke 24:24
And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre- we are not told this in the resurrection accounts. It is some of the company Cleopas is associated with who did this. It cannot be a reference to Peter and John going to the sepulchre, or Peter going alone, or surely they would have said “two apostles went to the sepulchre”. It is “certain of them”, so they knew who they were.

And found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not- this cannot be a reference to Mary the mother of James and Salome, the companions of Mary Magdalene, Mark 16:1 for they did see the Lord, and they reported to the apostles, Luke 24:10, not to Cleopas’ company. “Him they saw not” rules out these women, and shows that the two companies of believers were isolated from one another because of fear of the authorities.

Luke 24:25
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

Then he said unto them, O fools- the three expressions “found not his body”, and “which said he was alive”, and “him they saw not”, show that it is no good exhorting these two to believe what they have heard. This is one reason why they are fools, or unwise ones, for “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established”, 2 Corinthians 13:1. These have rejected the testimony of at least two women that His body was gone. But they may have thought the same as Mary Magdalene at first, that His body had been stolen. But then they had the testimony of the angels that He was risen, explaining why the body was gone. They did not believe the angels. Then others went and confirmed the testimony of the first women. The very fact that they went to the sepulchre shows they did not fully believe the angels. Clearly they are not in a fit state to believe a “stranger”. This is why the Lord appeals to the prophets.

It is important to know that the word “fools” simply means “unwise ones”, those who are unintelligent even in the presence of the facts. This emphasises that Cleopas and his companion were unresponsive to the facts, which justifies the description “unwise”. It is not the word “moros”, (from which comes the English word moron, or blockhead), which is an insult, the use of which was condemned by the Lord in Matthew 5:22.

And slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken- they only believed some things, the prophecies concerning the defeat of their enemies by an all-conquering Messiah. A man of sorrows and one acquainted with grief brought as a lamb to the slaughter was not in their minds. He is gently bringing them round to the idea that the Jesus of Nazareth they spoke of was in fact the Messiah, and they should have expected Him to suffer and die. Notice that belief is a heart-matter, for the innermost part of man must be engaged; faith is not only of the mind. Their minds were closed, and their hearts were slow.

Luke 24:26
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

Ought not Christ to have suffered these things- “ought” means it was necessary and binding. The apostle Peter writes of “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow”, 1 Peter 1:11. He means that the sufferings of Christ did not just belong to Him, but pertained to Him, and Him alone; He was ordained to suffer. He was also obliged to suffer, as He said before the cross, “the Son of Man must suffer many things”, Mark 8:31.

And to enter into his glory? Note that the sufferings and the glory are spoken of together, for they are both part of God’s will for the Messiah. So the disappointment of these two is unfounded, for the glory follows the sufferings. They thought only of glory, and that in terms of the defeat of Rome. They must have forgotten the words “He must needs go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things”, and then, “For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father”, Matthew 16:21, 27. The one is as sure as the other.

At this point He only speaks of earthly glory as foretold by the prophets, but it will be revealed later on that it is God’s will to gather together all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, Ephesians 1:10. This is part of the mystery of His will which it was reserved to the apostle Paul to unfold. The Old Testament prophets had no inkling that the Messiah would be supreme in heaven as well as earth.

Luke 24:27
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets- as we shall learn from verse 44, the Old Testament was divided up into three parts, the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms. Here however, the emphasis is on the prophets, and Moses is included in their company because he prophesied of a prophet like to himself, who would speak to God for the people, and that prophet, as Peter made clear in Acts 3:22,23, was Jesus of Nazareth. Moses gave the basic prediction, and the other prophets filled in the details. See on verse 44 for the fuller division of the Old Testament.

He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself- as He explained the words of the prophets, they were becoming intelligent as to God’s purpose. But they still do not know that the stranger who is walking with them is in fact the Christ of whom He speaks.

Luke 24:28
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further- this is a test for them, as to whether they wish to know more. The Lord does not force Himself upon them. Nor does He ask for a lodging, which they would feel obliged to provide out of courtesy. It is much better that they wish Him to stay for the right reason. He has told them enough to make them aware that their understanding of things was deficient, but they have made no comment, as far as the record goes. They are still not aware that He is the one He has been speaking about. Abraham entertained angels unawares, and these are about to entertain the Lord of glory unawares.

Luke 24:29
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent the law enjoined them to have pity upon strangers and those in need, and they are showing their God-fearing character. But they are not simply being hospitable to a stranger, but are enthralled what He has to say to them, and they wish to know more. This is a great example for believers. Do we wish to know more of Him, even when we are at home?

It is interesting that Luke tells us of seven houses that the Lord entered during His earthly ministry, and now in resurrection He is entering the eighth. The seven are as follows: the house of Simon Peter, Luke 4:38,39; of Levi, 5:27-29; of Simon the Pharisee, 7:36-50; of Jairus, 8:41,42,49-56; of Martha and Mary, 10:38-42; of an un-named Pharisee, 11:37-54; of one of the chief Pharisees, 14:1-24. All this shows how approachable and sociable the Lord Jesus was. He was separate from sinners, but was a friend of publicans and sinners. In resurrection, however, He only entered the houses of believers.

And he went in to tarry with them- notice that they are happy to have Him to stay with them at short notice. They do not have to make any adjustments to their home to make it suitable for His presence. Nothing has to be put out of sight because it is an embarrassment. Notice also that He is happy to stay with them. The ministry of the Lord Jesus begins with Him saying to two of John’s disciples, “‘Come and see’, and they came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour”, John 1:39. Now the situation is reversed, and these two have Him abiding with them.

Luke 24:30
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them- as becomes clear a little later, the resurrection body of the Lord Jesus was able to take in and assimilate food. This is one of the features that comes out in these resurrection accounts; others will noticed later.

He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them- here is the moment of revelation. Instead of simply stating that He was the Messiah and the Jesus of Nazareth they spoke of, He proved it by what they could see for themselves. They had not believed the testimony of what others said they saw, nor the testimony of what others said they heard from angels, but they cannot avoid believing the evidence of nail-pierced hands.

So He takes the lead in this meal, and they were clearly ready to defer to this exponent of the Old Testament, even though they did not realise He was speaking about Himself. He takes bread, reaching out with His hand to grasp the loaf. He blessed it, lifting up holy hands, revealing His palms. He brake it, again exposing the nail-prints. Then He personally hands them the broken loaf, so that His hand and their hands are united by the loaf. Could there be a more vivid indication of who it was that was in their presence? A fourfold exposition of His person has been enacted before their very eyes, in their very own home.

Special note on the breaking of bread here
This incident should not be brought forward as support for the practice of taking the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper to those not able to be present at the gathering. The following reasons may be cited:

1. The reference is only to a common meal, and what the Lord did was in connection with that meal. There is no evidence to suggest that He intended it to be a carrying out of the Lord’s Supper. The bread was what they were having for their supper, not what was brought from another gathering to be eaten in their home.

2. There is no mention of wine in this incident, and it is impossible to have the Lord’s Supper without the wine.

3. The Lord’s Supper is something believers keep in the absence of Christ, after His ascension, but obviously He is still on earth at this time.

4. The Lord’s Supper is His provision “until he come”, 1 Corinthians 11:26. It cannot be celebrated before He has gone. It stands to reason that if this is a precedent for a private gathering, and the precedent is deficient, then anything based on it is deficient also.

5. The Lord’s Supper is not only a matter of remembrance, it is also an expression of unity. The apostle Paul is clear, “The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many, are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread”, 1 Corinthians 10:16,17. The Lord’s Supper cannot be celebrated in isolation from the gathered church.

6. Underlying the practice of taking the bread and the wine to those not able to gather with the church, is the notion that some blessing is imparted by eating and drinking. Unwittingly or not the connection is made with the doctrine of John 6:52-57 that to eat and drink is to receive eternal life. This is faulty understanding. Of course whenever believers keep the Lord’s Supper they derive a blessing. But they gain a blessing every time they meet together, whether to break bread or not. John 6 is about the Lord’s Table, and this should not be confused with the Lord’s Supper. When the apostle is referring to the Lord’s Table, he uses the bread of the Lord’s Supper as an illustration. He does not include the wine, thus showing that the Table and the Supper are distinct.

7. The apostle Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32, that sometimes, when believers refuse to discipline themselves, the Lord has to step in and do this. One of the ways He does this is to bring about circumstances where they are prevented from partaking of the Lord’s Supper, so that they may be stopped from affecting the testimony of the gathering, and also may be prevented from bringing further judgement on themselves by partaking of the Supper in an unjudged state. In extreme cases, they are prevented from ever again partaking of the Supper by being removed by death. In lesser cases, weakness and sickness is brought upon them as the Lord’s judgement, so that they are progressively warned of their danger. To take the bread and the wine to those who have been prevented from attending the gathering for the Supper, is to say that we are able to judge that their weakness and sickness is not because of unjudged sin. But we do not have the capacity or the right to make that judgement, so the bread and wine should not be taken to them. If they are not guilty of unjudged sin, the Lord is able to make up to them what they miss through not being at the meetings.

It is important to notice that the apostle writes, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep”, 1 Corinthians 11:30. So there are other causes why believers and weak, and ill, and die. We should not jump to the conclusion that they have sinned, necessarily.

Luke 24:31
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

And their eyes were opened, and they knew him- verse 16 tells us “But their eyes were holden, that they should not know him”. Now it is different, and the reverse is the case. This needed to happen, so that they could see for themselves. They did not believe the testimony of other eye-witnesses, but now they believe the testimony of their own eyes. No sooner did they see the nail-prints, then the truth dawned on them, that it was Jesus of Nazareth who was with them, who had been crucified. Of course the other two crucified at the same time had nail-prints, but they did not know them as Jesus of Nazareth. Soon He will show His wounded side to the disciples, and thus distinguish Himself from the malefactors.

And he vanished out of their sight- here is another feature of the resurrection body of Christ, that it can make itself invisible at will. Now that they have recognised Him, they are able to go back to what He said to them as they walked along, and relate it to Him personally. And this is what believers may do now, as they read the testimony of the four gospel writers. Now that we have the record, we do not need to see, for the evidence is now in Scripture. Temporarily these two are in our position, unable to see Him, but they still believe in Him and His resurrection. No doubt He vanished so that they would not delay to tell the disciples what they had seen.

Luke 24:32
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us- we are now told their reaction to exposition of the Old Testament when they did not know who the expositor was. Their heart burned within them- they were warmed in heart, and their love for the Old Testament is thereby revealed. We could ask ourselves whether we share this love of the word of God.

While he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? They were not offended by being called fools, for it was not an aspersion on their character, but their ignorance. He must have impressed them with His concern for them in their sadness, verse 17, for their heart burned even at this. Their heart burned when he talked, and when He expounded. They showed their deep interest in the Old Testament prophecies, because their heart burned at the explanation of these. They saw things that day that they had never seen before. And all this before they knew who He was! It is pleasing to notice, if indeed the two are man and wife, that they are equally interested in the word of God.

Luke 24:33
And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem- despite the lateness of the hour, (for the day had been far spent before they began their meal), and despite the danger of travelling some seven miles in the darkness, they now make their way to Jerusalem. How different their walking now! Before, it was obvious to the “Stranger” that they were sad. With heavy hearts and heavy tread they plodded homewards. But now all is different, and with quickened step and burning hearts they make their way to where the apostles are.

And found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them- as suggested before, the disciples seem to have been congregated in different places, for security purposes. We see this from John 20:19 where the doors were shut “for fear of the Jews”. In verse 22 they had spoken of “certain women also of our company”, and it is clear that they do not refer to Mary Magdalene and her two companions, for they added, “and him they saw not”, and these latter had seen Him. But it is not to these that they report their news, but the apostles and others with them, possibly in the house where Peter had been staying during the feast. It is an interesting question as to whether Luke says “the eleven” because Judas was no longer an apostle, or whether he means to indicate that Thomas was not present. This raises the question as to whether what follows is the same as what John records, or not.

Luke 24:34
Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

Saying, The Lord is risen indeed- they find that this company know what they know, although they had seen Him, and this company as yet had not, except Simon Peter. Or does this mean that they are not in Simon Peter’s company, but know that he has seen the Lord?

By “risen indeed” they mean is risen in the proper sense of the word. In John 20:8 John saw the linen clothes and believed. But when the women came and told the apostles that they had seen the Lord, they (presumably including John), believed them not, verse 11. So presumably John only believed that the body was gone and the Lord was risen as a spirit. Now he knows that it is a resurrection “indeed”, a true resurrection of the body.

And hath appeared to Simon- this is the pivotal moment, for Peter was the first of the apostles, Matthew 10:2, and had been given special authority to use the keys of the kingdom of heaven. If he does not believe, he will have no incentive to encourage others to believe.

Because the women will not be sent forth as evangelists, they are not mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15, nor here. As far as this company is concerned, if Simon Peter has seen Him, that is enough for them. That Mary and her companions saw Him first is a rebuke to the unbelief of the apostles, and shows that there is no prejudice against women with Christianity. Perhaps some of the prejudice that needed to be removed is seen in the fact that this company do not mention that the women have seen Him. Women were not allowed to testify in Jewish courts of law. It is sad when believers hold onto, or adopt, the attitude of unbelievers.

Luke 24:35
And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

And they told what things were done in the way- their sadness, the Stranger, the exposition of the scriptures by the one of whom they spoke.

And how he was known of them in breaking of bread- He had appeared in another form deliberately, so as to reveal Himself in the breaking of bread.

Mark summarises the effect of their testimony, and tells us something Luke does not, as follows, “And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them”, Mark 16:13.

Luke 24:36
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

And as they thus spake- sooner or later the Lord will come and break in to our conversation to rapture believers to heaven. Is this not an incentive to make sure that our conversation, both in the modern sense, and in the older sense of the word, namely manner of life, is fitting. Will we be speaking of Him when He comes? Anna had been speaking of Him when He was brought as an infant into the temple, Luke 2:36-38.

Jesus himself stood in the midst of them- Jesus Himself is Luke’s theme. He will not allow us to be diverted from Him, the Perfect Man. It is not “Jesus spoken of”, but “Jesus Himself”, in the body. The same Jesus that was baptised, (“Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age”, Luke 3:23. In other words, the one who was baptized was the one who lived almost all those thirty years in Nazareth. In verse 15 it had been “Jesus Himself” who had drawn near to individuals in their sorrow. Here it is Jesus Himself, as He appears to His gathered people. The last time He had been in the midst was when He was on the cross, when the assembly of the wicked enclosed Him, Psalm 22:16. Now He is in the midst of His own. By positioning Himself in the midst He makes Himself central, and ensures that all have equal nearness to Him.

And saith unto them, Peace be unto you- these are the same words as John records in his account, 20:19,21. It seems we are being given further details of what took place at that first resurrection appearance to the gathered disciples.

Luke 24:37
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

But they were terrified and affrighted- they were scared of Him, and trembled with fear. Not that He appeared as He would do to John in Revelation 1:12-16, with a blaze of glory as the Son of man ready to judge.

And supposed that they had seen a spirit- Mary Magdalene had not reacted like this when He appeared to her. Perhaps He appeared to her in the guise of a gardener so as to reveal Himself gradually. There seems to have been the idea that He had only been brought out of death as a spirit, and this appearance is needed to demonstrate that this was incorrect. Some of the believers at Corinth seem to have had this idea, so the apostle Paul needed to impress upon them the nature of the resurrection body. It is a spiritual body, but not a spirit-body.

Luke 24:38
And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? They should have rejoiced that He was alive. Instead, they were terrified. It was only because they had not believed His word prior to the cross that they were in this state of terror. So often it is our failure to listen to His word that causes us to be fearful too. He had said in the upper room, “Let not your heart be troubled…believe also in me, John 14:1.

And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Why are they speculating about the nature of His resurrection body when they could have known?

We might insert here the words of Mark 16:14: “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen”.

Notice the implied rebuke of the apostles and the others because they did not believe the women. Jewish courts do not allow the testimony of women, but Christianity elevates womanhood in every way, not least in this matter. The truth of a testimony does not depend on the gender of the testimony-bearer. To think otherwise is to merit the Lord’s upraiding. Of course Paul does not mention the appearances to the women in 1 Corinthians 15, because he is listing those who will preach publicly, so this rules out the women. But they have ample opportunity to witness privately.

Luke 24:39
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself- the nail-prints in His hands and feet were conclusive proof that it was the Jesus they had known during His ministry, and the Jesus who three days before had been crucified. This was the proof that sight gave.

Handle me, and see- this would be the proof that touch would give. This shows that when He had forbidden Mary Magdalene to touch Him, He was not only being discreet, as He was alone with a woman, but He was also signalling that there was a touching that is spiritual, and we “hold the head” now that He is back in heaven, Colossians 2:19.

For a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have- they could see His flesh, and they could see that it was supported by His bones. He had a real body in resurrection. That He does not mention blood does not mean, as some suggest, that it had all drained away at the cross. He was pointing out things they could see with their eyes. It is pointless to speculate as to whether the Lord’s resurrection body has blood. When the apostle Paul writes that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”, 1 Corinthians 15:50, he is using the phrase as meaning “man in his natural state”. He refers to corruption as a separate issue in that verse.

Luke 24:40
And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet- perhaps He was clothed in a long flowing robe that covered His feet and wrists. He now removes this outer cloak so that they may see, and if they wish, handle Him. But we do not read that they needed to do this, any more than we read that Thomas did, even though invited to do so.

Luke 24:41
And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered- they display an unusual mix of unbelief, joy, and wonder. Unbelief, because even yet they are not sure whether His body is real; joy, because they are convinced by the nail-prints that it is the Lord; as they begin to realise the implications of His bodily resurrection. They need further proof, and this He gives them.

He said unto them, Have ye here any meat? A demonstration of the reality of His person is needed, to fully convince them that He is raised with a real body. It is true that the angels who came to visit Abraham ate of the food he provided, but this was because they had assumed the human form temporarily, and this was part of human activity. The situation with Christ is different, however, for He had assumed manhood properly and permanently at conception, and His resurrection did not alter that aspect of things. By “meat” is meant any sort of food.

It is a pity He had to ask for food, since Mark tells us the eleven were sitting at meat, Mark 16:14. Perhaps they did not think resurrected persons ate food, although they should have known that they drank, from His words in the upper room, “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom”, Matthew 26:29.

Luke 24:42
And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.

And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish- a broiled fish is one that has been cooked, or, as the word literally means, “prepared by fire”. He too had been through the fire at Calvary, and just as Jonah had had a fish for a grave, and then that same fish vomited him onto dry land, so Christ, for it was as if the grave had rejected Him, (for He is the Living One), and had become the vehicle to carry Him over into resurrection. Significantly, the word for fish is “great fish”, not like the small fish, a delicacy, that He provided for them beside Galilee later on. Jonah had been swallowed by a great fish, Jonah 1:17.

And of an honeycomb- in the last psalm of the Great Hallel, no doubt sung by the Lord and His disciples as they went out of the upper room, Matthew 26:30, the psalmist speaks of his enemies, that “they compassed me about like bees”, Psalm 118:12. The Lord applied later verses of that psalm to Himself. In order to obtain the sweetness of the honeycomb, one has to face the ferocity of the bees as they seek to defend it. So it had been with Christ, as His fierce enemies compassed Him about angrily.

Notice that the eleven are not eating the Lord’s Supper, even though it is the evening of the first day of the week, so they do not offer Him bread and wine. Only when He had ascended would the Lord’s Supper be appropriate, for that is the remembrance of an absent Christ until He comes again.

Luke 24:43
And he took it, and did eat before them.

And he took it- how typical of Christ to be content with the disciples’ left-overs. It is a pity that they did not show the energy of Abraham when he had unexpected visitors, Genesis 18:3-8. The disciples were content to give Him scraps. Perhaps we should make allowances for them, for they are dazed by the events that are taking place. No doubt is later days they gave Him their best, as should we all. He is not said to have given thanks, no doubt confident that they had done so. The giving thanks for food should be the common practice of believers, see Romans 14:6, and 1 Timothy 4:4.

And did eat before them- they sat and watched as He ate the same food as they had been eating, thus showing the reality and genuineness of His resurrection manhood.

Luke 24:44
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, 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.

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you- He reminds them of the fact that He had warned them of what was about to happen to Him, but they had pushed His statements to the back of their minds. This was ordered of God, so that the belief that He would rise again in three days did not become such a strong emotion with them that they would believe it had happened when it had not.

While I was yet with you- does this mean, “while I was yet with you before I left you to go to the cross”, or “while I was yet with you, speaking as if I have gone back to heaven”? Certainly He spoke in this latter sense in John 17, “and now I am no longer in the world”, verse 11; “while I was with them in the world”, verse 12. So it may be that He is not only reminding them of the prophecies of His death that He had given them, but also those of His return to heaven. This is a gentle hint that the meeting of Him again in resurrection will soon be followed by another parting. Is this why there seem to be several meetings during the forty day period between His resurrection and His ascension, so that they get used to saying goodbye to Him?

That all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me- the Lord here adopts and sanctions the three-fold division of the Old Testament as taught by the Rabbis, (with the exception of the Sadducees, who only accepted the five books of Moses). The books in each division were as follows:

The Law:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

The Prophets:
Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. These were known as the former prophets.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Minor Prophets. These were known as the latter prophets.

The Psalms:
Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles.

This is not to say that every statement in these books is about Him. But every prophecy concerning His first coming must be fulfilled. We should beware of trying to force statements of the Old Testament to say what they do not say. The Old Testament is not a collection of allegories, but of facts.

Luke 24:45
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

Then opened he their understanding- this is in contrast to the words of Luke 18:31, (which follow the prophecy of His sufferings and resurrection), where we read, “And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things that were spoken”.

It has often been noticed that things are open in Luke 24. The chapter begins with an open sepulchre. In verse 31 eyes are opened. In this verse understanding is opened. In verse 51 the heavens open to receive Him, although the actual word is not used. The sepulchre had been closed, and so had their eyes been holden. Their understanding had been closed, and on the cross it was as if heaven was closed to Him, for no answer came to His cry for help. Now all is changed, and it is His resurrection that makes the change.

That they might understand the scriptures- it is good to read the scriptures, and to hear them read, as the disciples had done many times in the synagogue, but it is better to read with understanding.

The Lord sets before the disciples a spiritual meal here, as He will set forth a literal one in John 21, so He pays them back two-fold for the meal they gave Him. Both of the meals He gives are lavish, in contrast to the scraps the disciples gave Him. He paid back the two at Emmaus also by the spiritual food He gave them as He expounded the Scriptures, but no doubt their meal was generous, as it should be. We should remember His words in relation to those who will give food and drink to faithful believers during the Tribulation period. He will say, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me”. This establishes a principle for any time of which we might well take note.

Luke 24:46
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer- in other words, “This is what the Old Testament said, and because it said it, Christ was obliged to suffer to fulfil what God foretold”.

And to rise from the dead the third day- for the scriptures also foretold this, as a reading of Psalm 16 and Isaiah 53:10-12 will show. He was obliged to suffer, and obliged to rise, for it was His Father’s will that He do both.

Luke 24:47
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name- there is another obligation, even that these truths should be preached. The suffering Christ endured was on account of our sins, and when His death is announced the guilt of sin is impressed upon the hearts of men, and the Spirit brings them to repentance. When the resurrection of Christ is announced, it contains within it the implication that His work of the cross has been accepted by God. Paul writes, “Who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification”, Romans 4:25. The answer to the question, “Why was He delivered to death” is, “because of our offences”. The answer to the question, “Why did He rise”, is, “Because of our justification”. His death on account of sin brings justification with it, and the assurance of this is found in His resurrection. So it is that remission of sins is part of the gospel.

This gospel is preached in His name, not just in the sense that it is done on Christ’s behalf, but that it is preached with all the authority and all the potential that there is in Christ. It is to be preached as if it is Christ preaching. This would cause the preacher great searching of heart, to ask himself whether he is in fact preaching as Christ would.

Among all nations- formerly the Lord told the disciples, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles”, Matthew 10:5, and “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel”, Matthew 15:24. Now there is a change in God’s dealings, and He intends to bless any man, not when he becomes a Jewish proselyte, but when he believes the gospel.

Beginning at Jerusalem- this is one of the most powerful phrases in the Bible, for it sums up God’s attitude to men as a result of Calvary. The very city that was foremost in casting out God’s Son is given the foremost opportunity of accepting Him. In Deuteronomy 21 provision was made if a man was found dead outside the walls of a city, but it could not be discovered who had killed him. This is a provision for when Israel entered the land and built cities. The elders were to clear themselves and the citizens of the city of guilt regarding this murder, by offering a sacrifice. Sadly, the rulers of Israel said of the murder of Christ outside the city walls of Jerusalem, “His blood be on us and on our children”, Matthew 27:25. Thus they saw no need to be purged from the guilt of His murder, nor did they value what He would do by way of sacrifice outside the city. Yet for all that, this guilty city is the first to receive news of the grace of God, as the apostle Peter preached in the temple courts on the day of Pentecost. He was preaching in the very heart of the nation, and the place where there was the most guilt. Such is the attitude of God during this age.

Luke 24:48
And ye are witnesses of these things.

And ye are witnesses of these things- they were witnesses in three senses. First, in that they had personally seen and heard the Lord Jesus as He demonstrated during His ministry that He was indeed the Christ. Second, they had also witnessed His death and resurrection, in fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies. Third, they were witnesses as they preached the gospel. As Peter said to Cornelius and his household, (no doubt in an allusion to the Lord’s words here), “And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins”, Acts 10:39-43.

Luke 24:49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you- the apostles may have wondered at this point how they were going to carry out this commission. They were, in the main, simple Galilean fishermen, unused to the wide world. It is true that Galilee was “Galilee of the Gentiles”, but even so they no doubt thought they were not up to the task of going into a pagan and unsympathetic world to preach. So it is that at this point the Lord reminds them of something He had already told them when He spoke to them before about witness. He had said, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning”, John 15:26,27. So the Comforter or Strengthener was coming, empowering them for the task of witnessing to the truth. He Himself is the Spirit of truth, so they would be ideally equipped for the task of making known that truth.

But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem- He had linked the coming of the Spirit with their obedience in the upper room. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter”, John 14:15,16. This coming of the Spirit would begin a new age, and it was to be characterised by obedience. The apostles were to set the tone of the age by obeying His commands to them. So here is the command, simple, and easy to carry out; they had to remain in Jerusalem while they waited for the Spirit to come, and this they did.

When we think of the beginning of former ages, we are reminded of failure at the beginning, and this is sad. Adam failed at the very beginning, disobeying the simple command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Israel failed at the beginning, making and worshipping an idol at the foot of the mountain while the Law was being given. Saul failed at the beginning of the kingdom age. It is imperative that the present age be seen to be different. The apostles are in effect given a simple command to not do something, even to not depart from Jerusalem.

Until ye be endued with power from on high- various expressions are used for the coming of the Spirit. He is sent, He proceeds from the Father, He is shed forth, He is poured out, He comes. But this is the only time when He is said to endue. This word means to clothe. Immediately we think of the experience of Elisha, upon whom Elijah’s mantle fell as he watched Elijah ascend to heaven, 2 Kings 2:9-14. Elisha had asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, and the falling of the mantle onto him signified that this has happened. Christ had promised that His people would do greater works, and so His Spirit falls upon them to enable these works to be done. The power would come from on high, for that is where He was going, (“Thou hast ascended up on high”, Ephesians 4:8), and they would minister in relation to heavenly things.

Luke tells us that these words were spoken “when he was assembled together with them”, Acts 1:4, so do not seem to be just prior to the ascension.

John’s account of the first meeting is as follows:

John 20:19
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Then the same day at evening- the order in Genesis chapter one was “the evening and the morning”. Now, however, that is reversed as the new creation begins, for verse 1 speaks of “the first day of the week…early”. Now we have the same first day, but in the evening.

Being the first day of the week- it is one of the marks of the great change that Christ has brought in, that it is the first day of the week that is special, not the last day, the Sabbath, as with the Jews. Certain of the Old Testament rituals took place on the first day of the week, but it was described, not in that way, but as “the day after the Sabbath”, still keeping the dominance of the seventh day, which has to do with the earth, being the day which commemorates the completion of the creation of the world in the first six days, Exodus 20:8-11.

There are three things especially connected with the first day of the week now. The first is, of course, the resurrection of Christ. The second, the remembrance of Him, Acts 20:7. The third, the collection for the work of the Lord, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no collections when I come”.

So the remembrance of the Lord in the Lord’s Supper is not on the same day of the week that it was instituted, nor is the shewing of His death on the day of the week He died. Rather, it is done on the day on which He rose from the dead. His resurrection gives reality to the Supper, as we look back and remember Him in a state in which He is not now, for He is glorified.

When the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews- they are still fearful. They have rejected the testimony of the women, and have not yet the confidence which His rising again will bring to them. In verse 26, a week later, the doors were shut again, but this time John does not need to add “for fear of the Jews”. We are not specifically told that this took place in the Upper Room, no doubt to prevent any earthly place being made into a shrine.

Came Jesus and stood in the midst- He re-occupies the place He had in the Upper Room. He must always be central. The resurrection body is not restricted by closed doors, being a spiritual body. All physical limitations are absent from it, although things which are physical now, such as eating and drinking, have their counterpart with the resurrection body.

And saith unto them, Peace be unto you- this is just what they needed, the peace He alone can bring. Fear of the Jews recedes when His peace comes into the heart. John does not make any mention of His rebuke for their unbelief. He is emphasising the Lord, and not the disciples.

John 20:20
And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side- in Luke’s account, the Lord said, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself”, Luke 24:38. They supposed that they had seen a spirit, but a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as He says in verse 39. Hands and feet are parts of the body exposed to view when the Eastern robe is worn. The disciples were used to seeing these, and knew them to be His, totally apart from the nail-prints. In John, however, the emphasis is on His hands and His side, and later He will invite Thomas to satisfy himself that He has nail-prints, and the wound from the spear-thrust. John had personally seen the side pierced, and now wishes to draw attention to it again. This wound will impress the nation of Israel in a day to come, Zechariah 12:10; John 19:37; Revelation 1:7, but it should impress us of this age too.

Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord- He had promised that they would see Him again, and the experience would be like a mother who has just given birth to a child, when all the pain of the previous hours is overwhelmed by her new-found joy, John 16:21,22. So it is now with the disciples. They forget the trauma they had been through as the find themselves in the presence of their Risen Lord.

John 20:21
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you- He had given them peace because of the past and the present, (fear of the Jews, verse 19), but now gives peace because of the future, for He is about to send them out into a hostile world.

As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you- this is John’s equivalent to the Great Commission. This reminds us of His words during His prayer, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world”, John 17:18. This gives great dignity to going out into the world, for it is following His example. He came from heaven to the world, we go from “the upper room”, symbolising the assembly, into the world.

John 20:22
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

And when he had said this- so His next act has reference to His commission.

He breathed on them- just as God had breathed into Adam the spirit of life, to enable him to represent Him to the world, so the disciples are given the Holy Spirit to enable them to represent Christ in the world. “The last Adam was made a quickening Spirit”, 1 Corinthians 15:45; that is, instead of being the recipient of the power to live naturally, as Adam was, Christ in resurrection is the giver of the power to live spiritually.

And saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost- is this a symbolic action to represent what would happen at Pentecost, or a special provision for these disciples until Pentecost? (One argument against the latter is that Thomas, one of the twelve, was absent, and therefore seems to have missed out. Does that mean he was not provided for?) No doubt the giving of the Holy Ghost has something to do with the next verse, for they might be very reluctant to pronounce that sins were remitted, unless they were empowered by the Spirit.

John 20:23
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them- so as these disciples went forth into the world with the gospel, preaching the remission of sins through Christ, Luke 24:47, they are assured here that may confidently tell men that if they have truly repented and believed, their sins are in fact remitted.

And whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained- the reverse is the case. If men refuse to repent and believe they must be told that their sins are still bound to them. This does not mean that mere men have power over the destiny of sinners, but that the Holy Spirit gives the needed strength, courage and authority to tell people what the true situation is, whether good or ill.

John 20:24
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus- by this time the apostles were eleven in number, but “the twelve” is a technical term for the apostolic band, as we see from Paul’s expression in 1 Corinthians 15:5. The name Didymus is the Greek equivalent to the Aramaic name Thomas, and would be the name he was known by in Asia Minor where John was writing from. The Lord does not repeat the giving of the Holy Spirit when Thomas is present, and this goes to confirm that it was a symbolic gesture.

Was not with them when Jesus came- John 11:16 tells us that Thomas was willing to die with the Lord, so he was not lacking in zeal. John 14:5-7 gives a conversation with Thomas about the way, the truth and the life, so he was not lacking in interest. Yet he stayed away, even though the Lord had foretold that He would rise again in three days. The next verse shows he wanted to see to believe.

John 20:25
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord- is this not the best approach to those who miss meetings? Thomas has not lost interest, but he is no doubt very depressed by events. John wrote, “We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world”, 1 John 4:14. So the gospel is still, “We have seen the Lord”.

But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails- he must have heard that the Lord had been crucified, even though he and the rest of the apostles had fled at the arrest. The resurrection body is the same body as before, but different. “It is sown…it is raised”. But on the other hand, “thou sowest not the body that shall be”, 1 Corinthians 15:37,38. Christ’s scars were not the result of His own sin, so can be carried over into resurrection.

And put my finger into the print of the nails- he not only needs to see, but also to touch. John had seen, and his hands had handled, 1 John 1:1, but that was in a spiritual sense. He saw the miracles and he saw their meaning. He had handled Divine things by having fellowship with the Lord in His life. Yet so had Thomas done these things.

And thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe- he must have heard about the soldier piercing Christ’s side. All such information had devastated him, and his depth of despair was such that it would take a lot to rescue him.

There were three men in Jerusalem with pierced hands. Two were dead and buried, so if there was a living person with pierced hands it must be Christ. There was only one with a pierced side, the solid proof that it was Christ.

To thrust one’s hand into the side of a man recently crucified is a very dramatic thing to do. It shows the intensity of his feelings at this time. He is indicating that he is going to take a lot of convincing.

John 20:26
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

And after eight days again his disciples were within- we tend to not count the current day when we speak of what will happen in a few days time. So on Sunday we would think of “eight days”, as meaning week Monday. But the Jews included the current day in their reckoning.

It is clear that the first day of the week had already become special to the disciples, even though they were not to observe days, Galatians 4:10. It was not on the day the Supper was instituted that they met together, nor on the day of His crucifixion. Nor did they go to the tomb and venerate it. They are not said to keep the Lord’s Supper until after Pentecost. It is kept in His absence, and “until he come”. It would not be appropriate to remember Him when He was present, and had not gone. There is also the fact that the partaking of the Lord’s Supper is an assembly activity, and there were no assemblies until after Pentecost. Then “they continued steadfastly in…the breaking of bread”, Acts 2:42.

And Thomas with them- John makes no criticism of Thomas. He does not say, as we might have done, “Thomas was with them this time”. Those who fail to come to meetings need to be treated gently, but firmly.

Then came Jesus- as on His visit before, they immediately knew who it was. And He was the same Jesus, for He is “Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, and today, and for ever”, Hebrews 13:8.

The doors being shut- this time John omits “for fear of the Jews”. Have they become bolder since they saw Him the first time? His peace has kept their hearts. The fact that He is able to move into a closed room tells us something of the non-physical character of the resurrection body. Because it is a spiritual body, it is not limited as our body is now. In the next chapter the Lord will eat fish and honey, as He had done the first time He came to them in resurrection, Luke 24:41,42, showing that some things will continue, even if they do not need to continue for the same reason as before.

And stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you- this word is no doubt particularly for Thomas, as he saw the Lord after his absence. Those who miss meetings purely out of disillusionment need to be assured of the Lord’s concern for them. Of course, those who stop coming because of sin need to be disciplined.

John 20:27
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

Then saith he to Thomas- the Lord directly addresses the problem. This shows He knew what the disciples had said to Thomas, for He knows what we are thinking, as Nathaniel discovered at the beginning, John 1:48-51.

Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands- is the Lord giving him the opportunity of still believing without touching? It is not “reach hither thy finger and put it into the nail-prints”, but “reach hither thy finger and behold my hands”, and come to believe without touching. Can Thomas’ faith be restored even as he stretches out his finger, and before he touches the Lord’s hand? C.f. Matthew 12:13.

And reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side- does the Lord wait to see the response of Thomas to the first remark, and then when he does not reach out with his finger, (because his faith has been restored), He tests that faith with a further offer. It is not now simply seeing, but of thrusting his hand into His side. But he does not need to do this, for his faith is now totally restored, as the truth of Christ’s resurrection dawns upon him.

And be not faithless, but believing- Thomas was not totally faithless, but faithless in regard to the one issue, that of the Lord’s resurrection.

John 20:28
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

And Thomas answered and said unto him- there is no record of him reaching out to touch the Lord. The very fact that the Lord knew what he had said when the disciples went to him and told him they had seen the Lord, convinced him of more than His resurrection. It convinced him in the same way that Nathaniel was convinced at the beginning of the gospel, by the fact that the Lord knew about him and his situation under the fig tree. It is the Lord who knows all things, and Thomas did not need to touch now.

My Lord- as a devout Jew Thomas believed the testimony of Deuteronomy 6:4,5, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord”. And he had heard the Lord Jesus recite the words, Mark 12:29. So he believed that there was but one Lord, even the One God of Israel. Yet he has learned that there is a plurality of Persons in the Godhead, something which is allowed for in the word “one”, which is a compound unity.

And my God- Thomas believes Christ is God, for He knows all things, and He is Lord, for He has defeated all His foes and has emerged in resurrection triumph.

John 20:29
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed- whilst it is true that Thomas did not need to touch Him, he did need to see to believe. He should have believed the disciples when they said, “We have seen the Lord”.

Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed- so Thomas is contrasted with those who, all down through the Old Testament era, believed without seeing. The Lord taught that, “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye see, and have not seen them; and hear the things which ye hear, and have not heard them”, Matthew 13:16,17. If they were prophets and righteous men they must have been believers.

And the Lord also seems to project Himself to the end of this current age of grace and look back and say, “they believed, but did not see”. A special blessing is reserved for such. It is not that we believe without evidence, but that we believe the evidence in the word of God, the testimony of those who did see.

Thomas represents the nation of Israel who will actually see the Lord when He comes to earth to judge, for “every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him”, Revelation 1:7. Paul speaks of himself as seeing the Lord in resurrection, and therefore being “a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting”, 1 Timothy 1:16. He saw the Lord in heavenly glory, and so shall Israel, and believe. Nathaniel would represent the godly remnant of Israel in the Tribulation period, who will believe, and who will wait for the Messiah, remembering Isaiah’s words, “Say unto the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand”, Isaiah 40:9,10.

John 20:30
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

And many other signs truly did Jesus- John calls the miracles signs, because they have deep significance, and tell us doctrine. John is sure this was the case, so says “truly”, for he only records what he witnessed himself. “He that saw it bear record, and his record is true. And he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe”, John 19:35. These two verses serve to bring to an end this part of John’s gospel.

In the presence of his disciples- so they could see, and believe. Nothing was done underhandedly, or behind closed doors. The Lord worked miracles either in the open air, in the temple courts, or in people’s houses, that in the East were accessible to all. It was accepted that anyone could enter another’s house and sit on the seats around the outside of the room, and this is what the woman did in Luke 7. The Lord said to the High Priest, “I spake openly to the world; in secret have I said nothing”, John 18:20. And Paul was able to say to Festus, “This thing was not done in a corner”, Acts 26:26.

Which are not written in this book- is this a passing reference to Matthew, Mark and Luke? They record other miracles. The only miracle common to all four gospels is the feeding of the five thousand.

John 20:31
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ- Jesus is the historical man, the man of the gospel records. Christ is the promised Messiah, the man of the Old Testament records. Isaiah wrote of the Messiah, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing”, Isaiah 35:5,6. The Old Testament finds its fulfilment in the New Testament Jesus.

The Son of God- for He is more than man, and His miracles show it. For example, it is God who sends the rain which falls around the vine. Who initiates the process of turning that water into sap, and leaves, and fruit, aided by the shining of the sun, which He is responsible for also. It is He who controls the process by which grapes turn into good wine. The Lord Jesus did all this in a moment of time, “and manifested forth his glory, and his disciples believed on him”, John 2:11.

And that believing ye might have life through his name- John does not simply write that men might believe, but that the consequence of believing might take place, namely, that men receive life through His name. All He is, as represented by His name, is the means whereby life is granted. Because He is Jesus He could die to deal with our death in trespasses and sins. Because He is Christ, He is the man of God’s approval, and therefore all He did was satisfactory to God. Men were anointed in Old Testament times to mark them out as those approved by God for a certain task. Their anointing was done with physical oil, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power, Acts 10:38, showing His superiority to all others.

It is because Jesus Christ is the Son of God that He has been given to have life in Himself for others, John 5:26. To know Him believingly is to have eternal life, John 17:3.

John 21:14 tells us that John records three manifestations of the Lord Jesus to His disciples after His resurrection. (He also tells us of the manifestation to Mary Magdalene, but that was to her alone). Each of the four gospel writers is selective in telling us of these post-resurrection appearances, and in each case they serve the purpose for which the particular gospel is written. It is the apostle Paul who gives us the complete list in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8. Complete, that is, as to men, because the context is about the preaching of the gospel, which is the task of the brothers. The sisters often excel at bearing witness privately, as Mary Magdalene and others did in connection with the resurrection, for it was these who were chosen to bring the news of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus to the disciples. But it is not their role to publicly preach the gospel, hence their exclusion from Paul’s list.

John is a true evangelist, and wrote his gospel so that men might believe, 20:30,31. But a reading of those two verses will show that they are in a rather strange place. They represent a summary of the motive John had in writing the gospel, but do not come at the end of the gospel, where we might expect to find them. This suggests that they may form a link between what goes before and after them. In the previous verses, the Lord has manifested Himself to His disciples, breathed on them with the words, “Receive ye the Holy Spirit”, and has sent them forth “as my Father hath sent me”, verse21. So this is the official commission of the apostles to go into the world as the Lord had gone into the world. But Thomas was not present at that meeting, and this serves to introduce a further manifestation of the Lord eight days later. He so deals with Thomas that he is constrained to confess, “My Lord and my God”. The lesson is clear, that those sent forth by the Lord do so with a view to testifying of His authority and His Deity.

John then inserts his reason for writing, which also becomes the basis of the preaching of the apostles when they went forth.

When we come to chapter 21, we find four further truths are emphasised, as follows:

1. Verses 1-14 That of the Lord’s complete control over the gospel preaching and its results.

2. Verses 15-17 That of the need for love to the Lord to motivate those who care for those who are saved by their efforts.

3. Verses 18-23 That the life’s work of each servant is under the control of the Lord.

4. Verses 24,25 That the gospel is so full and wonderful that all the books in the world could not exhaust it.

We now resume Matthew’s account, assuming the events he records took place after Thomas had seen the Lord at the second meeting, in accordance with John 21:14.

Matthew 28:16
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee- these words connect with verse 10 of the chapter, (with the account of the meeting between some of the guards and the chief priests intervening). That verse records the words of the Lord, instructing His brethren to go into Galilee. So the sequence is “go into Galilee…then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee”.

In Matthew’s gospel the emphasis is on Galilee, and not on Jerusalem. That city, despite being “the city of the Great King”, Matthew 5:35, has rejected Him, and He said, as He left the temple courts, “Ye shall not see me henceforth until ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”, Matthew 23:39. So it is that Matthew does not record anything that took place in Jerusalem after the crucifixion, except the discussion about the bribing of the soldiers at the tomb. This arrangement shows that the city is marked by unrighteousness, having rejected the King of Righteousness. It is marked by anxiety, having rejected the King of Peace. The tomb is outside the city, the women meet Him outside the city, (for it would be unlikely that He would meet them in the street), the angel had said they were to go to Galilee, and the Lord repeats it, and this they eventually do. The city is being separated from officially for its wickedness in crucifying its King. Having led His people outside the fold of Israel by going outside the gate of Jerusalem to die, John 10:3; Hebrews 13:12, He continues the process by leading them to a mountain, representing His kingdom.

Into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them- now if it read, “into a mountain that Jesus had appointed”, we would think that He had designated the mountain where they should go. As it is, we read, “into a mountain where Jesus appointed them”; in other words, the mountain where they were when they were appointed to be apostles, Matthew 10:5. This is why we are only told about the eleven disciples initially here, for it is the apostolic band that is regrouping in the place where He had originally sent them forth. (Is this the appearance that Paul calls “to the twelve?”, 1 Corinthians 15:5, further emphasising the apostolic nature of the meeting. Of course, at no time during the forty days the Lord was here in resurrection before His ascension were there twelve apostles, so the term is an official one, anticipating the appointment of Matthias). He is going to send them forth again on a different sort of mission, and it is appropriate that they go to that place. But it is a mountain, because although they are not going to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand as they did before, nonetheless they are going to preach the kingdom of God, and a mountain represents a kingdom in scripture.

28:17
And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

And when they saw him, they worshipped him- it is hardly likely that this took place in Galilee on the day of the resurrection, since the Lord appeared in Jerusalem in the evening of that day. So this is not the first time the apostles have seen the Lord since He rose from the dead. It is also probable that it is not in the interval between the first and second appearances when the disciples were gathered together in Jerusalem, for then Thomas’ unbelief would still be outstanding. Once Thomas had had his doubts removed, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God”, John 20:28, and this is certainly worship. The majority of the apostles now join Thomas as they worship Him as one risen from the dead. He has shown Himself to be superior to the forces and death and evil, and since He is the only one like that, He must be Lord and God.

But some doubted- some hold back from worshipping Him for some reason. They should not have done this, seeing the Lord had commended Thomas for believing, even if he had to see before he would do so. It is true that he was not specifically commended for worshipping. The word doubted has the idea of double about it; in other words, they were in two minds whether they should worship Him or not. We should allow for the fact that these men were godly Jews, and they had been brought up to believe that God alone should have worshipped addressed to Him. To worship a man, even though they believed Him to be equal with God, was something they understandably had difficulty getting used to. The Lord will address their problem with His use of the word “power” in verse 18, as we shall notice.

Special note on the close of each gospel
Each of the four gospels has its own theme, and this extends to the way the last words of Christ are presented to us. In Matthew the gospel of the Ideal King, the emphasis is on a kingdom, (hence the mention of the mountain), and Christ’s total power in heaven and on earth. This has relevance now, but it will also be helpful to the one hundred and forty four thousand witnesses in the tribulation period as they go into all the world too. See Revelation 7.

Mark’s account is about the Ideal Servant of the Lord, and is a handbook for those who also wish to serve the Lord. Accordingly his account emphasises the service of the apostles as they went out with the gospel after the ascension. Significantly the last reference to the Lord is that He was “working with them”. So Mark’s gospel has special relevance to the early days of church history, when miracles were being done.

Luke’s gospel is the Gospel of the Ideal Man, and in his closing passage highlights the fact that the gospel preaching begins in Jerusalem, and then is preached in among all nations. And Luke further tells us that the Lord gave the formula as, “Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth”, Acts 1:8. In fact the Acts of the Apostles could be looked as being structured around that plan.

John in his gospel of the Ideal Son gives the exhortation to preach in the words, “as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you”, John 20:21. They are expected to be intelligent enough to know what is involved in going forth as sent ones in the same way as Christ was the sent one of His Father. And his closing account is the Lord’s words to John himself, that he might possibly live unto the Lord comes again. This shows us the extent of this sending forth, that it is until He comes again.

28:18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

And Jesus came and spake unto them- if this company was the five hundred, we can visualise the scene as He mingles with them, so giving them all an opportunity to allow Him to appear to them, as opposed to merely see Him. It is in this sense that He comes to them, so that each of them can have opportunity to see Him at close quarters.

Saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth- in the Greek world the word used here for “power” signified “supernatural authority”, so the Lord is here calming the fears of those who hesitated about wsorshipping Him.

Remember these words were spoken on a mountain, the symbol of a kingdom, and are found only in Matthew, the gospel of the King. Remember, too, that there is no account of the ascension of Christ in Matthew, so he is concerned about the relationship of Christ with the earth.

Most of the things that are said to be given to Christ are in John’s gospel, assuring us that all that He was in eternity is given to Him as a man upon the earth. And this fits in with Matthew’s theme, too, for “King of Israel” is a Divine title, as a reading of Isaiah 44:6 will show. Nathaniel had grasped that, because he links the title with “Son of God”, John 1:49.. The Lord assures us here that Divine rule over the earth is granted to Him, even though He is a man upon the earth. Did he have in mind the vision granted to Daniel, who saw the Son of man brought before the Ancient of Days to receive a kingdom, and then He came to set up His kingdom, but He was Ancient of Days when He did so, Daniel 7:22. When the Lord referred to this when He was before Caiaphas, the latter had rent his clothes and condemned Him for blasphemy, so the point was not lost on him.

So He has all power given to Him in heaven, (speaking anticipatively, confident that His Father will grant Him the kingdom), and He will one day exercise it on earth. So the giving is in heaven, and the ruling is on earth.

This is relevant now, for the gospel as it is preached today brings those who believe into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, Colossians 1:13, and we are expected to obey Him now. Paul wrote that he preached so that men would be obedient to the faith, Romans 1:5, and then continued teaching them so that they would manifest the obedience of faith, 16:26.

28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Go ye therefore- on the basis of the fact that He who sends them has this universal authority, they are to boldly go forth.

And teach all nations- of course nations are not taught en masse. The point is that the gospel is to be taught everywhere, (not just to the lost sheep of the House of Israel as before, Matthew 10:5,6), for it knows no ethnic or national boundaries, being relevant in every place, for His authority is to be asserted throughout the earth.

Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost- in Mark’s gospel, baptism is linked with faith, but here it is linked with obedience. The gospel teaches, and as men submit to that teaching they reject their own will in favour of Christ’s, and signify this publicly in their baptism.

Notice that the whole of the Godhead is involved here, just as they were operative at the baptism of Christ, with the Father speaking, the Spirit anointing, and the Son emerging from the water. That is not to say that Christ’s baptism is Christian baptism, but the principles at work are the same in some respects.

Notice also that the Godhead is united in this matter, for the act of baptism is not in three names, but in the name. The Godhead has but one name, and each of the three persons bears it, even though there is a distinction of persons within the Godhead. This distinction is noticed here by the repetition of “and”. It is not the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as if that was a composite name. Rather it is the one name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. So the name belongs to them all. The baptism of a believer is not only an affirmation of the unity of the Godhead, but also of their distinct persons, and these truths are the basis of everything. This reminds us that in Old Testament times the city of Jerusalem was where God placed His name. Now His name is relevant wherever an obedient soul is baptised.

28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you- as already noticed, initial faith is obedience, and it shows itself to be genuine by continued obedience, not just in baptism, but in an ongoing way. The words of the Lord Jesus came from His Father, and even though they did not come to Him in the same terms as the ten commandments came, nevertheless so binding did the Son regard the words of His Father, that He called them His Father’s commandments. So the true believer will not think of the teaching of the Lord Jesus as options, or suggestions, but binding obligations. Not, indeed, in any harsh sense, but words of authority to which our will should be subject gladly.

And, lo, I am with you alway- He calls attention to this final word with the word “Lo”, which fittingly in this context is an imperative, for it is vitally important for us to grasp the import of this statement. Wherever they go to serve Him, whatever the situation they find themselves in, (provided it is not an improper one), then they may count on His presence, and that all the time from then until the end of the world, meaning the world as a period of time. They will be in hostile territory, where the authority of Christ is not recognised, but they are assured here that until the time when it is recognised and while this world in its present form is in existence, (in other words, whilst it is the day of men and not the Day of the Lord), they can count on His presence. This is how Matthew ends his gospel, and does not actually record the ascension. He is looking on to the time when Christ will reign on the earth. The interim period is to be occupied with gathering obedient subjects, ready to reign with Him. Hence the emphasis on obedience.

Whereas Matthew and John do not tell us of the actual ascension, Luke does twice, and this is his first account:

Luke 24:50
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

And he led them out as far as to Bethany- this was a village three kilometres from Jerusalem on the road to Jericho, and on the far side of the Mount of Olives. So His last sight of earth was of the place where He had been welcomed and worshipped, a great contrast to the nation as a whole represented by Jerusalem.

It is said that it is possible to see the mount of Olives from the traditional place where Christ was baptised in Jordan. So the whole of His ministry is suggested by this, and also the fact that the apostles were now going to witness the final event that would qualify them to preach in the world, for a true apostle must have been with Him from His baptism to His ascension, Acts 1:22.

Luke tells us in Acts 1:12 that after He had ascended, the disciples returned from the mount called Olivet. We are never specifically told that He ascended from the top of the Mount of Olives, but this has been inferred from the words of the angels that He would come back as He had gone away, together with the word of the prophet who said, “His feet shall stand in that day on the mount of Olives”, Zechariah 14:4. Again, we are not told it was the top of the mount. This would suggest that He ascended from the lower slopes of the mount of Olives in sight of Bethany.

And he lifted up his hands- His pierced hands are what are emphasised as He rises to heaven. They had convinced the two at Emmaus, they had convinced the apostles, and now this third sight of the evidence that He is the crucified one is granted to them as He disappears from their sight. He is in heaven, ever living to intercede for His people, and His uplifted hands assure us it is so.

And blessed them- we are not told His words, although we are told the words of His prayer in John 17. It is appropriate that Luke should end his gospel in this way, for he has set out in it the way in which the Lord Jesus is perfectly fitted to be the High Priest of His people. The gospel begins with a priest who is dumb as he comes out of the earthly temple to the people, 1:20-22. It closes with a man who is actively blessing as He goes in to the heavenly temple to minister as the High Priest of His people. If Zecharias had come out of the temple able to bless, no doubt he would have quoted the words of Numbers 6:22-27. There is no mere ritual about the blessing the Lord asks for His people, for it is specific to the need and the occasion, hence we are not given the words here. We are sure that His current intercession takes account of our present need.

Luke 24:51
And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

And it came to pass, while he blessed them- He had come to earth and to Israel in an attitude of blessing, for “God sent him to bless you”, Acts 3:26, and now He is departing with the same attitude. But whereas the blessing He came with was for all, and the receiving of it depended on whether they believed in Him or not, this blessing is for His people.

He was parted from them- so their last impression of Him was that He sought their blessing. The word “parted” has the idea of putting a distance between. So perhaps the thought is that He put a slight distance between Himself and them so that all that were present, (and it may have included the five hundred that the apostle Paul speaks of, 1 Corinthians 15:5), could have a good and interrupted view of Him rising from earth to heaven.

And carried up into heaven- when tempted of the devil the Lord had refused to put God to the test to see if the angels would bear Him up after He had thrown Himself off the pinnacle of the temple. Now the angels gladly transport Him to heaven, for there involves no testing of God in it; rather, it was evidence that He was the Messiah, given the context of the psalm the Lord quoted in the wilderness, Psalm 91. Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind, which was fitting, for his life had been a flurry of activity. There was also the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof to carry him to heaven without dying, 2 Kings 2:11,12.

Special note on versions
Modern versions of the Bible which follow the corrupt text of Westcott and Hort, make the words “He was parted from them” to be the last words of Luke’s gospel. But in Acts 1:2, also written by Luke, we read that Luke himself says that his gospel continues “until the day that He was taken up”. So Luke would not recognise this modern version of his gospel as genuine, because it does not correspond to what he said in the Acts of the Apostles. So if the Lord was only parted from them, and the words “carried up into heaven” are spurious, where is the Lord now? Especially as these same perversions also deprive us of the last verses of Mark’s gospel which also record His ascension. And Matthew and John deliberately do not record it, for very good reasons that fit in with the character of their approach as they write. So are these versions telling us that the Lord has not ascended to heaven? Where is He then, for He is risen no more to die. He must be wandering incognito in the earth. This is heresy, and demonstrates yet again the corruptness of anything other than the Authorised Version.

Luke 24:52
And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

And they worshipped him- we read of this happening in Matthew 28:17, “but some doubted”. But by now the Lord has been with them for forty days showing Himself alive by many infallible proofs, Acts 1:3, and at last all doubts have been removed. It is fitting that the gospel that emphasises the manhood of Christ should close with Him being offered, and accepting, the worship of His people, indicating that they believed He should be given Divine honours. He combines manhood with God-hood perfectly.

And returned to Jerusalem with great joy- they had been sad when He first told them He was going away, but He had said to them, “If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, ‘I go unto the Father:’ for my Father is greater than I”, John 14:28. They are beginning to realise the possibilities that will open up once He has returned to heaven, and for that reason that are not sad when they actually see Him go.

Luke 24:53
And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen- the gospel of Luke is full of praise from the start, and here there are those who have every reason to praise God for His workings. They do that praising in the best place for it at that time, but soon they will be rejected by the temple authorities and will praise God elsewhere. This will not concern them, however, for they will realise that no place on earth is sacred now, and true praise is offered to God in spirit. They will approach in spirit the holiest of all in heaven, and will do with the full assurance of faith, not having any misgivings about leaving the temple, Hebrews 10:22. They praise God for what He had revealed Himself to be in Christ, and they went further and ascribed blessing to Him, which means they spoke well of Him out of full and intelligent hearts.

Mark gives three instances of the Lord appearing to His own. First to an individual, Mary Magdalene, then to a pair, at Emmaus, and then to His gathered disciples. We have thought of each of them earlier, so just quote the words again at this point:

“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen”, Mark 16:9-14.

It is not necessary to think that the next words follow straight on from the ones just quoted. It is more likely that they come just before the Lord’s ascension.

Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world- in Matthew the emphasis was on nations, since that fits the theme of the kingly gospel, for the rights of the King are to be asserted in the realms of those who oppose Him. In Mark, however, the emphasis is on the place of work, the world. It is a desert place so will need much labour to produce fruit. No part of that world is to be considered out of bounds, but Christ’s servants are to advance everywhere.

And preach the gospel to every creature- in Matthew the emphasis is on the teaching side of the gospel, here the preaching. We should remember that the apostles “ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ”, Acts 5:42. There is the need to teach Christ first, making known His person, so that preaching can follow, and faith encouraged in one they had heard about. God does not call men to blind faith in Jesus Christ, but informed faith. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the possibility of believing in vain, by which he meant believing with that sort of faith which does not know what it is doing. This is of no value.

Note that there is only one gospel for every creature. Their culture or educational background does not affect the need for salvation.

Men are called creatures here, for preachers must remember that men are responsible to their Creator. It must be impressed upon them that they have obligations to fulfil, and one day they shall meet Him. As their Creator He has rights over them. The gospel vigorously asserts those rights.

That the apostles were faithful to their charge is seen in the fact that in AD 68 the apostle Paul can write, “the word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it is in all the world”, Colossians 1:5,6, so they had gone into all the world. Then later he writes, “the gospel…which was preached to every creature which is under heaven”, verse 23, so they had preached the gospel to every creature. Of course, this is an ongoing task, for situations change and there is an ever-present need to see to it that the gospel is available to men. No doubt it cannot be said that every single individual person on earth had sat under the gospel, but what can certainly be said is that they had the opportunity. We should ensure that men still do have that opportunity by maintaining convenient places where they may come. There are also facilities available now that were not invented in the apostle’s day, (printing for instance, and the internet, wisely used), which counteract the fact that the population is vastly increased today.

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved- in Matthew the emphasis was on the baptism in the name of God, signifying subjection to Him. Here it is linked to faith. So much so, that a person who is not baptised after a profession of faith, has a question mark over the reality of his conversion. That is not to say that, for instance, the Ethiopian eunuch was not truly saved during the short period before he was baptised. The intention to be baptised was there, and the Lord takes account of that. The Lord is speaking of those who refuse to be baptised after they have been taught that they should be. We have noticed the way the apostle Paul preached obedience, and this is in line with the Lord’s words, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you, John 15:14. We can see from all this that there should not be a long gap between profession and baptism. Philip baptised the eunuch as soon as he expressed the wish for it to be done.

But he that believeth not shall be damned- the issue here is very clear-cut, a person is either saved or damned; there is no middle ground. The penalty for unbelief is so severe because of the person who is not believed. Essentially, the gospel is the word of God to men, so it is God who is not believed. But man is but a creature; how dare he defy the Almighty!

The word used for damned is most often translated as condemned elsewhere in the New Testament. The word consists of “krino”, to pass sentence, plus the preposition “kata”, which intensifies the verb, and makes it a sentence against. The great judgement day is in view, when men are judged and then consigned to the Lake of Fire, Revelation 20:11-15. The word for saved literally means “to make safe”, so is clearly the opposite of being damned in the sense that the believer is safe from being damned. But whereas both saved and damned are spoken of in the future tense, the person who is saved is saved as soon as he believes the gospel, whereas the unbeliever will be damned as soon as they reach the Great White Throne. In the mercy of God the damnation is not yet, allowing for repentance still, whereas in the goodness of God the salvation is now.

There is no mention of baptism here, for if a person does not believe, whether they are “baptised” or not is irrelevant, they are still damned. This applies even if they are “baptised” in the same water and at the same time as true believers are baptised. Moreover, this shows that baptism is not a work that the believer must do in order to be fully saved, for apart from the fact that salvation is definitely stated to not be of works, Ephesians 2:9, it is only unbelief that damns.

Mark 16:17
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

And these signs shall follow them that believe- in verse 14 the apostles had been upbraided with their unbelief, when they did not accept the testimony of the women. They must change that attitude of scepticism if they are to be effective for the Lord. How can they expect men to believe if they themselves hesitate about some things? There is a saying about the unbelief of men that goes like this, “They (unbelievers) do not believe, because they do not believe you (believers) believe what you say you believe”. The gospel should be preached with confidence, not the false confidence of those who pretend to be fervent, but the confidence that comes through a whole-hearted acceptance of all the truth of God. It is said of Stephen that the Jews “were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake”, Acts 6:10. His words and his attitude were alike irresistible.

As we have noticed when we summarised the end of the four gospels, Matthew has in mind the preaching of the gospel in this age, but also embraces the fact that the kingdom will be preached in the Tribulation period. Mark emphasises the initial going out of the apostles after the ascension of Christ, hence he specially notices the Lord’s words about signs, which were only needed in the first decades of the church age. After that the completed canon of scripture was all that was needed. Mark also emphasises the need for faith in this chapter. Verse 11, “they…believed not”. Verse 13, “And they went and told it to the residue: neither believed they them”. Verse 14, “they believed not them which had seen Him after he was risen”. Verse 16, “He that believeth”; “he that believeth not”. Verse 17, “them that believe”. So there is a guarantee of the signs following only if the apostles act in faith, hence the Lord’s severe rebuke in verse 14. They must go forth in faith, and then the signs will follow.

In my name shall they cast out devils- when God embarks upon a new phase in His dealings with men, Satan is always ready with his opposition, which often takes the form of demon activity. This, however, was no problem to an evangelist penetrating a new area with the gospel, for he could cast out demons, being gifted to do so. Despite the fact that they had the ability to cast out demons, (and this had been given to the apostles when they were originally sent forth, Mark 9:1), it was not in their name that they were able to do it. Only the name of Christ has power to defeat the enemy in this way.

They shall speak with new tongues- as they went forth to strange parts, they would have no language problem, either, for they would be able to speak with new tongues. By ” new” is meant “unaccustomed”; that is, the one speaking was not used to the language, it was not his native dialect. It does not mean new in the sense of newly-invented. We see this in operation on the Day of Pentecost when Israelites who had come from many parts of the earth could each hear the wonderful works of God in the language of the country where they had been born. If the apostles had spoken in Hebrew, then most of them would probably have understood, but there needed to be a sign from God, to convince them of the truth of what was spoken.

Mark 16:18
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

They shall take up serpents- as these gospel-pioneers perhaps hack their way through the jungle, or trudge across the burning desert, they might inadvertently disturb a sleeping snake. But this presents no problem for they can remove it out of the way without being harmed. This happened to the apostle Paul on the island of Malta, Acts 28:1-6.

And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them- thirsty and hungry from their exertions, they drink contaminated water, or eat the juicy fruit of a poisonous tree, but come to no harm. Think of the hindrance to the gospel if these men were laid low by illness as soon as they set out!

They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover- not only do the evangelists need to be protected from illness, so also those they come across need help in this way. The evangelist might find himself in a clearing in the jungle, where malaria-ridden natives huddle in their mud huts. Imagine the effect upon these poor souls as he touches the untouchable, and they instantly recover. What an introduction for the evangelist as he brings to them the gospel!

Notice that this man does not need to learn a language, or take a course in a school of tropical medicine, or learn botany and zoology to prepare him for his mission, for he had been gifted by God. But where is the missionary today who is so fitted? He does not exist, for the simple reason that these gifts have been withdrawn in the wisdom of God.

Mark 16:19
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them- in Luke he was blessing them as He ascended. Here, the emphasis is on His word of commission to them.

He was received up into heaven- there was a ready welcome for Him as the Servant of the Lord after His labours on earth, both in life and in death. Peter said of Him that “the heavens must receive”, Acts 3:21. The honour of God was involved. He had signified His approval of Him when He was on earth, and now His work on earth is done, and it is fitting that He should be welcomed in heaven, for He is ever a servant, that being part of manhood, and He has much work to do still. He is currently a minister of the sanctuary, working on behalf of His people, Hebrews 7:8:2, and He will soon come to work for God on earth as King of kings.

And sat on the right hand of God- in Luke the emphasis is on what the disciples did after He was gone, namely, worshipped in an earthly temple that was soon to be destroyed. Here, it is what He did, namely, sat down in the place of authority in the heavenly and eternal sanctuary. The right hand of God is the place of the Firstborn, and He continues to administer for His Father still.

Mark 16:20
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

And they went forth- there is no rebuke here from the angels that they should not stand gazing up into heaven. They had learnt from their Lord the importance of being alert and immediate in doing the work of the Lord. It is well-known that Mark uses words like “immediately”, “anon”, and “straightway” to describe the Lord in His readiness to do His Father’s will, and now His servants are acting in like manner. This going forth must relate to events after Pentecost, for the immediate instruction was to tarry at Jerusalem until the Spirit had been sent, which they did.

And preached every where- the Lord had told them to preach among all nations, and this they did. This was a daunting task, but do it they did, with His strength. There is no longer the restriction to only go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, Matthew 10:6, but to go into the way of the Gentiles, and even the way of the Samaritans. So they were to preach to every creature in every place, and that is the duty of the evangelist now. There is no mandate to set up cumbersome organisations and building complexes. The true servant of the Lord will be always on the move, doing what the apostle Paul did, preaching where Christ was not yet named, Romans 15:20. Evangelism is not empire-building, but soul-winning.

The Lord working with them- whereas before when He was on earth they worked with Him, now He works with them, granting them His assuring presence as they labour, often under great difficulties. How suitable for Mark the gospel of the Servant to give us this last view of Christ as one who is still working, for He has taken the form of a servant for ever.

And confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Not only did He work, but He also confirmed their work as they preached the word. In Hebrews 2:4 we learn that it was God who bore them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles. Notice that the preaching of the word is foremost, and the signs simply confirm the truth of it. Now that this process has been done, the confirmation of the word is not necessary, and sign-gifts have been withdrawn.