Reclaiming Resurrection: Luke 24:36-48 - Third Sunday of Easter

^36b"Peace be with you."  ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost.  ³⁸He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?  ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."  ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.  ⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?"  ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish,  ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence.
             ⁴⁴Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled."  ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,  ⁴⁶and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,  ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

A vast majority of conversations I have with people begin like this:

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

“How are you?”

“I’m fine.  How are you?”

“Good!”

“Good.”

Most of the time, I’d say that this is nothing more than a polite exchange of pleasantries than a serious conversation.  But not always.

An old co-worker of mine would always say “same old garbage, different day.”

It seemed as though every day was a bad day. 

And I can honestly say that there are plenty of days I share his rather stark outlook. We don’t even have to be in a time of pain or high anxiety, but still we roll out of bed to face another day of the “same old garbage…”

But is this how we should live since Jesus is alive?

Today, we encounter Jesus’ disciples in the aftermath of his death.  This was the third day into a life that had turned their world upside-down.  Word was quickly spreading that Jesus was alive—but there was hardly celebration.  When Jesus shows up, and they’re feeling joy, terror, and everything in between.

But watch what Jesus does: his first words to them are “peace be with you.”  He eats a piece of fish to prove it’s actually him and not a ghost.  Then he opens their minds to understand the Scriptures, to help them make sense of everything that’s happened.  Finally, he sends them on a mission of witness. 

Clearly, the days of “same old, same old” are history…

With these scared, weak, and lowly men and women, Jesus is going to build his church.  Jesus will be taking back God’s world and God’s world from the powers of sin and death.  Resurrection will now be the ultimate reality.  Resurrection is our future.

The only problem is: sometimes, we don’t see it. 

All too often, we take the resurrection as just an event that happened 2,000 years ago, with no bearing on life today.  This is especially true when anxiety is high and the pains of life surround us.  This is especially true when the news headlines herald a world spinning out of control.  Our fears and disappointments create doubts that powerfully influence how we live.  When it comes to praying, studying the Bible, going to church, or sharing our gifts, we wonder “what’s the use?”

This is probably why we get such a feeling of dread when we hear the words “you are witnesses.”  Why would anyone care about something that happened thousands of years ago, for which we can offer no undeniable proof?  Is Jesus really doing anything in your life that someone else would want to hear about?

One of the greatest tragedies happening among Christians is that we’re living without resurrection.  We believe in Jesus; we even worship him—but still, we live in the shadows of sin and death.

If we believe that Jesus is alive, it is high time that we start claiming this truth.  Jesus was not only raised on the third day, but he is alive in all of our hearts through faith.  He is alive, out there among our neighbors, serving the needy and forgotten.  All around the world, resurrection is happening.  It’s happening down in Pittsburgh, with the people of Abiding Ministries, as God is building a church out of the poorest of the poor.  It’s happening in places like Africa and China, where people are coming to faith by the thousands.  It’s happening right here, in this building, with the ministries you and I are a part of. 

So if you believe Jesus is risen, DO NOT SETTLE FOR A LIFE OF SAME OLD, SAME OLD.  Claim the resurrection!  Let it bring you to your knees in prayer.  Let it pull you into the Word.  Let it draw you together with your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Let it send you to the neighbors who need your good works.  Claim the resurrection as truth—and live by it. 

This is what makes the resurrection more than just a historical event.  It’s a reality.  It’s a relationship.  Resurrection is what happens when our need for resurrection draws us together to be both hearers of God’s Word as well as doers of God’s Word. 

Though the pains and problems of the world remain, resurrection comes to us as peace.  It comes as relationships where love is given and received.  In comes in patience, forgiveness, and mercy.  It comes as God reclaims shattered lives and broken communities. 

Resurrection is not some rare miracle in the Christian life.  It is God’s truth, coming alive.  It is the promise God has in store for you every single day.  Seek it, and you shall find it.  Believe it, trust it, and live by it—and you shall surely see. 

Resurrection is what we all need.  Resurrection is what God is doing.  We are witnesses of these things.