Reading: Luke 23-24, Psalm 119:129-152
The ending of the book of Luke is quite a bit different than the other three accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. This is because Luke is not actually done with his story. Unlike the books of Samuel, Kings, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles, the division of Luke and Acts is correct. Luke clearly wrote his gospel first, with Acts following some time later. On the other hand, they are so connected in style, theme, and timeline that they may as well be a single book. Today’s reading is the climax of both books, the “main event” of Luke’s story. Unlike the other three gospels, Luke has things to say about what the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus has done to the world and the people of God. John makes comments about the impact on the disciples from a personal standpoint. Matthew gives a charge to his readers to believe and then carry out the great commission. Mark ends with a mic drop, all but daring his readers to find out more. Luke ends with what amounts to a black screen with “to be continued…” blazoned across it.
Luke also adds some details we get nowhere else, especially about what happened after Jesus got up from the dead, which is not surprising given his goal of researching the events in question. Today I want to look at the appearance of Jesus to two of his followers, what he said to them, and then his appearance to the disciples in the upper room and what he says to them. The crucifixion, burial and resurrection are the central event of the whole story, but it is the little events that follow that are unique to the book of Luke, so we are going to look at those.
The appearance of Jesus to his the two followers on the road to Emmaus, and his appearance to the disciples who were gathered in Jerusalem, have similar setups and outcomes. In the first case, the two followers are walking along looking glum and feeling sad. They had hoped that Jesus was the Messiah, but now that he is dead they assume he was not. Jesus shows up and beginning with Moses and the Prophets, interpreted to them how all the Scriptures concerned himself. These followers of Jesus did not know that this was Jesus speaking to them. His primary concern was not to let them know, “Hey, it’s me!” but to ensure that they understood that everything that had just happened proceeded directly from the Scriptures. It was the climax of the great Story that began in Genesis and ran through to the end of Chronicles. After hearing all this, they get to town, sit down to eat, and they realize it is Jesus sitting there with them. It is of note that the meal they share begins with the breaking of bread, evoking the image of the last supper. Jesus’ model for declaring his resurrection here is to explain how the whole of Hebrew Scriptures, the whole history of the people of God, culminates in himself. Then he sits down to eat with them. Of course, the moment they realize who he is, he disappears. Any speculation as to the reason for this is of course just that- pure speculation. But I think perhaps that his work there was done. The resurrected Messiah appeared to these men to awaken them to the magnitude of the events they had witnessed and thought they understood. He in effect says to them things are not what you think they are. Death is life, weakness is power, shame is glory, crucifixion is coronation. Once they understand this, he is off to other business.
What other business? Perhaps the same business, but somewhere else. The book of Luke closes with another appearance of Jesus, this time to the remaining eleven disciples and some other followers in Jerusalem. Again, they have seen Jesus crucified, and have heard rumors and seen strange things, but have not believed that he could possibly be alive. So he appears among them. Once again, his major concern is making sure they get a couple of things right: Jesus is physically alive. This is not some spiritualist resurrection, but the coming to life of the broken, crucified body of Jesus. He bears the wounds of his life and death, but is fully alive. He eats with them. Having gotten that out of the way, he tells them what he told the men on the road to Emmaus: I am the culmination of the Scriptures. Everything written in the Scriptures is about me. Everything that I have done was in fulfillment of the Scriptures. Specifically, he gives us a way to read the Story of Scripture. He tells the disciples that all the law and the prophets have been completed in this story: The Messiah should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sin should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. Jesus is giving a commission, as in Matthew, but he is also giving a framework to understanding the history of God’s people. This was what it was all about. I am the main event. The end of the Hebrew Scriptures could be very depressing, as the Sadducees and Pharisees read it- we have to be perfect in obedience in order to get into God’s good graces! Jesus declares that this is the wrong story. The story he tells is so much better. These Scriptures predict the resurrection of the dead, and forgiveness available to those who repent. Jesus pulls the whole story of Scripture into his own life, and declares the problem dealt with.
But he isn’t quite done. You are witnesses to these things. Behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. Remain in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high. There is more. Jesus is alive, resurrection is possible, and he ascends to heaven. But there is more to come. Luke leaves us there, expectantly awaiting the arrive of power from on high.