Luke 24. 36-53
We have a phrase in the UK: “I’ll believe it when I see it”, or we describe something that is extreme as it having to be seen to be believed. Our culture has bound together the idea that things that are so incomprehensible or unbelievable must be seen by us as an individual to prove that they are true. That’s part of the reason why having a faith is so counter-cultural – how can we believe something that we cannot see, in the flesh, that we cannot touch and hold, that is not backed up by rigorous testing? Instead we are, as the writer of Hebrews put it: “sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”.
The disciples certainly found themselves faced with the incomprehensible and unbelievable in today’s passage – the risen Jesus. What I find encouraging about this passage is that the disciples needed to see Jesus to believe that he had really risen from the dead and the text does not shy away from this or from their doubts.
The disciples are already gathered together and are talking about Simon and Cleopas having seen the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus, they are probably confused, excited and fearful all at the same time. Then, out of nowhere, Jesus suddenly appears and says “peace be with you” – no knock at the door, no advance notice of his arrival.
Jesus knows exactly what their first thoughts are: that they are startled and terrified, that they are doubtful that it is really Him, that they must instead be seeing a ghost. We could see Jesus’ question to the disciples as frustrated: “why are you frightened and why do doubts arise in your hearts?”, after all Jesus did explain to them multiple times that the Son of Man would be raised on the third day, and here He is, as planned. Instead though, I see this question as bringing their emotions and feelings to the surface – He knows they are frightened (presumably some of them may have even outwardly shown it when he appeared in the room!) but He also knows their inmost being, that doubts are arising in their hearts, that the only reasonable explanation they have is that Jesus must be a ghost, so they doubt the story of Simon and Cleopas and they doubt what is before their eyes.
Where Jesus had previously vanished at the point of recognition in His appearance on the road to Emmaus, this time He stays put to allay their fears, disprove their doubts and give them instructions on what to do next. Jesus allows them to touch him, to physically feel that he is not a ghost, He shows them His hands and feet, where the wounds from the crucifixion would be obvious and apparent.
Verse 41 then says “While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering”, the disciples still can’t get their heads around what they are seeing and what this means. If Jesus is really here and is not a ghost then what has happened? The wounds on his hands and feet show that He was crucified but, if he was, how is he now physically here? So many questions! Jesus knows that they are both excited at the prospect of this being true at the same time as not being sure if it is true, He eats a piece of fish to cement his physical existence and then opens their minds to understand the scriptures, to understand the words He spoke to them so many times when He was with them but they did not and could not fully understand at the time. He tells them that they are the witnesses that the scriptures are true, they have seen the suffering of the Messiah first hand and they have seen Him risen from the dead in person – they have witnessed the incomprehensible and unbelievable.
This passage reminds me that it’s OK for us to have doubts, Jesus can cope with this and He can handle our honest thoughts. In fact, He is incredibly gracious with our doubts and disbelief. It also reminds me that we are not black and white as Christians – in general we are not either living totally in faith with no doubts, or totally in unbelief with no faith, instead the journey of faith is a complex grey where we are spurred on by our faith and wrestle with our doubts often side-by-side. We, like the disciples, can be in joy as well as still wondering and disbelieving. And it is encouraging that God chose to build His Church through people like these and chose to dwell within them by sending His Holy Spirit which we’ll come to in the devotionals over the next few days.
Let’s pray.
God, thank you for this passage where the unbelievable and miraculous was witnessed by the disciples. That you that this is what our hope is built on, that Jesus was raised from the dead and that repentance and the forgiveness of sins is available to us in His name. Thank you that the disciples were obedient in their witness and that we have their testimony to spur us on in our faith. Help us Lord where we have doubts or disbelief in our hearts, instead of trying to hide these from you or believing that we don’t have enough faith, help us to bring these doubts to you, to be honest in our thinking and reasoning. Alongside this, we pray for an increase in faith and an increase in our ability to trust in what we do not see.
Amen.