Easter Thursday - Luke 24: 35-48

Hi everyone. Welcome back to the Daily gospel, exegesis podcast, where our goal is, to help you understand the literal sense of scripture and hopefully you appreciate this approach to the Bible. This is the only Catholic podcast out there where every single day we give you a verse by verse exegesis of the text So we have a longer text today, Luke chapter 24 verses thirty five to forty eight. The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road, and how they had

recognized. Jesus at the breaking of bread, they were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, peace be with you in a state of alarm and fright. They thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said why are you so agitated? And why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet. Yes it is. I indeed touch me and see for yourselves. A ghost has no Flesh and Bones. As you see that I have And as he said this, he showed them his

hands and feet. Their Joy was so great that they could not believe it and they stood there dumbfounded. So he said to them, have you anything here to eat? And they offered him, a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes. Then he told them this is what I meant when I said while I was still with you that everything written about me, in the law of Moses in the prophets and in the

Psalms has to be fulfilled. He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures and he said to them. So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day, rise from the dead and that in his name, repentance for the Forgiveness of sins would be He preached to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem, you are witnesses to this. So that's our text for today and there's a lot going on here. Let's start with the context.

So this is Easter Sunday and Jesus has already appeared quite a few times. So he's already appeared to the women on the way back to tell the disciples. He has also appeared to Mary Magdalene and then the third appearance happens just before this in Luke, that's when a clear pass and the other disciple on the road to Emmaus encounter Jesus. And remember in that story, Your pass, and the other disciple. Don't recognize Jesus at first, but eventually they do when Jesus breaks the bread.

So, that would be the third appearance and then Jesus disappears. Remember, he breaks the bread with them with clear pass, and the other disciple in Emmaus, and then Jesus disappears. So now, the clear pass and the other disciple, go back to Jerusalem. That's only a few hours of walk, but it was already in the evening. So by the time they get back to Jerusalem, it's probably not time possibly about 10:00 p.m. M, by the time they get back to the apostles and the other

disciples. Now, during this time, apparently, Jesus appears to Peter at some point in here so it looks like Peter does already believe. Verse 35, the disciples told their story of what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized, Jesus at the breaking of the bread. So clear, passing the other disciple, they come back to the apostles in Jerusalem at night time and they tell them what's happened to them on the road and how they recognized Jesus at the breaking of the bread.

Now, we need to be careful here because we have to factor in what the other gospels tell us at this point. So, apparently, at this point, even after the two disciples tell their story, Mark's gospel tells us that the eleven disciples perhaps excluding Peter, don't believe the story. They still don't believe. Jesus is resurrected. Even after these two disciples clear passing the other one. Come back and say we saw Jesus on the road.

The eleven are still skeptical, but there are some others in the room. Um, some other disciples as part of a bigger group of Christian disciples, who do believe the story. So, get the picture. You've got a clear path and the other disciple, coming back from Emmaus into this room in Jerusalem where the disciples the broader disciples and the apostles are sitting.

They tell their story. The 11, don't believe them, but the other disciples do. So that's the situation by this point, the apostles really should believe. They've heard quite a few stories. Today of people saying they've seen Jesus and yet, for whatever reason they You don't believe Jesus has resurrected. Now, notice what the two disciples say that was they recognize Jesus at the breaking of the bread. So breaking of the bread is a phrase that could be unpacked a

lot. It's shorthand for the whole process of taking bread blessing, it breaking it and then giving it out and that's what Jesus did when they got to Emmaus. Now there's some dispute about whether Jesus was intending to do this as a Eucharistic thing. But I think it's, if we compare this with other passages in Luke, and in Acts where Jesus does the so sorry, where the apostles do the same thing, it appears that Jesus was doing a A Eucharistic celebration with them at Emmaus.

So it could well be in this is probably the case that Jesus deliberately wanted the two disciples in a maze to only recognize him once. He started doing the Eucharist, so he wants them to make a connection between his identity and the Eucharist and st. Augustine says this, in his commentary on Luke 24. Saint Augustine says, where did the Lord wish to be recognized in the breaking of the bread? It was for our sakes that he didn't want to be recognized

because we weren't going. To see him in the flesh. And yet we were going to eat his flesh. So if you're a Believer, you may take comfort in the breaking of bread. The Lord's. Absence is not an absence have faith, and the one you cannot see is with you. So that's quite amazing words from Saint, Augustine about how Christ veiled his presence until they got to the Eucharist because he wants a disciples and us to know that he is there in the breaking of the bread.

Now, this conversation between the two disciples from Emmaus and the 11 is taking place in some room. In Jerusalem somewhere, there's actually only 10 Apostles here. That the common phrase, the 11 is used to symbolize the apostles, but there's only 10 here, because Thomas is not present as we learn later. Thomas is out somewhere else at this time. There were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them.

So the implication is that Jesus all of a sudden just appears in the room without walking through the door and the catechism talks a lot about this because it appears that Jesus has new abilities after his resurrection. Prior to his death. There were times when he apparently disappeared. Now, we do see that. For example, when they try and throw him off the cliff, he disappears, but before his death, he never does this thing where he appears in a room just out of nowhere.

So there's a new ability and lots has been written about these new abilities particularly in terms of how Christians when they are resurrected will also have very similar abilities. So that's kind of cool. So the first thing he says to them is peace be with you. He knows that they're going to be in a State of Shock and he tries to calm them down. And Luke, he is says, in a state of alarm and fright. They thought they were seeing a ghost. Now, that's understandable because John does not

miraculously. Sorry, let me try to get Jesus. Does he does just miraculously appear in the room? So it makes sense that they're going to be quite afraid. Now, the thought they were seeing a ghost Jews did believe in ghosts or Spirits is another translation of that. So, they believed that there were Spirit entities that don't have bodies and they thinking that Jesus might be one of those though when the Jews believed in spirits.

They basically believe them to be manifestations of Satan, they kind of, like, demons appearing as ghosts. So, that's what they're wondering. If this is there. Quite frightened verse 38, Jesus says, why are you so agitated and why are these doubts right? I think in your hearts now, Jesus is about to explain why he says that because he thinks Jesus says there's some features of my body that you should have noticed and which should have made them realize that he isn't a ghost.

So they should have worked it out just by looking at him. Now look includes this appearance and the physicality of this whole appearance as we go on to see when Jesus shows them. His body. Think about Luke's audience, Luke is primarily writing for Greeks. They're not Jews. And these Greeks don't believe in the resurrection of the body. They think that's a ridiculous idea.

So Luke is including this story and living out some others that he could have included because he wants his Gentile, Greek readers to understand the bodily nature of the Resurrection. So that there is no mistake. Verse 39, it Jesus says for the 11 look at my hands and feet. Yes it is. I indeed So, Jesus new body, although it probably looks a bit different and it has new abilities. It's still apparently bore the marks of the crucifixion.

And in fact, if you look at the Book of Revelation, he still has the marks of crucifixion even in heaven. He wants to the apostles to recognize that yes, this is the same body that was crucified. This is Jesus, real body. He's not a ghost. He says, touch me and see for yourselves. Our ghost has no Flesh and Bones. As you see, I have As he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

So he invites the apostles to physically touch him in order to prove that he has a real resurrected body. He's not a ghost, that's the point he wants to get across In this passage st. Ignatius of Antioch in 107 ad so not that long. After the time of the Apostles, he's quite familiar with this event and he uses this story to defend the real bodily nature of the Resurrection. Because as you probably know the Sticks arose in the apostolic age, and they believed that Jesus body was fake.

And so saying Ignatius uses this passage Luke 24 to show know it was a real body. Verse 41, their Joy was so great that that they could still not believe it and they stood there dumbfounded. So, it's like, they're joyful, but there aren't really sure what to make of it or what it all means, or how to process it. So maybe they think it's too good to be true or something. So st. Augustine again says about this, it was incredible. And they had to be persuaded of the truth of it.

Not only by their eyes, but by their hands to. So that through the bodily senses Faith might come My come down into the heart and Faith coming down into the heart, might be preached throughout the world, to people who neither see, nor touched. And yet believed, so Sani Saint, Augustine believes that the apostles needed to see. Jesus body, then needed to touch it. In order that they might have a very sure belief because they're going to have to go out and preach to people who haven't

seen Jesus at all. So they need to be firmly convinced that it's him. So Jesus first says, look, At me. Look at my hands and my feet and then he says come and touch my hands and my feet. And then he notices and this is actually made quite clear in our lectionary translation, he notices that they still are not believing. So he says to them, have you anything here to eat and they offered him, a piece of grilled fish which he took and ate before their eyes.

Now, many have thought they just take this verse out of context and they say, oh, Jesus must be hungry. I don't think that's the correct interpretation. I think an hour lectionary actually makes this quite clear that Jesus notices that they still don't believe even after they've touched him. So he decides that in order to eliminate doubt from their mind that he's a ghost, he decides to eat in front of them. That's his plan, it's not that Jesus is hungry in his resurrected body.

He probably doesn't feel hunger as far as We Know. He's deliberately eating in order to show them that he's not a ghost because ghosts would not eat in this physical kind of way. And that would include why Luke includes this somewhat strange line of Jesus, because remember, Luke is writing to Greeks, who don't believe our physical, Resurrection. Like this is possible. Verse 44. Jesus now says, this is what I meant when I said while I was still with you.

So Jesus is about to remind them of something, he said to them, before his death, and he's going to help them realize what he meant all along. Everything written about me in the law of Moses in the prophets and in the Psalms. So that's a shorthand way of saying the entire Old Testament. Now, let's pause there, that's quite a strong claim.

He's about to say that the Messiah himself Jesus himself was spoken about even in Poetic books of the Old Testament like the Psalms which is pretty incredible. Jesus says you can find information about me throughout the entire Old Testament. Which prophecies is he talking about? Well, he doesn't tell us, although he probably does tell the apostles here. We just don't get to hear the full speech. He could be thinking of all sorts of passages probably in

particular. Isaiah, of course, the suffering servant of Isaiah Zechariah and this some Psalms as well, which talked about the Messiah to he says that everything written about me in the law of Moses in the prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled. Notice that word. In fact, some translations have it as must be.

E fulfilled, early, the disciples didn't understand that Jesus has been talking about the Messiah Must Die according to the Old Testament and the disciples didn't understand what he meant. But now that the disciples have seen him killed and resurrected. Jesus says, they should understand those prophecies. That's what he's been talking about. All along those prophecies must be fulfilled. That is the plan of God and the disciples have now seen them fulfilled.

Verse 45. Luke says he then opened their minds to understand the scriptures so that seems to imply that Jesus. Now does some sort of Supernatural opening of their mind or perhaps that's one interpretation. But perhaps, what he does here is he doesn't extended speech where he goes through the Old Testament scriptures, which is quite possible because that's what he does with the other disciples on the road to Emmaus. He does something here, that helps them understand the

scriptures. So it's possible. He that he does he. Well, he certainly knows that they don't understand yet, so he gives them more information. It sounds like he's giving them a Bible study of the Old Testament. And that's one, Bible study, that will be amazing to be a witness to one that's led by Jesus himself but we don't get to hear the full speech. He gives them but something he tells them helps them. Understand the Old Testament prophecies. So he finishes in verse 46 by saying.

So you seem See how it is written that the Christ would suffer. And of course, that's spelled out in Isaiah 52 and 53 and Zechariah as well. And on the third day, rise from the dead. Now, this is an interesting one, because Jesus, consistently and here as well keeps saying the scriptures prophesied that the Messiah must rise from the dead, but he never lifts a specific

Old Testament passage. So we're not sure what passage is thinking of. He could be thinking of Jonah, remember, Joanna is in the fish for three days before his return to dry land. So maybe that's the prophecy in the Old Testament about how the Messiah is going to rise from the dead. Or maybe there's some other

obscure passages in the profits. There's one problem passage in particular which often isn't talked about, but he's probably the one that Jesus is thinking of here, Hosea, 6 verses 1 to 2 says, God will revive us. Two days on the third day, he will raise us up to live in his presence. So that's what Hosea, the minor Old Testament Prophet.

Says now in context, that's about God, raising up Israel after suffering but that's probably the passage which informs Jesus understanding about his resurrection. By applying this to himself, Jesus sort of sums up the whole identity and Destiny of Israel by being the one that suffers. But then is raised up by God after three days So that's a really interesting passage in Hosea that needs to get more

attention. I think. So Jesus, now finishes that thought though, he says that all these things were preached in the Old Testament, but now he lists some more things that were also preached in the Old Testament. He says that in his name, repentance for the Forgiveness of sins would be preached. So, Jesus says that the Old Testament predicts that in the name of the Messiah, repentance for the Forgiveness of sins

would be preached. Now, this is something the apostles are about to do in the book of Acts and in the other gospels Jesus gives more. Reconstructions about how he wants them to do that and he gives the Great Commission in Matthew as well. Although hear that, that's all we're here. Would just kind of get a shortened version. Now notice that phrase in his name, in his name, repentance for the Forgiveness of sins

would be preached. If you read the book of Acts, it's that pretty clearly comes through the New Covenant is all about preaching, God's forgiveness in the name of Jesus. So Jesus is not a separate add-on. We cannot preach and Christians shouldn't preach. Each God's forgiveness without mentioning Jesus. The whole point of Jesus work on the cross is that, that is now possible through Jesus.

And that's, of course, in the book of Acts, why the Jews reject, the message that the Christian disciples try to bring them because they constantly talk about Jesus being the one that allows forgiveness and the Jewish leaders can't handle that, they think it's blasphemy in his name, there will be repentance for the Forgiveness of sins. Now, notice forgiveness isn't automatic. In here, Jesus says that forgiveness. Will only come if repentance happens.

First repentance is what brings someone forgiveness even if we include Jesus name as part of that there still has to be repentance. Then he says, forgiveness of sins would be preached to All Nations. Now there's lots of Old Testament prophecies, which talk about all nations. All Gentiles being included in the Kingdom of God. In the New Covenant, the Jews at the time did actually believe that Gentiles would be part of the Kingdom. Mmm.

But it appears that the Jews at the time, assumed that the way Gentiles will get into the kingdom is by God in the day of the Lord coming and forcing it on them by a victory of some kind, making them submit to his will. That's how they forcibly get, put into the kingdom of God. But here Jesus says something different. He says that the Jews must go and preach to the Gentiles so that the Gentiles will voluntarily come into the

kingdom. That might be a bit of a radical Idea, that the apostles weren't quite prepared for. And then he adds this phrase beginning in Jerusalem. So the preaching to the Gentiles is going to begin from Jerusalem. Now again, there's lots of Old Testament passages, which Jesus is probably thinking of which talk about God, reigning over the whole world from Jerusalem. Luke includes this passage in here, because he wants to set up his sequel. He writes the book of Acts as

well. And he's just about to finish the Gospel of Luke and he wants his readers to pick up the gospel of acts as well in the book of Acts. If you read it, that's exactly the pattern the preaching starts in Jerusalem. That's where the apostles preached to All Nations from first at Pentecost and then they move outwards from Jerusalem slowly. So, Luke includes this phrase of Jesus Has so that it matches the pattern that he's going to talk about in the book of Acts.

Verse 48, the last thing Jesus says you are witnesses of this. Now it's not clear what that this is. It could mean, you have already seen this process beginning or maybe Jesus means you have seen me say these things. Now go and do them or if it's a future tense as in, you will be Witnesses of this. Jesus might mean you'll be Witnesses of all the things you have seen. Now go and do them something like that, but he's talking to

the apostles. The apostles are the witnesses of the kingdom of God, and they're about to be tasked with preaching it. This, what we've just seen here where Jesus appears in the room is the fifth appearance of Jesus after his resurrection. The fourth one was the appearance to Peter earlier that day. Now remember, this has happened all on the same day. Jesus appears five times on Easter Sunday. This is the last one. Probably, this is the same

appearance as John 20:19. It's seems to be the same thing when Jesus appears to be Apostles, but John add some more information in John, he breeds on them and he commissions them to have the power to forgive sins as well. Now, that's the end of our passage. If you read on the last few verses here of Luke chapter 24, the very next thing that happens is Jesus gives them one final final promise he is then taken up to heaven and that's the end

of Luke's gospel. So Luke doesn't mention any of the Galilean post-resurrection appearances. He pretty much has this Easter Sunday and then he skips over the 40 days which is appears and then the very next thing Luke talks about is the Ascension. For whatever reason, probably because Luke's not writing to Jews, he doesn't feel that it's necessary to talk about the Galilean appearances, but we will look at those Galilean appearances in the coming days.

That's after the Ascension which is the next few verses of Luke, that's the end of Luke's gospel. So a ride at the end of Luke's gospel here. So that's it. That's the fifth appearance of Jesus. We've looked at today. Now, this gets a lot of air time in the catechism, this passage, so I won't be able to read out all of them. I'll try and put as many of these as I can in the show notes for you to look at though.

So, in paragraph, 644, we hear this even when faced, with the reality of the Risen, Jesus, the disciples are still doubtful. So impossible, did the things seem? They thought they were seeing a ghost.

In their Joy, they were still disbelieving and still wondering, therefore, the hypothesis of the Resurrection was produced by the apostles Faith or could do, Leti, will not hold up on the, contrary, their faith in the resurrection was born under the action of divine grace, from the direct experience of the reality of the Risen Jesus. So, here, the catechism makes an apologetic argument. You'll sometimes, hear it said that Jesus didn't really rise

from the dead. The apostles just made it up because they wanted to believe it. They believe that he Rise again. So they made it up here. The catechism says that if we look at Luke chapter 24, even when Jesus is standing right in front of them, they struggle to believe. So, this theory that they just made it up because the gullible or something that doesn't fit with the data we have in the gospels here.

So, that's an interesting one and then paragraph 645, we have a discussion about the fact that the disciples touched him, it says by means of touch and the sharing of a meal. The Risen Jesus establishes direct contact with the Disciples. He invites them in this way to recognize that he is not a ghost and above all to verify that the Risen body in, which he appears to them, is the same body that had been tortured and crucified for it's still Bears.

The traces of his passion yet at the same time, this authentic, real body. Possesses the new properties of a glorious body. Not limited by space and time but able to be present how, and when he Wills For Christ's Humanity can no longer be confined to Earth and belongs. Henceforth only to the father's Divine realm. For this reason to the Risen Jesus enjoys, the Sovereign freedom of appearing as he wishes in the guise of a gardener or in other forms familiar to his disciples

precisely to awaken their faith. So that's a nice summary of what Jesus body looks like and has the abilities to do. Now, paragraph 999 of the catechism is in the discussion about the final Resurrection on Judgement Day and it says something really interesting about the fate of all Christians. It says Christ is raised with his own body. See my hands and my feet that it is I myself, but he did not return to a purely Earthly life. So in him, all of them will rise again with their own bodies

which they now bear. But Christ will change. Our lowly body to be like his glorious. This body into a spiritual body. So that's an interesting paragraph. The Catholic Church teaches that one day of the Resurrection, Christian believers. If they make it to the resurrection will have a very

similar body to what Jesus had. Later in Luke 24, as we saw Jesus says, there's those prophecies in the Old Testament which are fulfilled in his own death and resurrection and the catechism spends a lot of time talking about the unity of scriptures so in paragraph 11 to.

So right near the start of the catechism about how to interpret scripture, it says be especially attentive to the content and unity of the whole scripture different as the books which can pose that maybe scripture is a Unity by reason of the unity of God's plan of which Christ. Jesus is the center and heart open since he's Passover. Paragraph 601. Discusses it, in a similar way, talks about how Jesus died in accordance with the scriptures, so there's a full paragraph

there. I'll include that in the show notes, paragraph. 26, 25 says something similar about the way we should read the Bible. Particularly the Psalms, how the Psalms will fill Jesus. Paragraph, 2763, says all the scriptures, the law, the prophets, and the Psalms are fulfilled in Christ. This gospel is the good. News. So that phrase, they're the law, the prophets, and the Psalms come straight out of Luke 24.

Paragraph 1 hour 8. Again this is in the section about the Bible. It says the scripture. If the scriptures are not to remain as a dead letter Christ, the Eternal Word of the Living, God must through the Holy Spirit. Open our minds to understand the scriptures. So, just as Jesus does in Luke 24, he opens the Apostle of mind. That same opportunity is available to us when we study the scriptures. If we want to understand them properly, we must allow the Holy Spirit to open our minds to

understand the scriptures. Paragraph. 981, there's a discussion about how Jesus gives us ends his Apostles to preach repentance and it talks about that in connection with the church. Having the power of the Keys of the Kingdom to Grant forgiveness to people paragraph, 11 20. There's a discussion there about that line where it says, go in my name. So it says, the ordained priesthood guarantees. That it really is Christ who acts in the, sacraments through the holy spirit for the church.

The saving Mission entrusted. By the father to his incarnate. Son was committed to the apostles, and through them, to their successes, they receive the spirit of Jesus to act in his name and in his person. So just as the apostles are given the ministry to go in Jesus name. So the priests today continue to do the same thing. And then lastly, there's a discussion about in paragraph

130 for about confirmation. How just as here as the apostles are called Witnesses. It says, the in confirmation confirmation is given only once for it to imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual Mark the character, which is the On that. Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the Seal of his Spirit, by clothing him with power from on high so that he

may be his witness. So all Catholics who were confirmed are called to be Witnesses in the same way that the apostles are So that's a long episode. Thank you for listening today. Hope you learn something new. Please continue to share this podcast around. We'll see you again tomorrow.