Day 48: THE RESURRECTION (XI) EVIDENCES FOR THE RESURRECTION, cont. II. THE EYEWITNESSES D. Fourth - Two men on the road to Emmaus (on the road to and in Emmaus. Sunday afternoon and evening, Luke 24:29. It was seven miles from Emmaus to Jerusalem. At three mph it would take over two hours to walk the distance; at four mph, a 15 min. mile, it would still take 1 hr, 45 min.) [Mark 16:12-13 NASB] 12 After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. 13 They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either. [Luke 24:13-35 NASB] 13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. 28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. 30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread. Chronological notes: “after that” Mark 16:12, i.e., Mary Magdalene’s report to the disciples. After Luke records the women’s testimony to the apostles (Luke 24:9-11, he says “that very day” he appeared to the two (Luke 24:13). Note: “On the first day of the week...that very day...it is the third day...” vv 1,13,21. Compare Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:64 - “third day.” This was the Sunday morning, the same day as the first three witnesses as well. Note that these men mentioned the testimony of the women and Peter and John relative to the empty tomb, vv 22-23. They are yet hesitant to believe that “he was alive.” In fact, Jesus calls them “slow of heart to believe,” v25. They were not credulous (do not appear to be so at least), nor do they seem to be men out seeking to interpret anything as evidence of a resurrection. Rational discussion and sensory experience over extended time and distance experienced by more than one witness: Observe that this meeting may have occupied several hours. The journey was about a 2 hour walk at a minimum. We do not know at what point Jesus joined them, but “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.” This would take quite some time. Then, He sat at table with them that evening at Emmaus. If this was all a hallucination or fantasy or something, it sure is organized, logical and long-lasting. Cumulative evidence: Their “slowness of heart to believe,” the length of the appearance, the sensory involvement, the rational nature of the events that transpired in the appearance, and that all of this was experienced by not one, but two persons, argue strongly against a hallucination. Why were their eyes prevented from recognizing him? (Luke 24:16) I don’t know, but observe: • It is not likely that this facet would have been part of the story had it been invented to support a resurrection fable. You would likely say, as we mentioned with Mary Magdalene, that you immediately recognized Him if you were making it up. • By Jesus asking, “What things?”, an occasion was given for an undesigned coincidence confirming the women’s testimony and Peter & John’s trip to the tomb. • Their attitude of being “slow to believe” is thus manifested. • They were expected to believe the testimony of eyewitnesses and the prophecy of scripture, vv 23-27. • No other man on earth could have given these men the instruction they received about the suffering Messiah from the Scriptures. Note: they also confirm the experience of the women and Peter and John, and the appearance to Peter (1 Co 15:5), in Luke 24:34 E. Fifth - To the eleven while reclining at the table (Jerusalem, Sunday evening) [Mark 16:14 NASB] 14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. [Luke 24:36-43 NASB] 36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be to you. 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38 And He said to them, Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, Have you anything here to eat? 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate it before them. [John 20:19-25 NASB] 19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be with you. 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you. 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe. This occurred while the two (that had walked to Emmaus with Him) were telling about their experience (Luke 24:36). 1Corinthians 15:5 could refer to the second appearance to the “twelve” one week later, but it could also be this appearance. Thomas, one of the apostles, was not present at this first appearance to the apostles. Chronological notes: It was evening on the first day of the week, Jn. 20:19. The fact that he showed them his hands and feet identifies the account of Jn. 20:19-25 with Lk. 24:36-43 (Lk 24:39-40; Jn. 19:20). Moreover, the appearance to the two was “that very day” and his discussion with them went into evening (Lk. 24:29-30). John says it “evening on that day” (Jn 20:19) when the appearance he relates took place. While it says the “eleven,” Mark 16:14, ten were in this first meeting. Judas had committed suicide. Thomas was absent, John 20:24. Does Mark refer to the same meeting a week later? Jn 20:26ff. The thing that seems to identify it with the first meeting is that (a) they were “reclining at table” which is what they were doing in Lk 24:36-43, which is definitely the first meeting [v41, “Have you anything here to eat?”], and (b) “He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart” - a week later? If Mark does refer to the first meeting, he uses “eleven” like the “twelve” was used, e.g., Jn 20:24, 1 Co 15:5, to refer to the body, or college, of apostles, meaning the emphasis is not on the number, but on the group of people, the apostles. “...the twelve was a name, not of number, but of office, like the Triumviri, Decemviri, &c. among the Romans.” Macknight (a commentator) on 1 Corinthians 15:5. Luke 24:36ff is definitely the first meeting and he uses the term, “eleven,” Luke 24:33. Note: The disciples were still “mourning and weeping” when Mary came, Mk 16:10. “They [the eleven, srf] refused to believe it!” Mk 16:11. “These words appeared to them [the apostles, srf] as nonsense, and they would not believe them.” Lk 24:11. Note their unbelief. They were not expecting to see him, and even upon seeing him at first thought he was a spirit. Hardly the frame of mind for hallucinations. The evidence involved not only the sight, but touching and his eating food. Note 1Jn 1:1f, where the same John as the gospel writer says this: [1 John 1:1-3 NASB] 1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-- 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. Here again, we have: • Witnesses who are dubious, not credulous • More than one witness who see the same thing • Over an extended period of time • With objective evidences offered and experienced F. Sixth - The eleven, including Thomas (one week later, after eight days, in Jerusalem) [John 20:26-31 NASB] 26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, Peace be with you. 27 Then He said to Thomas, Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing. 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God! 29 Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. 30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. Chronological notes: “And after eight days...” Jn 20:26. NASB footnote says “Or, a week later”. Same with the NIV (New International Version). Inclusive method of reckoning would make this the next Sunday. Note Thomas’ attitude and Jesus’ “Blessed...” v 29. Note vv. 30-31. Blessed are those who didnt see the risen Jesus, and yet believe. This account, according to John, was written so that the people who werent there to see could believe and experience the same thing these people allegedly did with their own senses. PREVIEW: Tomorrow we will finish the last of our ten eyewitnesses.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 06:17:51 +0000
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