Two Meetings in Jerusalem after the Resurrection
By Joe David
Late on the first Easter Sunday, after the Lord had risen from the sepulcher, ten of the disciples gathered for the evening in the upper room of a house in Jerusalem (John 20). They were afraid and probably confused. Since their leader had been crucified by the Roman power, as organized by their own Jewish leaders, they feared that now his followers might also be hunted down and punished. They closed and locked the doors. Were any of the women there? The story does not say, but Peter and John were, who saw and talked with the angels that morning, and the stories of the women were known. Some time must have been spent wondering and perhaps arguing - was He really alive? How could they know it was really Him? This kind of thing, coming back to life after you’re dead, this doesn’t happen in this real world, there must be some mistake!
Then two of the followers, not of the twelve, but the two that had gone to the village of Emmaus, came in, excited and bursting with their news. They had seen Him! They had walked with Him for seven miles and He had told them wondrous things! They had only recognized Him when He broke bread and ate with them. "Don’t doubt us, it really was Jesus!"
And then as they all talked and argued, there He was, standing with them in the room. "Peace be unto you," He said, and He showed them His hands and feet and His side, where he was wounded. He calmed them, and told them that just as he had come down to mankind, so they must go out and teach to all people all the true things that He had taught in the years He was with them.
It was these truths about how to live one’s life that were saving, not the disciples themselves. These saving truths have the power to remit or retain sins, because they were from the Lord, the disciples only transmitted them from the Lord to those who would listen and take them to heart. Then He breathed on them - representing His holy spirit - so that they would not only want to pass these truths on to people, but would also be given the words to say whenever the times came. And then He was gone again.
Thomas was not there that night. We don’t know why. And Thomas, when he heard the story, just could not swallow it. "Except I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe", he said. (John 20:25.)
The next verse tells us that the next Sunday they gathered again, and that Thomas was present this time. As before, the Lord was suddenly there, saying again, "Peace be unto you", and then directly to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger… and reach hither thy hand… and be not faithless but believing". Now Thomas's response was, "my Lord and my God". It seems as if the Lord came this time just to convince Thomas, because it was Thomas who needed Him.
I think He does work this way. I am reminded of another story, from the gospel of Mark (Mark 9:17-27) where a father comes to Jesus with a young son who is possessed by a devil, and asks Jesus to cure him, and is asked in turn: "Do you believe I can do this?" In Mark 9:24 the father responds. Crying out, he said with tears, "I believe, help thou my unbelief."
I think many people have this conflict between lingering doubts and a desire to have the doubts taken away. If we carry on and make our decisions in life as if the doubts were indeed gone, then indeed they will lose their strength and actually will be gone.
These are the only details given of these two meetings in Jerusalem. Chronologically the next post-Easter stories are the ones that take place in Galilee.
John does go on to say at the end of his gospel "...many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God...." (John 20:30-31). Perhaps there were more post-Easter stories that weren't written down, but the ones we do have are strong. For the disciples who were involved, there was an unstoppable impact from the life and teachings of the Lord, and His crucifixion, and physical death, and now - in these stories - His resurrection. Hearing the Lord's charges to them, these Galilean fishermen and their colleagues launch out into the wide world, and work to achieve the Great Commission, enduring hardships and persecution, and succeeding - probably beyond their wildest dreams!
Luke 9
1
He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
2
He sent them forth to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3
He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey--neither staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats apiece.
4
Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there.
5
As many as don't receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them."
6
They departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News, and healing everywhere.
7
Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,
8
and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.
9
Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this, about whom I hear such things?" He sought to see him.
10
The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them, and withdrew apart to a deserted place of a city called Bethsaida.
11
But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed healing.
12
The day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said to him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place."
13
But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people."
14
For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each."
15
They did so, and made them all sit down.
16
He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17
They ate, and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
18
It happened, as he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, "Who do the multitudes say that I am?"
19
They answered, "'John the Baptizer,' but others say, 'Elijah,' and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again."
20
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."
21
But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one,
22
saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up."
23
He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
24
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.
25
For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?
26
For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.
27
But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Kingdom of God."
28
It happened about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray.
29
As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling.
30
Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah,
31
who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32
Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him.
33
It happened, as they were parting from him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let's make three tents: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah," not knowing what he said.
34
While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud.
35
A voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!"
36
When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
37
It happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met him.
38
Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39
Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely.
40
I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn't."
41
Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here."
42
While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43
They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
44
"Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men."
45
But they didn't understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46
There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest.
47
Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,
48
and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great."
49
John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn't follow with us."
50
Jesus said to him, "Don't forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us."
51
It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52
and sent messengers before his face. They went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him.
53
They didn't receive him, because he was traveling with his face set towards Jerusalem.
54
When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?"
55
But he turned and rebuked them, "You don't know of what kind of spirit you are.
56
For the Son of Man didn't come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." They went to another village.
57
As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, "I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord."
58
Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59
He said to another, "Follow me!" But he said, "Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father."
60
But Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God."
61
Another also said, "I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house."
62
But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God."
