Peace to You
He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. Luke 24:6–7
Luke 24:1–49 – Holy Week—Luke
Easter – April 4th, 2021 (am)
One of the last things we heard from Jesus in last week’s text (19:28-48) was His grieved weeping over Jerusalem and His exclamation: 42 … Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. The very people who’d been the recipients of God’s Word through the prophets were so committed to their own concept of peace that they weren’t even able to see the fulfillment of God’s promise of peace when He stood right in front of them! That’s like standing in front of Mt. Rushmore and asking: So, where are those carved faces I’ve heard about?
19:42 … Would that you… had known… the things that make for peace! … The prophet Isaiah identified God’s Messiah as the Prince of Peace (Isa.9:6). And when Jesus was born, the angels of heaven announced peace (2:14) to all who receive His grace. Jesus was celebrated by Zechariah as the One Who’d guide our feet into the way of peace (1:79). And when Simeon rejoiced over baby Jesus in the temple, his words to God were: your servant [can] now [die] in peace…; for my eyes have seen your salvation (2:29-30). On a couple of occasions Jesus sent off those whom He’d just healed saying: go in peace (7:50; 8:48). And when He sent out His advance team of seventy-two travelers (10:1-12), their opening message supposed to be: Peace to this house! (1:5) All who were receptive to their message were called [sons] of peace (10:6). And Jesus referred to their message as your peace (10:6).
Peace was the standard Hebrew greeting. Shalom. But it was so much more than a greeting. It expressed in one word God’s best, the way things [ought] to be. [S]halom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as the creator and savior opens doors and speaks welcome to the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in short, is the way things are supposed to be (Plantinga 2-3).
There are many things we want in life. But there’s nothing we want more than this—peace, shalom, the way things [ought] to be! We long to live in a world where human crookedness has been [straightened] (Plantinga 2), where trust and mutual respect are standard fare and truth is the rooted deeply in everyone’s heart! There’s no place we’d desire to be more than any place that’s characterized by shalom, by the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in perfect justice, fulfillment, and delight (Plantinga 2), a finely woven fabric of community.
Sounds like paradise, doesn’t it? And in truth, it is/was! But it’s really even better than that! Back in the Garden of Eden, before there was any such thing as [sin], selfishness, separation of fellowship with God and one another tearing at the fabric of flourishing, there was peace, shalom. But it was destroyed as the man and woman disobeyed God an inherited the drastic consequences of death. But now, in fulfillment of all God’s promises made in the wake of that tragedy of failure, Jesus has come! He’s taken on Himself the penalty of [sin] that Adam & Eve and now all the rest of us deserve because of our [sin]. He’s risen from the dead in victory over [sin] and death. And He’s opened the way for peace to be restored, shalom, universal flourishing, on the far side of our tasting of [sin], separation, life in a world where creatures have turned their backs on their Creator.
Our inheritance now is looking forward to a new creation in which we know all the more about the greatness of the glory of our God Who redeems fallen creatures to Himself at His own cost, a God of unimaginable wisdom and power Who yet models humility and sacrificial love to His people, a God Who conquers [sin] and death to establish shalom!
That’s the story we’re reading today! It comes on the heels of a pretty bleak account that left the onlookers beating their breasts (23:48) in grief and confusion as they returned home from witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus. And His followers were no better off; they stood at a distance watching these things (27:49) when they’d surely rather have intervened and rescued Him.
But. That’s the first word of c.24. Contrast. Turnabout. Some kind of reversal is coming! And this reversal is the restoration of true to a crooked world, of light where there’s only been darkness, of shalom where the fabric of community had been shredded into a discarded pile of tattered rags! Let’s just read this story and I’ll comment as we go; it comes in two parts: Luke’s telling of Jesus’ resurrection (1-12) then his unique account of activities on the rest of that day (13-49). And after that we’ll talk a bit about how Luke would have us respond to the historic accounts he presents to us here.
Luke’s Telling of the Resurrection of Jesus – 1-12
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, at the crack of dawn (Morris 352), [the women] (23:55) went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared (23:56) to dress Jesus’ body properly for burial, fully expecting Him to be dead but wondering how they would move the stone (cf. Mar.16:3). 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And that shocked them even though Luke records at least three times that Jesus told His disciples He must die, and twice that He would rise again.
First was right after Peter’s confession that Jesus was God’s promised Messiah. Jesus said: 9:22 … The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. You can’t get much clearer than that! But the disciples must’ve thought this was a metaphor!
A second mention of His death was right on the heels of delivering a demon-possessed boy: 9:43 … All were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” Then Luke says: 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. They just didn’t get crucifixion or resurrection but they didn’t want to ask!
On a third occasion Jesus got even more detailed. 18:31 … Taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Jesus got this specific, but His followers still didn’t recognize what was happening to Him. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” Don’t you remember that? 8 And they remembered his words, maybe a bit, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, probably not the mother of Jesus (Arnold 497), and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. This group was not itching to believe preposterous things about Jesus! They wouldn’t have made up stories about a resurrection. They couldn’t conceive of that even when they’d heard His words and now there was no body in the tomb! 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. Even here Peter probably didn’t yet believe (cf. 41). They just didn’t get it!
Luke’s Unique Account of the Rest of That Day – 13-49
On the Road to Emmaus
Luke continues his narrative. 13 That very day two of them—as we’ll see (33), likely two of all the rest (9)—were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. Can you imagine? 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. God was at work among His people, two whom we don’t even know, and we have only one of their names! (18) But what we learn here is a blessing to us all, and insinuation of the unity of the Scriptures in its testimony about Jesus, about the plan and purpose and salvation of God, that sends us all off into the OT and NT seeking to put it all together!
17 And [Jesus] said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” This tells us that all these things didn’t happen under cover. All Jerusalem knew about them. 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth. Now, here is where we see that they’ve not yet [understood] or embraced Who Jesus is. According to them, He is a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. They know He’s special. But they don’t understand Who He is or what He’s done, what He just accomplished, or what it all means.
So, they continue their description: 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. They do know who’s at fault, humanly speaking, and they don’t blame Rome! 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel, completely missing from Jesus’ teaching and from the words of the OT Prophets what it would require to redeem Israel! Case in point, Isaiah wrote, 53:5 … he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 10 … it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt…. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul… shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will [apportion to him] (Motyer 383) the many… because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered among the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. This together with what Jesus taught still wasn’t enough for them to get it on their own!
21 … Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. No bells went off! 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, not actual angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
Now it’s time for Jesus to speak! 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Was it not necessary for God Himself to provide the solution for [sin], to redeem His fallen creatures and so display to them the greatness of his glory? 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Wow! Which parts did Jesus pick out as most important, most clear, most revealing of the overall unity of Scripture’s story? I’m sure they didn’t want this conversation to end!
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him, strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. Sound familiar? These are the same actions is the same order as when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper just three nights ago! (22:19) It doesn’t seem like these two would’ve been there that evening, but maybe they’d heard the story because this is when it happened! 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. It was so late in the day that they urged Jesus to cease His travels, but when this happened, they immediately took off on the seven [mile] (13) walk back to Jerusalem! And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” The group back home had their own story! 35 Then they told what had happened to them on the road to Emmaus, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Amazing.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
But this evening wasn’t finished yet! 36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and what do you think He said to them? Would it have been some trite expression? Hey, how’s it going? What’s up? Would He have just said: Howdy, guys! Or would the eternal Son of God come in the flesh, recently crucified for the sins of all who will believe and now risen in victory over [sin] and death, the firstfruits [from among the dead] (1Co.15:20), the first to display a resurrection body which all who believe in Him will receive when He returns, what would He say? How would He greet the eleven and those who were with them gathered together? (33) He said to them, “Peace to you!” Is this a thoughtless, Shalom? Or is it more likely Jesus addressing just what they’d missed that brought Him such grief a week prior, on the day of His so-called triumphal entry into Jerusalem? 19:42 … Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Through that week Jesus had done what was needful to open the eyes of their hearts to understand, and respond with repentance for the forgiveness of sins (cf. 47). And that’s just what we read here! Initially 37 … they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 [But] 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.” He was proving it was really Him! 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy—this was just too good to be true! (Morris 360)—and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them. Jesus was really risen! He had a real body!
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” This is now the third time Jesus has said this! (25, 27, 44) Do you think this might be part of what we’re supposed to learn from His appearances and teachings on this day of His resurrection? 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures—O Lord, do that again/still today, here, now!—46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” And this is just the story Luke continues on into Acts.
Luke’s Intent of What This Should Mean for Us
What does Luke intend us to learn from his telling of Jesus’ story on the day of His resurrection? Well, he told us just what it all means. It’s spelled out most fully in the message His followers were given to proclaim, and the means by which they were to proclaim it. As we’ve already seen in the first two chapters of Acts, they were supposed to stay in [Jerusalem] until [they were] clothed with power from on high, with the promise of the Father upon [them] (49), with [the Holy Spirit] Who is given to all who believe! Then they were to take this very message to the world, to all nations, beginning [right there in] Jerusalem (47). And the message was repentance for the forgiveness of sins (47), reconciliation to God through the saving work of Jesus and the certain hope of eternal life with Him in His new creation!
This is the message that was on Jesus’ lips the very day He was raised from the dead. And it’s captured most succinctly in His greeting to His followers that evening (36): Peace to you! Shalom. The universal flourishing which characterizes creation and all its creatures in perfect harmony with their Creator, which is so unavoidably and irreversibly unattainable to humankind in our fallen state, is made available to us through death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and through His giving of the Holy Spirit when He ascended back to the Father (50-53; Act.1:6-11). Shalom is our inheritance when we [repent] for the forgiveness of our sins and put our trust in Him Who died and was raised on our behalf.
And it’s such a different sort of blessing than we realize!
We can actually think peace comes when our candidate wins the White House, or our Party controls Congress.
We can think peace comes when attain financial security and can live comfortably into our old age.
We can think peace comes with a satisfying career, or a happy marriage, or high-achieving children.
We can think peace comes when we enjoy good health, or when we’re young enough to have a level of confidence that full recovery is possible from things like Micro-Arterial/Venal Malformations, or Amniotic Fluid Embolisms, or Aortic Aneurisms, and the clots and strokes that can result from addressing these conditions.
We can think peace comes when we see remission from childhood Brain Cancer or new vaccines for previously unencountered Viruses.
We can even think peace comes when our [nation] is no longer at war with enemies foreign or domestic, when the world is safe for Capitalism and Democracy.
But these are the very sorts of ideas about peace that caused Jesus to sob over Jerusalem. These are the very sorts of ideas that had Him lamenting: 19:42 … Would that you, even you, had known… the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
When we receive the peace that’s secured for us by the Prince of Peace—the peace that’s our inheritance through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus—there will be no more Micro-AVMs, no more Amniotic Fluid Embolisms or Aortic Aneurisms, no clots or strokes or childhood Cancer or Viral pandemics! There will be no more political disputes or Party divisions or international conflicts or financial recessions! There will be no more broken relationships or selfish ambitions or social uprisings or cruel oppression!
The death and resurrection of Jesus means that God’s promise of a new creation has been secured! And more, it’s already breaking into our present world through His [resurrected] body, and then through God’s presence and power in the Person of His Holy Spirit!
All enemies of good and right will be defeated! All things will be made new and set right! And shalom, peace, will be our unrivaled experience in His presence for all eternity!
O, friends, trust in Jesus this Resurrection Day! [Repent] for the forgiveness of your sins and in so doing, finally learn and embrace and [know], this day, the things that [make] for peace!
____________________
Resources
Arnold, Clinton E. Matthew, Mark, Luke. Volume 1, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove: Zondervan, 2020.,
Morris, Leon. Luke. Volume 3, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1988.
Motyer, J. A. Isaiah. Volume 20, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1999.
Plantinga Jr., Cornelius. Sin: Not the Way It’s Supposed To Be. This essay is Copyright © 2010 by Christ on Campus Initiative (CCI), a non-profit organization generously supported by the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding (a ministry of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) and the MAC Foundation. CCI exists to prepare and circulate materials for college and university students, addressing an array of fundamental issues from a Christian perspective. Readers and organizations may circulate these essays without charge. Those wishing to contact CCI may email the Secretary, Dr. Scott Manetsch, at smanetsc@tiu.edu.
Next Week: A Taste of the Times of Refreshing, Acts 3:1–4:4