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THE KING’S BUSINESS
was risen. He had appeared to Simon. The word “appeared” means literally been seen with the eyes by Simon, not in a dream, but an actual, visible appearance o f the Risen Lord. As they entered the room where the eleven were gathered they burst out at once with a glad cry “ The Lord is '* risen indeed, and appeared unto Simon.” All glory to God that He had risen indeed and that He has been seen. Then the two told them the whole story o f everything that had happened by the way and how Jesus had been, known to them in the breaking o f the bread. Sunday, March 26. Luke 24:36-43. Jesus at different times during that first day o f His resurrection having appeared to individuals, now appears to the disciples col lectively. It was immediately after the return o f the two from Emmaus, while they were still telling them what had occurred. The disciples were in ,fea r o f the Jews and the doors were locked where they were gathered together (John 20:19), but in through the fast closed doors Jesus enters and stands in the midst o f them and with a word banishes all their fear. “ Peace be unto you,” He says. He was standing right in their midst as He said it. The doors were shut to keep the Jews out, but no closed door will keep Jesus out. Strangely enough, the first result o f the appearance and words 6 f Jesus was „increased fear. Now they were not only fearful but “ terrified and affrighted.” The heart o f man shrinks back from the super natural. That is because man is a sinner and trembles before God. But Jesus sternly rebuked their unbelief and hardness o f heart, (Mark 16:14). The peace that He commanded came indeed. When He stands in the midst there will always be peace no matter how great the turmoil without. His coming is a great cure for all fear and Sorrow (Isa. 25 :9; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17). Shut doors are no barriers to the entrance to the resurrected body o f Jesus. His saluta tion, “ Peace be unto you,” was the common form o f salutation, it meant little usually when men said it, but God put new mean
ing into the old familiar words. He not merely says “ Peace be unto you,” He actually imparts peace (John 14:27.; 16:33). A fter giving them peace, as we learn from John, He went on to give them a com mission (cf. John 20:21-23). It was a searching question that Jesus put to them, “Why are ye troubled ?” He puts the same question to every troubled heart today. They had no real occasion to be troubled, no more have we, though we think we have. To overcome their persistent unbelief and to convince them beyond a question that it was indeed T lis very self, in wonderful condescension, Jesus showed unto them His nail-scarred hands and feet and His spear- pierced side. They thought that He was “a spirit,” but He demonstrated that He was no mere spirit but that He had a body, ‘ flesh and bones.” The evidences of the literal physical resurrection, o f the body o f Christ are overwhelming. Many today who call themselves Christians do not believe in the literal resurrection o f the body o f Christ, but think that He appeared to the disciples after His crucifixion merely as spirit, but our Lord Himself here exposes the folly o f that theory. While He had “flesh and bones,” apparently He did not have blood; His blood He had poured out on the cross o f Calvary, and now the life o f His body was supplied not by blood, but by His indwelling spirit. It all seemed to the disciples too good to be true. They “ disbelieved for joy.” The doctrine o f the resurrection still seems too good to be true, but it is true. He gave them further proof o f the actuality and literality o f His resurrection by eating before them, and at last they were fully convinced, not merely that the spirit ^ f Jesus still lived, but that His body had been raised. What a com plete refutation we have here o f the doc trine o f the Russellites (or the Millennial Dawnists) that the body o f Jesus was not actually raised but dissipated into gases. Monday, March 27. Luke 24:44-49. The events here recorded do not follow immediately after those recorded in the preceding verses. One might suppose they
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