AP

Luke 18:31-34    Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.  He will be delivered over to the Gentiles.  They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”  The disciples did not understand any of this.  Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

It is interesting to read this account by Dr Luke of Jesus’ explaining to his chosen disciples what was about to happen to him and the eternal significance of it.  If we put ourselves in the position of the disciples back then, we can perhaps appreciate their confusion on two counts: firstly, they would not have been able to get their heads around the fact that their impeccable, powerful teacher of three years was predicting that he would be mocked, flogged and killed; and secondly, that he knew he would ‘rise again’!

Yes, they had witnessed Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead, but who would raise Jesus?  And it seemed that he was implying that he would somehow conquer death forever, whereas Lazarus would finally die again.  From their earth-bound perspective, what Jesus was talking about was completely beyond the realms of possibility.

It is not hard for spiritual truth to be hidden from our sin-affected, earthbound minds.  The amazing contrast, however, is what the Holy Spirit would soon do to, and in, their fallen minds when they would be faced with the reality that this same Jesus, whom they would see cruelly beaten, fully dead, and buried in a tomb, appear to them very alive, talk, walk and eat with them.  Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Luke’s account of the Resurrection, and its impact on the disciples, is written with very clear and intelligent conviction, consistent with his stated aim at the beginning of his Gospel: “I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (1:3b-4).

All this challenges me to want the reality and authenticity of the Resurrection to really grab me so that I can identify fully with the words of Samuel Medley’s hymn:  “I KNOW that my Redeemer lives; what comfort this assurance gives!  He lives, he lives, who once was dead; he lives, my everlasting Head.  He lives triumphant from the grave, he lives eternally to save, he lives to bless me with his love and intercede for me above.  He lives to help in time of need, he lives, my hungry soul to feed; he lives and grants me daily breath, he lives and I shall conquer death.  He lives, my kind, wise, constant Friend who still will guard me to the end; he lives, and while he lives, I’ll sing:  ‘He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.’  He lives, my Saviour, to prepare a place in heaven and lead me there;  he lives, all glory to his Name!  Jesus, unchangeably the same.”

– Bruce Christian