While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
Peace be with you. They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them,
Why are you troubled? And why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet.
It is I myself. Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it,
because of joy and amazement, he asked them, Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece
of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them,
This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that it is written
about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could
understand the scriptures. He told them, This is what is written. The Messiah will suffer and rise
from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name
to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you
what my father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned
to Jerusalem with great joy, and they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Let's pray.
And open their minds so they could understand and grasp and know and experience you and
what you have called them to do. So we trust that you are here now by the presence of your Holy Spirit.
Father, we ask that you would open our minds so that we can know you better,
so that we might fulfill all that you have called us to do.
Father, we need your help.
Give it to us generously, we ask. Amen.
What kind of world do you long for?
This past week, we have a good time.
This past week, we remembered the signing of the Good Friday Peace Agreement.
Twenty years ago, leaders on our island and other politicians signed an agreement.
The purpose was to bring peace to the divided community of Northern Ireland.
It was rather tragic then that on this week, the two main parties remain divided, angry, untrusting.
Two communities still apart.
Bombs and bullets may have stopped.
But true peace, it is not.
We all long for peace, a world where everything is put right and restored.
Well, as we think about this, listen to what the risen Jesus says to us.
Look at verse 36.
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
Peace be with you.
Now, this is more than just a greeting.
This is a reminder of all that Jesus came to do.
Peace in the Bible is much more than just the absence of trouble or hostility.
Peace means absolute wholeness, full, harmonious, joyful, flourishing life.
As one writer put it, you can follow on the screen.
He says, peace is the webbing together of God, humans and all creation in justice, fulfillment and delight.
In other words, it's the way things ought to be.
Remember how the angels celebrated the coming of the Lord Jesus.
They sang, glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests.
Or if you know your Hebrew, that word shalom, this togetherness, this full, harmonious, joyful, flourishing life.
Jesus has come to bring peace, reconciliation between God and man, the restoration of all creation, the putting right of all things.
And of course, the way that this is achieved is through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
So here we have the risen Jesus now announcing to his disciples and to us, peace be with you.
Now this isn't just peace for us to experience.
This is peace for us to announce.
Because the mission of the church is to announce and proclaim this glorious news of peace to the nations.
Verse 47, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached, will be announced, will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations.
Well, how do we know that this peace that is on offer is true?
How do we know that this offer of peace is real?
Well, like the disciples, I think we might need a bit of convincing.
First, back from the dead.
Let's go to verse 36 again.
While they were still talking about this.
So let's remember what's happened.
It's Sunday evening.
All the disciples have met up together.
The last they saw of Jesus was three days ago, bloodied and dead on a cross.
Now there's this rumor circulating that his tomb is empty.
And some of them, two of them at least, the two that walked with Jesus on the Emmaus Road,
are saying that they've seen Jesus.
He's alive.
And while they were talking about these events, verse 36,
Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
peace be with you.
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
This was the last thing they ever expected.
Jesus was dead and buried.
That's it.
It's all over.
It's time to move on and try and make sense of this life and this world.
But for Jesus, this was just the beginning.
The world needed to know that they could now experience peace, forgiveness of sins and the promise of a brand new future.
And the disciples, like us, need convincing that this offer of peace is true.
You see, if we're going to announce that Jesus is alive,
and that this offer of peace is real,
then we need to be absolutely sure that Jesus is back from the dead.
If Jesus is dead and he is not alive, everything collapses.
We have nothing to say, nothing to share.
We are hopeless, more to be pitied than anybody else.
Verse 38, he said to them,
why are you troubled?
And why do doubts rise in your minds?
We have to be certain.
We have to be sure that Jesus is alive.
He gives us three convincing proofs.
First, touch.
Look at verse 39.
He says, look at my hands and my feet.
It is I myself.
Touch me and see.
A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.
Now, some people who doubt the resurrection today will say,
well, what they actually saw was a ghost or it was a spirit.
It was kind of like a vision.
But Jesus wants us to know that he is physically alive.
Verse 40.
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
You could imagine the disciples, picture the scene,
prodding, actually poking Jesus and touching him and feeling him.
Well, it looks like Jesus.
It sounds like Jesus.
It feels like a real body.
But they are not convinced.
Second piece of evidence.
Look at verse 41.
While they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement,
they wanted to believe it.
But it was too good to be true.
This can't be happening.
How could this Jesus be risen for the dead?
It can't be true.
So Jesus asked them, verse 41,
do you have anything here to eat?
They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate it in their presence.
I mean, ghosts don't eat.
Spirits don't need food.
Jesus is inviting us to say,
look, but also see, as he eats the food,
that he is a physical, risen body.
Still not convinced?
Third piece of evidence.
Listen, verse 44.
He said to them,
this is what I told you while I was still with you.
Can't you remember the things that I talked to you about?
We know from Luke that at least on three occasions,
Jesus had said to his disciples,
I'm going to be mocked.
I'm going to be flogged.
I'm going to be beaten.
I'm going to be killed.
And on the third day, rise again.
Remember what I said to you.
In fact, rest of verse 44,
everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses,
the prophets and the Psalms.
Of course, the law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms
was a way of talking about the whole of the Old Testament scriptures.
And Jesus is inviting us.
He says, read it.
Look into the Old Testament and you will see that my death and my resurrection was foretold hundreds of years before it even happened.
Well, you're saying, where does it say that?
Well, let me give you one example.
Have a look at Isaiah 53.
Go back to Isaiah 53.
A well-known passage of scripture which talks about 700 years before Jesus comes.
It talks about mostly about his death.
But I think there's also here something of his resurrection.
Isaiah 53 verse 5.
But he, speaking of Jesus, who was to come, was pierced for our transgressions.
He was crushed for our iniquities.
The punishment that brought us peace was upon him.
And by his wounds we are healed.
So it's talking about his death, his sufferings on the cross.
Well, what about his resurrection?
Well, look down at verse 11.
After he has suffered, after this Christ has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.
Or your notes might actually have another slightly different translation at the bottom of your page.
You might see a little note and it says, he will see the fruit of his suffering.
The results of his death on the cross will be those who trust him and love him.
And it's saying here in verse 11 that after he has suffered, he will see the fruits, the results of his death.
In other words, he will rise.
He will see.
He will know.
So Jesus is saying to them, look, touch me.
See.
Listen.
I am sending you out with a message of peace.
And it's true.
Jesus is back from the dead.
And the risen Jesus is calling people like you and me to announce the wonderful news that we can be forgiven, reconciled.
And that we can be part of a restored, renewed creation.
The resurrection is true.
So second, first back from the dead.
Second, sent out on mission.
It is the risen Jesus with all power and all authority who now sends his people out.
What is our message as we go?
Well, look at verse 45.
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.
And he told them, this is what is written.
Like in places like Isaiah 53.
The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.
Now let me make it very clear.
It may be obvious to you.
But this is essential.
Do you see what it says there in verse 46?
This is what is written.
The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead.
Those are the two foundation stones of what we declare, what we teach and what we preach.
You can talk about lots of other things.
But if we're not talking about the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are not fulfilling our mission.
It is primary.
It is essential that this is what we talk about.
So let's have a look at these two a little bit closer.
First, Christ's death is the answer to our broken relationships.
Christ's death is the answer to our broken relationships.
We're told in verse 46, this is what is written.
The Messiah will suffer.
Yes, he has.
He has died.
And we must proclaim that news.
When Christ suffered and died on the cross, it was to deal with the problem of our sin.
Because of my sin, I'm under the judgment of God.
Without Jesus' death, I can't know peace.
I can't be reconciled to God.
I can't have access to God.
I can't know Him and enjoy Him.
He remains distant from me.
He's blocked from me.
There's a barrier there.
But God in love, through the person of Jesus Christ, has come to take the blame for all the wrong things I have done.
God dies for me in Christ.
He's punished for me.
He takes the judgment I deserve.
God does all of this so that we could know Him.
Be reconciled to Him.
Love Him.
Enjoy Him.
Know His presence.
And experience His peace.
That we never face condemnation.
He never pushes us away.
He never keeps us outside.
But He draws us in.
To know Him personally and intimately.
God, the Creator of the universe.
Our Father.
Peace with Him.
One writer, John Stott, put it like this.
God in Christ is treated as we deserve to be treated.
So that we are treated as Christ deserves to be treated.
We are now treasured as God's children.
Just as God and just as the Father and the Son, right from the very beginning, from eternity past, have enjoyed that unique relationship.
So now, because of the peace we enjoy, we become part of that.
Treated as the Lord Jesus.
Treasured as the Lord Jesus.
Treasured and loved.
The broken relationship that exists has now been mended and restored.
This is the message that we have to tell.
And the other part of that is that Christ's resurrection is the answer to our broken world.
If we go back to the end of verse 46, it's not just that the Messiah will suffer, but that He will rise from the dead.
And He has risen.
When Christ died, He was buried, but He didn't stay dead.
He defeated death.
He destroyed the grave.
Without the resurrection of Jesus, I can never know and experience true peace.
I can never experience a restored world where everything is put right.
But now, because He has broken and destroyed death, I can now have that peace.
Not just today, peace with God, but to look forward to that fulfillment of a restored world.
Everything put right.
If Christ got through death, and your trust is in Him, that means He will get you through death.
Because Christ has a future in the new creation, ruling and reigning.
That means you and I have a future in the new creation, ruling and reigning with Him.
A world where everything is put right.
No more sickness.
No more death.
No more threats of war.
No more breakdown in relationships.
No more threats of the broken world.
The broken world.
Everything as it should be put right.
Here's a great little quote.
Another writer put it like this.
If the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the place where what we long for and what is real wonderfully collide.
If you were to conduct a little survey amongst your friends or people and ask yourself the question,
what kind of world do we want?
Well, everybody wants a world of peace.
Everybody wants a place where there's prosperity and plenty.
A place where we can be with our loved ones where there will be no more death and no more suffering where everything is put right.
These are the dreams of every heart and soul.
And they wonderfully collide.
They come together in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It all begins to make sense.
You see, true peace, full, harmonious, joyful, flourishing life is achieved through the death and through the resurrection of Jesus.
Remember the verse we started out with together in Colossians?
Just have a look at that again.
Jump forward to Colossians.
Keep your finger in Luke 24.
Colossians chapter 1.
Verse 19.
Here we have a wonderful summary of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians chapter 1, verse 19.
For God, the creator, the ruler, the one who's from before all time, God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Christ.
All of God in Christ.
And through Christ to reconcile to himself all things.
All things.
Whether things on this earth or things in heaven.
Everything that has been broken.
Everything that has been shattered and disordered.
That through Christ.
Things in heaven or things on earth.
By making peace through his blood shed on the cross.
Back to Luke 24.
This is what Christ has come to do.
This is where reality takes place.
And this is the message we declare.
We must talk about Christ and his death.
We must talk about Christ and his resurrection.
And if we're to experience this peace.
Then we must call people, verse 47.
For repentance and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.
We are calling people to turn from trying to get peace through their own efforts.
And by our own ways.
And to trust that in Jesus is the only way for reconciliation with God and a restoration of this broken world.
People can experience this as they turn in repentance to God.
This is the message that we must tell.
That we must announce.
It is a message to the nations.
Look at the end of verse 47.
He says it begins at Jerusalem.
So the risen Jesus is making it clear to his disciples.
The ones who were doubting.
The ones who were denying.
The ones who had left him and walked away from him.
Jesus takes these bunch of messed up broken people.
He says it.
I am now sending you.
And I want you to start where you are.
In your home city in Jerusalem.
Where you work.
Where you go fishing.
When you're hanging out with your friends and talking with your family.
I want you to start there and tell people and talk to people about the peace that I've come to bring.
This restoration and reconciliation that can be found in Christ.
Tell them about my death and about my resurrection.
And as we read on into Acts.
As we were pointed to as we were singing earlier.
They went from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
And isn't that what we see in verse 47?
It'll be preached in his name to all nations.
And from that point on in Luke.
So the word began to travel to different parts and different places.
And it came to places like Ireland.
And here we are today meeting as a bunch of people who trusted in the Lord Jesus.
And it's reached us here on this island to this nation.
But it's our responsibility to go and take that message to the nations.
To the peoples of this world.
Of different places who have not yet heard the good news of Christ.
Yes, the disciples were witnesses.
Verse 48.
He says you are witnesses of these things.
But as we hear this same message.
As we trust and believe.
We are now witnesses.
Of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Let me introduce you to a family.
You haven't met them yet.
But you will do.
Their names are the Grindys.
They live in Liverpool.
They're a young family.
Two young children.
And we as a church.
Are seeking to support them.
Because they are going to be going from Liverpool.
To a place in Kosovo.
To reach a town and a country.
Where many people have not yet known Christ.
They will be there to support and encourage the church.
In their mission.
In their outreach.
To declare the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And we as a church are going to gather around them.
Pray for them.
Support them.
Help them.
Because this is what it means.
To be a Christian.
To be a follower of the Lord Jesus.
But as we think about them.
Why don't we think about ourselves for a minute.
I often think about the children of this church.
Those who are in Sunday school and creche.
Little.
Do you ever pray that as they hear.
As they're being taught the good news about Jesus.
If you're a parent of one of those children.
Do you ever pray.
Dare to pray.
Lord send them.
Send my son.
Send my daughter.
To a place.
Where Christ is not yet known.
Would you dare to pray that prayer.
Would we dare to pray that.
We could gather around someone in this church.
And send them.
To another part of the world.
It is our responsibility.
If we are Christians.
If we are believers.
This is what we are called to do.
Yes it starts right here.
Where we are in our home.
In our college.
In work.
With our neighbours.
With the people we meet.
But we have this.
Responsibility.
This privilege.
To go to the nations.
Join with me.
Join together.
When we meet in our home groups.
To pray.
That people will be sent.
Frightened about praying that prayer.
Scared that you could be the answer to that prayer.
Well.
Look at this.
We are equipped with God's power.
Power.
The risen Jesus sends us.
But he gives us his power.
Verse 49.
He says to his disciples.
I am going to send you.
What my father has promised.
The Holy Spirit.
But stay in the city.
Until you have been clothed with power.
From on high.
If you were going to go.
If you were going to go climb a mountain.
You would need the right kit.
Wouldn't you?
If you were to go and climb Caron Tool today.
In your flip flops.
And your shorts.
And a t-shirt.
I wonder how you'd get on.
We need the right kind of clothing.
To be able to do these kind of tasks.
And in the same way.
When it comes to God's peace mission.
We need the right kind of clothing.
Look at the end of verse 49.
We need to be clothed with power from on high.
The power is the power of the Holy Spirit.
That God the Father promised to his disciples.
That they received when we read in Acts 2.
And is given to all believers.
To everyone who trusts in him.
They are clothed with his power.
The power.
This is the kind of power we're thinking about.
The power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Is the same power that is in us.
Romans 8.
The Holy Spirit is a person.
God living within us.
But it's not just his presence with us as we go.
It is his power that is with us.
So how can we know and what can we expect this power to do in our lives as we go?
Well two things.
His power will help us to open our mouths to speak.
Look at Luke chapter 12.
Just go back a few chapters.
Luke chapter 12.
Verse 11.
Luke chapter 12.
Verse 11.
When Jesus speaking again to people.
When you are brought before synagogues.
Rulers.
And authorities.
Do not worry about how you will defend yourselves.
Or what you will say.
Because the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.
Being involved in God's mission will be hard.
People won't want to listen.
Some places will be hard.
Countries exist where you are persecuted.
And that can scare people off.
It can put fear into us.
But the risen Jesus is saying I have given you the power of the Holy Spirit.
Who will teach you and at that moment will give you what you should say.
He will put words in your mouth to speak.
And in my experience.
We know that power at work in us when we do begin to speak.
It's not we just stand here and just kind of wait and go.
And hope words come out.
It's as we begin to talk.
And I'm not saying I'm the greatest evangelist.
I fear these kind of situations.
But just very briefly.
The other day when we were out canvassing.
I was talking to the guy who I was with.
And it just came up very naturally.
And he just asked.
Are you a religious person?
And immediately I go.
Right.
I know what I have to say.
How am I going to say it?
What's it going to be like?
And I just started speaking.
But I was just continually praying.
Asking.
Holy Spirit.
Will you help me say the right thing?
Give me the right words.
The right conversation.
And as we speak.
He helps us to speak.
He opens our mouths.
Open mouths.
Open minds.
Go back to 24.
Verse 45.
Then he opens their minds.
So they could understand the scriptures.
I wondered if you noticed.
It was similar to what we saw last week.
That here the disciples have seen the risen Jesus.
They've touched him.
They've eaten with him.
They've heard him speak.
But still they don't grasp who Jesus is.
They need God to open up their minds.
It's the same thing.
It's the same thing that God did for the two disciples as they walked along the road to Emmaus.
Back in verse 31.
Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him.
And that's what the Holy Spirit does.
He opens people's minds to understand their need of Christ.
He opens the minds of your friends so that they can see that Christ is who he says he is.
That Jesus died for them.
That Jesus defeated death for them.
That in Jesus peace is to be found.
I'm never going to convince anybody with my words.
But as I begin to speak the words of Jesus.
God by his spirit takes those words.
And sends them with power.
Into the lives of people's hearts.
And God does what only God can do.
Just as God created the world and brought life into existence.
So God by his spirit brings life.
Into the power of people.
If you are a Christian today.
It is through the power of God's work in your life.
And so we pray.
God open minds.
Those who are dull and dead and do not want to hear.
Open minds.
So that they can hear.
So as we go about our day.
As we begin.
A new week.
Luke 24 finishes.
It's like the end.
But it is only the beginning.
As we continue on this great task.
I'm going to invite us now to pray.
Just where you are.
In the silence.
In the quietness.
To pray that God would fill you with his spirit.
Ask for his power.
Ask for his power to do two things.
To open your mouth.
And to open minds.
So where you are right now.
Let us pray.
Pray.
Just think of somebody who you will meet this week.
Somebody who you've been talking with.
Pray for the person you.
Is just going to be a surprise.
But yet it is God's intervention.
God's plan.
Pray.
That God would open your mouth.
And give you words.
To speak.
And pray that God by his power.
Would open their minds.
Open their eyes.
To see Jesus.
Jesus.
Father.
Just as Christ.
Ascended.
To you in glory.
So you gave the gift.
Of your Holy Spirit.
To ordinary.
People like us.
The power that raised Christ from the dead.
Is the power.
That is at work within us.
So give us.
The words to say.
Open.
The minds and eyes.
Of those who do not yet know you.
So that they too will see.
And follow.
Jesus.
And experience.
Peace.
In all its fullness.
Thank you.
Lord Jesus.
Amen.
We are going to sing together.
If we want a hymn.
A song.
To encourage us.
To focus.
Bra conte demanding anything.
Thank you.
Let our minds?
You really?
To start and get you.
As The heaven's Heaven.
to focus.
Thanks to you.
To invest кон conspiracy.
A time mercy on everything.
As that you know.
For a earlyrinchemistry.