Luke 24: Recognizing Jesus' Resurrection through External and Internal Three Stages

Luke 24: Recognizing Jesus' Resurrection through External and Internal Three Stages

7 "The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."

8 Then they remembered his words.

11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

16 But they were kept from recognizing him.

19 He asked them, "What things?" "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.

27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.

31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.

44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

For those interested in Jesus, he was seen as either a prophet or someone with political hopes placed upon him. Even the disciples did not believe in Jesus' resurrection (verse 11). Among the various reasons for rejecting Jesus' resurrection, the theory that the disciples stole his body is unconvincing. Luke follows a three-step process in conveying the news of Jesus' resurrection to Theophilus. First, he reports the news from the women who visited Jesus' tomb. Second, he repeats this news through the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Third, Luke himself conveys the news of Jesus' resurrection through his letter. It seems Luke understood the amplifying effect of rumors, akin to a butterfly effect. This represents the external three-step process Luke uses to convey the news of Jesus' resurrection.

There is also an internal three-step process. The news of Jesus' resurrection is first ignited by the experience of his resurrection appearances and then fueled by recalling Jesus' words. The incident with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus follows the same pattern. They relay and amplify the words they heard from the women. Luke adds an additional element: the work of the Holy Spirit, which governs the experience of Jesus' resurrection appearances and the recalling of his words. For the butterfly effect to occur, human transmission and repetition are not enough; the work of the Holy Spirit, which opens the eyes of understanding, is essential. The Holy Spirit connects the Scriptures with Jesus (and his ministry). Jesus himself interpreted the entire Scripture (Old Testament) (verses 27, 44-45). These verses represent Luke's confession of Jesus' identity and his method of interpreting Scripture. Luke was wary of interpretations that did not relate the Scriptures to Jesus. After all, Jesus was the first interpreter of Scripture. As John noted, the Holy Spirit reminds us of Jesus' words (John 14:26). Thus, the Holy Spirit continues Jesus' work of interpretation.

Here, I want to share an interesting story about the genius scholar Han Tae-dong and his lullaby. A mother is holding her child and singing a lullaby to put the child to sleep. There is a depth to this lullaby when the mother hears the lullaby her own mother sang to her and sees in her mind's eye her own mother holding and singing to her. Such a lullaby is indescribably comforting. How soundly the baby must sleep to such a lullaby! Even nightmares cannot penetrate the deep layers of this lullaby. Luke's inclusion of the Holy Spirit's work is like making the mother hear her own mother's lullaby.

Jesus is the establisher and first executor of the Eucharist. Jesus, who established the Eucharist through the Last Supper with his disciples, is the first to reenact it. It was then that the eyes of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were opened. This is Luke telling Theophilus that understanding Jesus' resurrection comes when Jesus opens the eyes of the heart. It is an opening of the eyes by Jesus, for Jesus, and through Jesus (and for Theophilus). This is also Luke's experience. The timing of this eye-opening is crucial: it happens when the Last Supper is reenacted, in other words, when Jesus' words are put into practice (verses 30-31). When we practice Jesus' words, such as through the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit helps closely. If our eyes are covered, we cannot recognize Jesus even if he approaches. The moment the two disciples' eyes were opened and Jesus disappeared is a model for the future work of the Holy Spirit in opening each person's eyes. The Holy Spirit will work like tongues of fire resting on each person's head, as if lighting a lamp (Acts 2:3).

The resurrection of Jesus was solidified through the testimonies of those who met him or experienced his resurrection directly or indirectly, and through the connection of Old Testament prophecies and Jesus' words. Let's ask once more: when is Jesus' resurrection realized? When the women who visited Jesus' tomb go to the disciples, when the two disciples on the road to Emmaus relay the women's news, when the Eucharist that Jesus commanded is practiced, and especially when the Scriptures are related to Jesus (Bible study), realization comes. Luke, who conveys the news of Jesus' resurrection, will also speak much about the invisible work of the Holy Spirit in his second letter.

Lastly, in conveying the news of Jesus' resurrection, Luke and Paul are often compared. While Luke focuses on the transmission and continuation of the news of Jesus' resurrection, Paul tries to explain it. Luke conveys the news of the resurrection through letters, while Paul travels to directly convey the news of the resurrection and simultaneously explains his understanding of it through various letters. This is why Paul cannot be ignored in Christian theology.