These two words in such happy conjunction are found twice in one chapter Luke 24. After His resurrection our Lord spent forty very fruitful days on earth, proving to His disciples that He was indeed risen from the dead. Never in all the history of the world had it been known that a man had been raised from the dead, never to die again; though a very few individuals had been restored to life for a time.
It took a great deal to satisfy the disciples that their beloved Lord was indeed risen from the dead, with all that it meant for them. In spite of Mary Magdalene’s story that she had seen the risen Christ, and that He had sent through her the wonderful message, saying, “I ascend to My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God” (John 20:17), they could not bring themselves to believe her story. Was it not possible that, in her overwrought, emotional condition, and in the semi-darkness of early morning, she might have imagined something that never happened?
Our Lord, after His resurrection, did not resume His companionship with His disciples in the same way that He did before His death on the cross. His relations with them were now on a new basis, though He spent His time convincing them that He had indeed risen from the dead, bringing from the very grave the message of His triumph over sin and death and hell, on which their salvation depended. He would suddenly appear to them, and as suddenly disappear. His place was to be at the right hand of God in glory, and for this He was preparing His disciples.
In all this we see the heart of the Good Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep. His gracious activities began the very day He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father. He knew there were two sad and perplexed disciples returning from Jerusalem to their home in Emmaus, and we have the very comforting word that, “Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them.” But their eyes were holden so that they did not recognize Him.
This is rather like ourselves on some occasions. Circumstances test us, and we get downcast and perplexed, because we do not at first recognize that in them the Lord is dealing with us and speaking to us. But He is the same Lord, as when He, before He died, wept tears of sympathy with the sisters of Bethany on the loss of their brother, and when He, risen from the dead, went after the couple going to Emmaus. The words stand true, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Heb. 13:8).
Drawing near to the two, the Lord enquired of them what it was that had caused their sadness, to be told that their hopes had been fastened upon Him with the expectation that He would deliver Israel from all their foes and troubles by a display of omnipotent power. No such deliverance had come. Instead He had been crucified and slain by the chief priests and rulers of their nation. Some spoke of a vision of angels, who said that He was alive, but all they knew was that the grave was empty, though He had not been seen. How did our Lord meet this situation? He charged them with being slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken, for they had indicated that Christ must enter into His glory by the suffering of these things. He then opened up to them all the prophetic Scriptures concerning Himself. No wonder their hearts burned within them under such a wonderful unfolding, and they besought Him to stay in their home. Sitting at their table and partaking of their evening meal, their Guest rose up, took bread, blessed it, and gave it to them. In an instant their eyes were opened and they recognized their risen Lord; but at that same moment He disappeared.
He had accomplished His mission, for Jesus Himself, risen from the dead, was known to their hearts. Their doubts were turned into triumphant joy, which brought them back to Jerusalem that very night to tell the other disciples. They arrived with their glad news, but only to find that the Lord had been caring for another needy disciple that day, even Simon Peter.
But something further was to happen for, “as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and says to them, Peace be to you.” Still the disciples were troubled, thinking they might have seen a spirit. Therefore it was by displaying His hands and His feet, bearing the marks of His crucifixion, and by eating before them, He showed that it really was, Himself.
Finally, our Lord led His disciples as far out as to Bethany and while lifting up His hands in blessing them, He was carried up into the heaven of God’s glory. No wonder they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and continued praising and blessing God.
Our Lord’s life on earth was ended. His death had fully met the claims of God against sin: His resurrection had shown God’s full approval of His work, and had opened up the way in righteousness for the granting forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life to all who by faith receive the Lord as their own Saviour and Master.
But there is even more than this, for as we open the Acts of the Apostles we discover that a new dispensation has dawned as the result of His work. From Him, glorified above, the Holy Spirit has descended, indwelling all true believers, linking them up with their glorified Head in heaven. Thus the Church of God, which is the body of Christ on the earth, has been formed; for each being linked with Christ, they are linked one with another.
Passing on to the epistles, we find the hope of the church clearly stated. We are to be translated into those heavenly scenes where Christ is. And still it is the Lord Himself; for we read, “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,” and we are to be “caught up,” and shall, “meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).