Gospels In Harmony, Part 138 – The Eighth Day We Become New Creatures

Mark 16:14 Luke 24:31-43 and John 20:19-31

[Study Aired May 9, 2023]

Luke 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 
Luke 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 
Luke 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 
Luke 24:35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Luke 24:37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Luke 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Mark 16:14b and (he) upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
John 20:20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Luke 24:41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
Luke 24:42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
Luke 24:43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
John 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
John 20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 
John 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
John 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
John 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion by the Roman authorities, with the support of the Jewish leaders who felt threatened by His teachings. Jesus was stripped, beaten, and mocked before being nailed to a cross, where he died after several hours. His body was taken down and placed in a tomb, which was sealed with a large stone.

On the third day, Jesus’ tomb was found to be empty, and He appeared to the women first, then to His disciples. He had risen from the dead, fulfilling the prophecies, demonstrating His divine nature. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has triumphed over sin and death, providing a path to salvation for all who believe in Him.

Now Thomas tells the disciples that he would not believe them until he “touched” Jesus. In a previous study we saw that Christ could not be “touched” until he had ascended to the Father, showing us there is a proper order of salvation. Having ascended to the Father, Christ now sits on the right hand of God and was given all power and authority to rule “the elect” of the kingdom of God. Christ is now opening the eyes of his disciples. 

Luke 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 
Luke 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 
Luke 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 
Luke 24:35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Jesus opened their eyes and vanished out of their sight. At this time the disciples do not understand the significance of His vanishing. They still believed the kingdom of God being set up on the earth was imminent. Their eyes being opened was only the beginning of many years of coming to understand Christ’s true message of ruling the things of the spirit and not the things of the flesh.

1Co 15:35-44 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

Continuing with our verses. 

John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Luke 24:37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Luke 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Mark 16:14b and (he) upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

What is Christ’s meaning when he says “spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have”? Is Christ contradicting what Paul said in Corinthians 15? Christ is not contradicting Paul. At this point the disciples are not able to understand the “things of the spirit.” We all have to experience the flesh before we can experience the spirit.

1Co 15:42-50 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Why would Christ “upbraid them” if he knew they would not believe.

Mark 16:14b and (he) upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

He did this to show the elect of God that it is through much tribulation we enter into the kingdom.

Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Christ tries again to get them to believe. They still will not believe.

Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
John 20:20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Luke 24:41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
Luke 24:42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
Luke 24:43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Now Thomas, doubting Thomas as he is nicknamed, definitely does not believe Christ is risen from the dead.

John 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
John 20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 
John 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
John 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
John 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus Christ was arrested, sentenced to death by crucifixion, and buried in a tomb. On the third day, His tomb was found empty, and He appeared to His disciples, showing them the wounds on his hands and side. Although initially afraid and unsure, the disciples recognized Jesus and were overjoyed. He ate with them, opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and gave them the Holy Spirit to empower them to spread the good news of his resurrection. Even Thomas, who initially doubted, eventually saw and believed. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death and provided a way for all who believe in him to have eternal life.

2Co 5:14-17 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.