Although the light of the truth began to dawn with the morning light on that first day of the week when Jesus was resurrected from the dead, it wasn’t until later that evening when Jesus first appeared to most of His apostles that the intensity of that light began to break the bondage of darkness the devil had used to enslave men by their fear of death (Heb 2:14-15). Luke records that at that meeting Jesus opened their minds to understand the threefold gospel the Scriptures had foretold of which they were now witnesses: that the Christ was to suffer, and to be resurrected from the dead on the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins was to be heralded in His name to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem (Luk 24:45-48). Jesus Himself was “the faithful and true witness, the first-born of the dead” (Rev 3:14), our forerunner through death into that which is within the veil, in order that we might have the hope of eternal life as an anchor for our soul; Heb 6:19-20. He is the way, and the truth, and the life, and as our forerunner He beckons us to follow Him in the new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, which is the way of the cross as witnesses also to the truth of life through death to our own flesh; cf. Heb 10:20.
How does Luke now conclude His gospel? See Luk 24:49-53. How do we know that these verses do not immediately follow the previous context that happened the evening of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? See Mat 28:16 and note that the apostles could not have proceeded to Galilee if Jesus had told them at that time to stay in the city until they were clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit. See also Act 1:1-5,9, also written by Luke, which places the last verses of Luke’s gospel at the time of Christ’s ascension forty days later. Although Luke says that Jesus presented Himself alive after His suffering, speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God over that period of forty days, what impression does Scripture give us that those appearances were very spiritual in nature, and not like the completely tangible experiences they had with Jesus before His crucifixion? See Act 1:3 and think: what does Luke’s mention of many convincing proofs indicate about the need for those in this present realm to be convinced in a way that before wasn’t necessary? Note too the scarcity of clear and concrete descriptions of Jesus’ appearances to His followers over this period of forty days, compared to those in even the few days up to and including His Passion. See also Mat 28:17, Joh 20:24-25, 21:4-7,12, and note that the spiritual nature of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances seem to have left room for doubt, requiring a measure of the same faith that God’s people have always had to exercise to walk with Him; cf. Heb 11:6. Should we necessarily assume that in the future age when our faith is made sight that such faith will just be a relic of this present age, necessary because of our fallen state? Or is it possible that there will always be an element of faith that we must exercise towards God, apart from what we can plainly see? Note that the common expression our faith shall be sight is not from the Bible but the hymn It Is Well With My Soul and cf. 2Co 5:7. Consider too that in the garden before man’s fall into sin, faith was still required in regard to His command to not eat from the forbidden fruit, and that even the angels in the spiritual realm must have had to have some faith in regard to “the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow” (1Pe 1:10-12). But see also 1Co 13:12.
Although each of the gospels includes quite different details about Jesus’ resurrection, which we can now better understand because of the spiritual nature of those appearances, what one important detail is common to all of the resurrection accounts that was the culmination of everything for which Jesus came? See Mat 28:18-20, Mar 16:15-16, Luk 24:46-48, Joh 20:21. What does this teach us about the part that God wants us to have, as sons adopted into His family through Christ Jesus, in the very same mission for which Jesus Himself came? Cf. Mat 4:23, Mar 1:1, 2Pe 1:3-4. Notice that both Matthew and Luke highlight the gospel call upon Jesus’ followers as going to all the nations; Mat 28:19, Luk 24:47. To whom does Mark say the gospel is to preached, and what is the significance of his word choice? See Mar 16:15, Rom 8:19-22, Col 1:15-16,23; cf. Mat 6:10, 18:10, 1Co 6:3, Eph 2:2, 3:10, Rev 1:20, and recall the first century understanding that the nations, and evidently even local churches, were governed not just by men, but by spiritual authorities who empowered such men; see Deut 32:8[1], Psa 29:1[2], Psa 82[3], Psa 89:6[4], Dan 10:13,20. What spiritual powers might actually be empowering the rulers of our own nation, or state, or city, or local church, or even our own person? When Jesus taught us to pray for His kingdom to come and Mark records Jesus saying to preach the gospel to all creation, do we understand that He is referring to more than just men, but also to the spiritual forces of the world who empower them? Cf. Eph 4:8, Col 2:15.
[1] NAS sons of Israel in the Masoretic text is sons of God in the Dead Sea Scrolls and angels of God in the LXX.
[2] NAS sons of the mighty is sons of God in both the Masoretic text and LXX; cf. heavenly beings ESV, NIV.
[3] Note Psa 82:1 NAS rulers is literally gods; cf. LXX: God stands in the assembly of gods; and in the midst of them will judge gods; ESV: God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment.
[4] See Note 2.