Rising from the Dead

Luke 24 insists that Jesus rose from the dead. A lot of people try to put this down to the fact that Jesus' followers were backwards folks who would believe anything. But something about this chapter of the Bible doesn't resonate very well with that trite suggestion.

We read that the risen Jesus (hold your judgment for a minute) started walking along a road leading from Jerusalem to Emmaus. He joined two of his followers but was somehow disguised so that they didn't recognize him. He asked them why they seemed so upset. This was the answer:

"Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

Jesus 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. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

They weren't gullible. They'd heard the wild story that he'd risen from the dead, but it seemed more of an insult to their sorrow than anything they could believe. It was only when they ate and drank with Jesus and they recognized him that they came to the realization that, however it had happened, Jesus was alive.

You don't have to be gullible to believe in a miracle like this. If God broke into our world in the presence of Jesus, who are we to say what is and is not possible?

Food for thought.