THE FINAL TEST

LUKE 24
Lesson #61
THE FINAL TEST

Memory Verse: 1Cor 15:17
Read Luk 24:1-12
- The same women that prepared the spices for the anointing of Jesus’ body return to the tomb after the Sabbath to complete the job of anointing Him, but He had already risen.
- The sealed tomb was open, not to let Jesus out, but to let the women in. They entered to find the body of Jesus gone.
- The sequence of the events of the resurrection comes from the four Gospels, and they follow here: There are eight events. Eight is the symbolic number for new beginnings.
  - =1= The stone was rolled away: (2)
    - The seal of the Roman government was attached to the stone. The breaking of the seal was an offense worthy of death.
    - A Roman guard was placed at the tomb to prevent any removal of the body. Any soldier that fell asleep on duty was killed.
  - =2= The women enter the open tomb to find Jesus gone.
  - =3= Mary Magdalene runs to tell Peter and John that Jesus is gone. (Joh 20:2-4)
  - =4= Peter and John run to the tomb. (Joh 20:2-4)
  - =5= Meanwhile two men in shining garments explain to the women that He is not there. Obviously these were angels. (4)
    - “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” (5)
    - The angels explain to the women about Jesus’ prediction that He would die and raise again on the third day. They remembered His words of prophecy. (6-8)
  - =6= The women leave to tell the other disciples. (9) (Mat 28:8)
  - =7= Peter and John arrived at the tomb. (12) (Joh 20:4-10)
  - =8= Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb weeping and praying.
Read Luk 24:13-53
- The Post-Resurrection appearances from the four Gospels:
  - =1= Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. (Joh 20:11-18)
  - =2= Jesus appeared to the other women that were on their way to the other disciples. (Mat 28:9-10)
  - =3= Jesus appeared to Peter on Sunday afternoon. (34)
  - =4= Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus.
    - We know the name of one of these disciples. It was Cleopas. (18)
    - Read Mar 16:11-13
      - ^“But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.” (16)
      - The usual question regarding this event is this, “Why did they not know Him?”

The answer is that they were tested for their faith.

In this age of grace you and I believe in Jesus crucified and resurrected not because we SAW the events, but by faith we believed.

- - - - What did these two men believe about Jesus?

They believed that He was a true prophet of God. (19)

According to the test of a true prophet in Deu 13:4, Jesus fulfilled the role of a prophet. Remember he prophesied to the disciples that He would die and resurrect on the third day.

They hoped Jesus was the Messiah that would take his position as a king to free Israel from Roman domination. (21)

- - - - Jesus admonished the two on the road to Emmaus for their lack of faith in the prophecies. (25)

Then He explained to them all the prophecies in the Bible from Exodus to the present.

That verse tells us that Jesus is in every book of the Bible in one way or another. He appears in scriptures by various means:

=a= …by hundreds of types and prefigures.

For example: Moses in the desert lifted up a pole with a bronze snake to demonstrate that Jesus would be lifted up on the cross.

As the serpent represented sin, Jesus became sin for us so that God would judge our sins put on Him. (Bronze represents judgment.)

=b= …by direct reference. (Psa 110:1)

=c= …by theophanies.

A theophany is an appearance of Jesus Christ the second member of the Holy Trinity before He became flesh in the manger.

The Lord went before the Israelites and after them as they crossed the Red Sea. (Exo 14:19)

=d= …by numerous symbols.

For example:

Jesus is a root out of the dry ground. (Isa 53:2)

=e= …by prophecy.

The same is true of the disciples and of us. We must believe by faith and not by sight.

Read Joh 20:29

Spiritual things are understood by two ways:

By faith.

By direct revelation of the Holy Spirit that makes the Word of God real in our lives.

- - - - Their spiritual eyes were open to who Jesus was when he broke bread with them. (30-31)
  - =5= Jesus appeared to the ten disciples with Thomas being absent. (36-43)
    - Notice the characteristics of Jesus’ resurrected body:
      - He was flesh and bone. His blood was already in heaven applied to the Mercy seat for our sins.
      - He could eat.
      - He could be touched and felt.
      - He could appear and disappear at will.
    - The believer in Jesus Christ is told that when he shall appear we will be like Him.
  - =6= Jesus appeared on the next Sunday to the eleven disciples with Thomas being present. (Joh 20:26-31)
  - =7= Jesus appeared to the seven beside the sea of Galilee (Joh 21)
  - =8= Jesus appeared to the apostles with over 500 people present. (Mat 28:16-20)
  - =9= Jesus appeared to James, Jesus’ half brother. (1Cor 15:7)
  - =10=Jesus appeared to a multitude of people at His ascension. (Act 1:3-12)
- Note that there are 10 separate appearances. The number 10 is a symbolic number for God’s standard by which man is tested.
  - What is the test?
  - Are you going to believe in the resurrection or not?
    - Remember what the angel said to the women at the tomb, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?”(5)
    - Remember that the two on the road to Emmaus were trying to discern the meaning of the prophecies that predicted a resurrection.
- The Great Commission: (47)
  - What did Jesus say should be preached?
    - Repentance from sin.
    - The remission of sin through Jesus’ accomplishment on the cross.
    - Their eye witness account of all they experienced with Him.
  - What are the disciples told to wait for so they could effectively preach the Gospel?
    - The power that would come on them when the Holy Spirit came to indwell and empower them. (49)
    - The day of Pentecost, a Jewish feast, occurred 50 days after the Passover.
      - The disciples experienced the new birth after the resurrection in Joh 20:22 when the Holy Spirit came to live inside of them.
      - Then on the day of Pentecost, they received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit that overflowed in them to give them the power to carry the Gospel to the world.
- The ascension (51)
  - The Gospel of Luke continues in the Book of Acts with more details of the ascension.
  - The two books were written by Dr.Luke as one book.
Review of the Book of Luke:
- Luke has presented us with the account of Jesus Christ as the Son of Man, the perfect man.
  - The second member of the Holy Trinity became flesh to live among us.
  - He was tested in the wilderness in all points as we are tested. (the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.)
  - He lived and ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit.
  - He identified himself with man, a sinner, when He became sin for us on the cross.
  - In the power of the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, He became the firstfruit of the harvest to be raised never to die again.
  - Believers in Jesus Christ will become the full harvest to be raised from the dead as Jesus was.
- Gospel of Luke ends with the resurrection and the great commission.
  - The book continues in the book of Acts by Dr Luke.
  - The theme of all the sermons in the book of Acts is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Read 1Cor 15 The resurrection chapter.

The End.

May God bless you and give you power to carry the Gospel farther.