The Upper Room

from Google Images

There is a place in Jerusalem today called The Cenacle or “dining room.” It comes from the Latin cenare, meaning to dine, and it is traditionally believed to be the very site where Jesus and his disciples shared their last meal, before he was crucified. Both Mark and Luke use the Greek anogeon (G508 – Mark 14:15; Luke 22:12), but Luke uses a different Greek word, huperoon (G5253) in Acts, where the 120 met together (Acts 1:13), and where Dorcas, whom Peter raised from the dead, was laid out (Acts 9:37, 39) and where Paul met with the brethren from Asia (Acts 20:8). Yet, the word probably indicates the same type of room where the Last Supper was held.

 

How Jesus Was Made Known?

from Google Images

When the two disciples who walked and spoke with Jesus arrived in Emmaus, Jesus made out like he would continue (Luke 24:28), because travelers, who wished to cover great distances and had a significant amount of daylight left, wouldn’t normally stop early for the day, unless they were invited to do so. The Greek word (G4364) means to make a show or pretend. It is used only here in the New Testament and in the Septuagint only at Job 19:14 where Job claims that his friends would pretend they didn’t know him.

 

The Unbelief of the Two Disciples

from Google Images

As two of his disciples walked to Emmaus, Jesus asked them what they were discussing so seriously (Luke 24:17). The two seemed astonished with Jesus’ question, and one named Cleopas replied, wondering how there could be even one pilgrim in Jerusalem who didn’t know about the recent events that occurred there (Luke 24:18). It is, therefore, implied that the stranger (Jesus) was coming out of Jerusalem, so the city was still in view. Therefore, Jesus had joined them very near the time in which they had departed the city themselves. So, consequently, it was perceived by the two that Jesus couldn’t have been coming from any other direction. This makes Jesus’ appearance to the two men not long after they left the other disciples in the Upper Room. So it was still very early in the morning, perhaps cir. 6:30 to 7:00 AM as we measure time today.

 

The Third Day

from Google Images

Just because the Apostles and other disciples of Jesus wouldn’t believe in Jesus’ resurrection, doesn’t mean they had lost all hope. It is true that they didn’t look for Jesus to walk out of the grave, but the mention of the third day by the two traveling to Emmaus indicates that they did look for something to occur three days after Jesus was crucified (Luke 24:21). Nevertheless, how should we understand this? They couldn’t have mentioned the three days in the context of Jesus’ promise to rise again, otherwise their faith in that promise, i.e. to at least look for his resurrection, would have permitted the two to recognize Jesus who walked with them. Moreover their disbelief of the women’s witness, saying it was pure nonsense, shows they couldn’t have been looking for Jesus to rise from the dead. So, what significance did the three days have for Jesus’ disciples?

 

Jesus’ Appearance on the Way to Emmaus

from Google Images

Luke tells us that, on the same day in which Jesus rose from the dead, two of his disciples left Jerusalem and journeyed toward Emmaus (Luke 24:13). Josephus writes of an Emmaus, west of Jerusalem.[1] He says it is 60 furlongs from Jerusalem. Luke tells us that two men walked to and from Emmaus in 1 day, which was from Jerusalem three score or 60 stadia (G4712 – Luke 24:13; cf. Luke 24 33, 36; John 20:19).

 

The Unbelief of the Disciples

from Google Images

The Apostles and the other (male) disciples of Jesus simply wouldn’t believe the testimony of the women (Mark 16:11), for the same reason they couldn’t believe Jesus’ testimony that he would rise again the third day(Matthew 16:21-22; cf. John 12:34). They simply had no context in their worldview where such an understanding would fit (Mark 9:31-32), and they were afraid to ask Jesus to clear up their ignorance. Therefore, they considered the report of the women nothing more than idle tales (Luke 24:11). The Greek word (G3026) is used only here in the New Testament, but it is used in secular literature as a medical term for delirium or hysteria.

 

A Hidden Highlight in Jesus’ Appearances

from Google Images

When chronology can be discerned, the order of Jesus’ post resurrection appearances is often very important. One such instance concerns the chronology of Jesus’ appearances to the women. It seems the first two of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances were to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18) and the other to a group of women on their way back to Jerusalem from the gravesite (Matthew 28:8-10). Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were probably part of the Bethany group of women, which I presume arrived at the tomb before the Jerusalem party, because they wondered about the stone (Mark 16:1-3), but the Jerusalem party did not (Luke 24:1-2). The reason being, Mary Magdalene had met them on their way to the tomb, after she left to tell Peter and the other disciple that someone had stolen the body, and informed them what she had already found.

 

Why Were the Women Afraid

from Google Images

When the women came to the sepulcher where Jesus was laid, they found the stone that sealed the tomb (Matthew 27:66) was rolled away (Luke 24:2-3). Luke tells us that the women were perplexed (G1280). That is, didn’t know why the tomb was empty (Luke 24:4-5). In other words, the thought that Jesus had arisen from the dead, hadn’t even occurred to any of them. The Greek word (G1280) is used of Herod being in doubt of who Jesus was in Luke 9:7. It is also used for the confusion of the chief priests and the captain of the Temple when they found out the Apostles had escaped their prison cell and were teaching in the Temple (Acts 5:34).

 

How Many Came to Anoint Jesus’ Body?

from Google Images

Scholars have tried to piece together the four witnesses in a manner in which told one clear story about what occurred on Resurrection Sunday, but some of the differences in the four Gospel records prevent a definitive chronology that would be accepted by all. To be sure, there is no doubt among believers that the records are true as they pertain to Jesus rising from the dead, but the order in which his resurrection was discovered and the chronology of his later appearances leave many in doubt of an accurate and orderly arrangement. Therefore, whatever may be said about the chronology of the day’s events should be taken with some skepticism, since another, and perhaps equally plausible account, could be presented by someone else. There simply isn’t enough information in all four witnesses to establish chronology beyond doubt. That said, I will now begin to offer my understanding of those events.

 

Why Seek the Living One Among the Dead?

from Google Images

The women who waited on Jesus during his lifetime (Luke 8:2-3) came to clean his body, to anoint him and to dress his corpse for burial. All the burial preparations on the day of his death were done quickly. Even the tomb where he had been laid was used because it was close by (John 19:41-42). When they arrived at the grave site, the appearance of the tomb was not what they had expected. The stone had been removed from the opening of the tomb, and when they looked into the sepulcher the body of Jesus was no longer there (Luke 24:3)! As the women wondered over these things, two angels stood with them and asked, “Why do you seek the Living among the dead” (Luke 24:4-5)? They reminded the women of what Jesus told them earlier in Galilee concerning his death and resurrection (Luke 24:6-8). Then they remembered his words and ran to tell the disciples and everyone else!

 

Jesus’ Post Resurrection Appearances

from Google Images

Below one will find a chart with approximate times of Jesus’ appearances to folks, after he rose from the dead. Obviously, seeking absolute accuracy is impossible. The scriptures simply are not that detailed that they would offer such precision, so some guesswork needs to take place in such an endeavor. Nevertheless, what appears below will agree with the scriptures. Some things that I have written will not be embraced by all, but that’s okay. I have endeavored to be as accurate as the scriptures would allow me to be. I haven’t knowingly assumed any doctrine of men, rather, interpreted what I have seen in the word of God and wrote what seemed good to me. I hope that even among those who disagree with me that one can understand why I have interpreted the scriptures in the manner in which he reads here.