THE EASTER NARRATIVES Part II

THE EMMAUS ROAD APPEARANCE
Part Two: Luke 24:28-35)  (#355)

            A major transition occurs here.  We go from the road to the town, from walking to sitting at table, and from talking to eating.

            However, Luke isn’t changing topics.  He is still talking about the necessity of Jesus suffering and death.  He isn’t introducing a new topic about the importance of the Eucharist. 

            I believe that this is another verse of the same song.  Rome need not fear this Jesus and his church.  The kingdom he is ushering in isn’t a threat to Caesar, at least not in the way Caesar is thinking!

24:28-29 (#355)

Why would Jesus leave, when the two haven’t yet caught on?

Does this support one of Luke’s themes, namely that faith is a gradual process?

What is the significance of the term “abiding?”
24:30 (#355)

What does this meal remind you of?

Who is now the host?

            This meal uses very similar vocabulary to another meal Jesus served.  Compare this to the feeding of the 5000 in Luke 9:10-17. (#146)

24:31 (#355)

What is the significance of the phrase “their eyes were opened?”

What did they finally recognize?

24:32-35 (#355)

Is this still the same day?

What is your reaction to new insights gained from the study of Scripture?

What are the major lessons on the kingdom and kingship in this account?

JESUS BIDS FAREWELL TO HIS DISICPLES
Luke 24:36-53 (356, 365)

            As at the beginning of ch. 24, the scene is Jerusalem.  This is apparently the same day, however, it is now early evening.  While no individuals are named, Luke probably intends us to think of all Jesus’ friends and disciples, including those named earlier in this chapter. 

            Several of the prominent features of the Emmaus narrative are present in this farewell scene.  Jesus again teaches about his death and resurrection as the fulfillment of the Scripture; they again share a meal.

            Be alert to any new themes. 

PART ONE:  Luke 24:36-49 (356, 365)

24:36-37 (#356)

Compare this scene with that in John 20:19-29. (#356, 357)

Why does Luke emphasize that the resurrection means a physical resurrection?

Why are they so frightened?

24:38 (#356)

What were the questions that you think might have plagued the disciples?

24:39  (#356)

Why does Luke mention Jesus’ bones?

What is the real point in saying that it is Jesus that is alive?

24:40 (#356)

This verse should be omitted.  It is included in very few manuscripts and no doubt is a scribal addition based on John 20:20. (#356)

24:41 (#356)

Why don’t the disciples believe?

Compare this scene with the one in Gethsemane in Luke 22:45 (#330).

24:42-43 (#356)

Some ancient manuscripts add “and a piece of honeycomb”. Why?

Why does Jesus eat in their presence?

24:44 (#365)

To what do the Law, Prophets, and the Psalms refer?

What is the importance of this reference?

24:45 (#365)

Does Jesus open up the Scriptures or their minds?

24:46-47 (#365)

What is the sum and substance of all Scripture for Luke?

Why does Luke say that it begins in Jerusalem?

Jerusalem must be the starting point for the good news.  Micah 4:2 and Isaiah 2:3 no doubt play a key role in his understanding.

24:48-49 (#365)

Remember what Luke said in his preface, Luke 1:1-4. (#1)

Does the fact that witnesses come from “Martyres”  help understand this passage?

How does Luke picture the role of the Holy Spirit?

JESUS DEPARTS
Luke 24:50-53 (#365)

24:50 (#365)

When and where does this happen?

Who is with Jesus?

How are the disciples feeling now?

Compare what Jesus does with what Zechariah had left undone in Luke 1:21-22. (#2)

24:51 (#365)

            This verse reflects the church’s struggle with Luke-Acts once it became separated in the growing canon of the NT.  Copyists struggled to reconcile it with Acts, and added or deleted as they saw fit.

24:52-53 (#365)

What has happened to the sadness and misunderstanding?

Why does Luke emphasize that they worshiped in the temple?

THE EASTER NARRATIVES
Session 3
CLASS HANDOUT

JOHN’S ACCOUNT OF THE APPEARANCE OF JESUS (JOHN 20:14-21:25)
(#353, 356, 357, 360, 366, 367)

            The Gospel of John includes several appearances of Jesus.  They will be handled separately in this guide. However, the picture they paint is one that is best grasped by comparing each appearance to the rest.  John would have us consider what it is that links us to Jesus.

JESUS APPEARS TO MARY (JOHN 20:14-18) (#353)

20:14 (#353)

Did the message of the angels in John 20:13 (#352) do Mary any good?

20:15 (#353)

What are the implications of thinking that Jesus is a gardener?

            John introduces the gardener motif in order to tie together the entire gospel.  Remember that in 1:1 (#1), John brings to mind the Genesis account with the phrase “in the beginning”; now he recalls it again by having Mary think that Jesus is a gardener.

            Is it mere coincidence that it is John who says that the crucifixion and resurrection took place in a garden? (John 19:41) (#350)

What additional question does Jesus ask Mary?

That question is the key question of the entire Gospel.  Why?

20:16 (#353)

What is the significance of Jesus calling her by name?

            Earlier in John’s gospel, he says that Jesus is the good shepherd and that he knows his sheep by name (10:3) (#257).  Here he calls her by name and she responds.

20:17 (#353)
Why does Jesus tell Mary not to touch him?
What does Jesus mean by ascending?
20:18 (#353)
Compare her reaction to that of the women in Mark.

JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES (THOMAS BEING ABSENT)
(John 20:19-23) (#356)

20:19 (#356)

Compare this scene with that in Luke 24:36-43. (#356)

What does John mean by saying they were hiding, for fear of the Jews?

JESUS APPAEARS TO HIS DISCIPLES (THOMAS BEING PRESENT)

20:24 (#357)

Why does John include this extra appearance account?

Do the Synoptics recount an appearance to only 10?

What kind of guy is Thomas?
            He has shown up previously in John 11:16 and 14:15.
                                                                        (#259)     (#317)

20:25 (#357)

Note what the other 10 disciples do.

Why does Thomas demand signs?

20:26-27 (#357)

Why the details again of the closed door?

Note how Jesus delivers peace to Thomas.

20:28-29 (#357)

Why didn’t Thomas say “I believe!” instead of “My Lord and my God?”

Who is Jesus calling blessed?

What is the significance of Jesus first words to his fearful disciples?

            Jesus had promised earlier in John’s gospel to gather them all to himself and give them his peace. (John 14:27; (#319) 16:33 (#328) Now he is pictured doing exactly that.  He can penetrate their locked hearts and their walls of fear.

20:20 (#356)

Why the emphasis on his body?

20:21 (#356)

Why does Jesus repeat his opening greeting of peace?

What does their task remind you of?

20:22 (#356)

Does this remind you of the Acts 2 Pentecost event?

What does it mean that Jesus “breathed out” on them?

The Greek verb used for “breathed out” is the exact one used in Genesis 2:7 in the creation of Adam, and in Ezekiel 37:9 in the vision of the dry bones.

            John 7:39 (#240) promised the Paraclete, and now he delivers.

JOHN 20:30-31 THE CONCLUSION
(#366)

            It certainly sounds as if this is the conclusion to the Gospel of John. 

            The question of what or whom you are seeking has been answered.  The nature of Christian faith has been described.  The connection between generations has been spelled out. 

            The book is complete; the Jesus who died is now resurrected and available to all. The disciples are established as the first in a long line of co-workers with Christ.

            John concludes by saying that he could have included much more, but that the selection is sufficient for the task.  His book will be able to do for future generations what the words and deeds of Jesus did for the first generation of believers.  It can move people to ask faithful questions, and offers them faithful, truthful answers.

            However the gospel has one more chapter!  What the relationship is between ch. 21 and the rest of John is a subject that is far broader than the scope of this class.  I will suggest a few of the concerns that are raised and offer at least one reason for its addition to the gospel.  I encourage you to read Raymond Brown’s exhaustive treatment of the subject in volume II of his commentary on John.

JOHN CHAPTER 21:  WHY?

            At first glance ch. 21 sounds a lot more like the Synoptics than the rest of the book.  It has many parallels to them, while most of the major motifs of John are missing.  Where in chapter 21 can you find:

• The cross of Jesus as his exaltation
• The oneness of God’s children springing from the dying of Jesus
• Mutual indwelling of Father and Son with believers
• The Paraclete leading into all truth
• Enmity between church and world
• The dualisms of light and dark, love and hate, truth and falsehood
• The unique sonship of Jesus
• Present possession of eternal life
• Jesus as fulfiller of Jewish institutions or festivals.

            In addition to the above, ch. 21 relates rather awkwardly with ch. 20.  It certainly isn’t the climax of the preceding chapter! 

Why are the disciples fishing as though there had been no empty tomb, no vision of angels, no appearances in the upper room, no outpouring of the Paraclete, and no high commission?

One last comment needs to be made, before suggesting why chapter 21 was added to the gospel.  While it is true that John loves symbolism, it appears to run wild in ch. 21; almost to the point of making it difficult to determine if we are to take any of the details as accurate events.  Chapter 21 includes symbolic details such as:

• 7 disciples
• fishing
• the right side of the boat
• 153 large fish
• unsplit net
• meal of bread and fish
• the third appearance
• sheep and lambs
• and being girded and led.

                                    So, why chapter 21?
                                    I believe that it answers a unique problem within the Johannine community.  John’s message ended with chapter 20.  However, when John died, doubts didn’t.  They began to wonder if they had actually lost that connecting link to Jesus.  They felt abandoned and orphaned once again.  Why did John die before the end came?  Hadn’t Jesus promised that he wouldn’t!

                                    Once John was gone, it might have lead some of the members of the community to leave and join others that stressed more obvious links to Jesus, such as sacramental connections, or charismatic hook-ups.  John’s supposed premature death might have plunged them into a gloom that resembled that of the first disciples as they contemplated life without Jesus. 

                                    To answer these unique concerns, one of John’s disciples added chapter 21 and then edited the entire book to answer this question.

JESUS APPEARS TO HIS DISCIPLES BY THE SEA OF TIBERIAS
(JOHN 21:1-14) (#367)

21:1 (#367)

How much time has elapsed since events noted in ch. 20?

Compare this verse to 2:11. (#22)

21:2 (#367)

Why 7 disciples?

21:3 (#367)

Why were they fishing?

Compare this scene with Luke 5:1-11. (#41)

21:4 (#367)

Why didn’t they recognize Jesus?

21:5 (#367)

What does Jesus call the disciples?

21:6 (#367)

Compare Jesus’ command here and Matthew 7:7-8. (#70)

21:7 (#367)

Note how the role of Peter changes. Why?

21:8 (#367)

Compare this account of bringing in the catch with that in Luke.

21:9 (#367)

Why mention the detail of the charcoal fire?

21:10 (#367)

Why did Jesus ask for some of their fish?

                        It might prove enlightening to look at the following
references in John. (14:12;    15:5, 16;    17:20-21)
                                                       (#317)   (#320, 321)   (#329)
           
21:11 (#367)

What is the significance of the untorn net?

What is the significance of the number and size of the fish?

                                    Since the catch of fish is comprised only of keepers, then one might consider that very good news (Matthew 13:48  (#133) sheds interesting light on this idea.)

21:12 (#367)

How has the situation changed for the disciples?

21:13 (#367)

What picture do we have of Jesus in verses 11-13?

21:14 (#367)

Count up the number of appearances so far in John?

What happened to Mary?

PETER AND THE BELOVED DISCIPLE
JOHN 21:15-25 (#367)

21:15-17 (#367)

Why does Jesus ask Peter three times?

How does this relate to John’s theme about discipleship?

What does shepherding mean for John?

21:18-19 (#367)

How would Peter be bound?

21:20-23 (#367)

Contrast the Beloved Disciple and Peter.

Why repeat a misunderstood saying of Jesus?

21:24-25 (#367)

What is our link to God?