Pure Nonsense (part 4 of 4)

The travelers on the road to Emmaus went on to say, that “some women of our group amazed us” (Luke 24:22a), relating the tale of the women that had been to the unexpectedly empty tomb and returned to His disciples to inform them of what they were told was Jesus’ Resurrection.  Undoubtedly, this recounting of the story, to Jesus Himself, included the fact that such talk was accepted as “pure nonsense,” thus provoking Jesus’ response of “You foolish people---how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” (24:25)

Eventually, after Jesus is said to have provided a thorough explanation of the Scriptures concerning Himself, they finally recognize Him.  This recognition occurred in conjunction with His breaking of bread, which should be a signal for all of His followers that Jesus’ table fellowship practices were a significant and telling part of His ministry.  The recognition of Jesus coincided with His disappearance, and with this, “they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem.  They found the eleven and those with them gathered together” (24:33).  In the meantime, something else had happened.  After Peter’s experience at the empty tomb, apparently Peter had an encounter with the risen Jesus.  These Emmaus road disciples heard the eleven and the others saying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon!” (24:34)  Perhaps the incredulity at this amazing turn of events was dissipating?

With Peter’s testimony, it seems that they had finally come to believe that the report of the women had been something more than pure nonsense.  Or did they?  “While they were saying these things, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’.” (24:36)  Did they welcome Him into their presence as the resurrected King of Israel?  No, “they were startled and terrified, thinking they saw a ghost” (24:37).  The fact of a physical resurrection of Jesus was still unbelievable.  At this point, they still had not come to terms with the idea that somebody could truly be bodily raised from the dead.  It would take a further showing of His hands and feet to convince them.  He would speak of his flesh and bones, in stark contrast to what they would expect of a ghost.  Jesus would even have to eat a piece of broiled fish before they truly believed that He was risen.   

Eventually though, they would come to believe, and come to believe in the proposition and what it implied so firmly, that a world was turned upside down, forever changed, and forever changing through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus as the Christ.  What was it that changed their mind?  What was it that upended their own dearly held worldviews and countered every expectation that they had?  What was it that allowed them to finally accept that the idea of a resurrection of the crucified and shamed Jesus was something more than pure nonsense?  Clearly, it was Jesus, risen from the dead, and appearing before their very eyes, though even this took some work on Jesus’ part.  Their belief was made firm when what had been promised by the Father God of Israel had been sent (24:49a), and they had “been clothed with power from on high” (24:49b).  Without this, which must seemingly be understood as the Spirit’s gift of faith, the idea of the Resurrection of Jesus would have remained nothing more than pure nonsense. 

In reality, such a thing is pure nonsense.  The Apostle Paul, coupling it with the preaching of the cross as the place of Jesus’ victory, would call it foolishness.  Yet by its very proclamation, with the power of the Spirit somehow inherent in the very words of the Gospel (Romans 1:16), hearts and lives are brought into submission and transformed.  By this odd idea, which is that of the preaching of a crucified and resurrected King, the kingdom of the Creator God, with its purposes and plans and its overlap of heaven and earth as the life of the age to come is brought forth into the present age and made manifest wherever the Lordship of Jesus is proclaimed in word and deed, is extended.  Thus, believers are asked to boldly proclaim, this day and every day, the foolish nonsense of the resurrected Lord and Savior, putting His power to work, through themselves, in this world.