Jesus Appeared to His Disciples
Lk 24:36 (according to Jn 20:19, this was the same day as his resurrection) Jesus stood in the midst of them. He said, “Peace be unto you”. See Jn 14:27, “peace” was one of the last things he had said to them. This should have been enough to calm them down and help them believe. All he had said to Mary was “Mary” and she knew him immediately.
Lk 24:37, when Jesus appeared to his disciples, they were terrified and afrighted. They thought they had seen a spirit. Jn 20:19 the doors were shut for fear of the Jews. He appeared without opening a door. They cried out for fear when they thought he was a spirit walking on the water in Matt 14:26.
Lk 24:38 he asked, “Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts”? He certainly understands the natural reasons for their fear. But he asked them these questions to get them to consider that it is he and not some spirit.
Lk 24:39 now he offered further proof. “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself”. He had a resurrected body and his body never saw corruption. Nevertheless, the nail and spear scars are still there. He said, “Handle me, and see”, offering further proof that he had literally appeared to his disciples. “For a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have”. Consider Eph 5:30, Eph 2:6, and Gen 2:23. There are great implications in this saying that go beyond merely demonstrating that he had bodily risen from the dead.
Lk 24:40 then he shewed them his hands and his feet.
Lk 24:41 “while they yet believed not for joy” is an expression we would say like, “when we saw him standing right there in front of us, we couldn’t believe our eyes”. They were shocked, surprised, and rejoicing at seeing him there. They had been hearing about his isolated appearances. They never expected to see him there. “Have ye here any meat”? A spirit wouldn’t be eating.
Lk 24:42-43 they gave him piece of broiled fish and honeycomb. And he took it and did eat before them. Mk 16:14 He upbraided them with their unbelief.
Jesus Opened their Understanding of the Scriptures
Lk 24:44 “these are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me”. He went though the Old Testament prophecies. They didn’t understand or believe these when he was teaching them before. But they did, after Jesus appeared to his disciples.
Lk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. This was not only for the prophecies in v.44, but for all the scriptures. Look how Peter handled the scriptures in Acts 1:16, 1:20, 2:16, 2:25, 2:30, 2:34, 3:18, 3:22, 3:25, etc. This tells us that we first have to believe the scriptures, 1 Thes 2:13. Then Jesus will open our understanding. Scholars reverse this. They want to understand everything first in order to believe it.
Lk 24:46 Thus it is written (you have God’s word on it) and thus it behoved (was necessary for) Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.
Jesus Commissioned Them to Preach
Lk 24:47 They were to preach repentance (Acts 20:21, toward God, causing people to, Acts 26:18, turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God) and remission of sins (Acts 26:18 that they may receive forgiveness of sins) in his name (Acts 20:21 and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ) among all nations beginning at Jerusalem.
Lk 24:48 ye are witnesses of these things. They saw them.
Jesus Told Them to Tarry in Jerusalem
Lk 24:49 notice the Paragraph mark. The account moves forward in time to the day of his ascension. I send the promise of my Father upon you… The Holy Ghost, Acts 1:4-5. Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem. They did Acts 1. Until ye be endued with power from on high, Acts 2:4, Acts 1:8.
Jesus Ascended into Heaven
Lk 24:50-54 they went near Bethany, he blessed them, he was parted from them (like Elijah and Elisha), and he was carried up into heaven, Acts 1:9-11. He will return the same way. They worshipped, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, continued daily in the temple, praising and blessing God (this had to be a powerful testimony to the people responsible for killing Jesus).