KJV Luke 24:36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them. 44 And he said unto them, 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. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Easter Tuesday's reading reminds us about the agreement in the Gospels about the resurrection of Christ. Simon Greenleaf, as a lawyer, tried to reveal all the inconsistencies. He attacked the Word to undermine the Word but found himself converted by the efficacious Word. However, how we have people embracing methods and being converted by these marketing and business methods to faith in themselves, their dreams and visions.
On Easter Sunday the Eleven were gathered in the locked room. This group title does not necessarily include every single disciple. Nor does it exclude those not numbered in the Eleven. A modern example is a meeting of the Council of Presidents, even if some of them are missing, without the meeting name being changed due to missing men or some extra visitors.
The disciples rushed back from Emmaus to tell the Eleven about the first appearance of the risen Lord. They told the disciples about the appearance to Peter. During their excited (but still frightened) dinner discussion on Easter Sunday, Jesus suddenly appeared before them. John and Luke tell the same story in different words, with different details. The locked doors are in John; the new arrivals from Emmaus are in Luke. John's Gospel unifies the Four Gospels by including essential details and the sermons of Jesus, never repeating what the readers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke already know.
This account in Luke has the wonderful effect of confirming John's Gospel and preparing the faithful for Doubting Thomas Sunday, when Easter Sunday and the following Sunday are discussed in the Fourth Gospel. In Luke's Gospel we find the same anxiety and confusion which John's account addressed. The risen Lord taught them the meaning of His Passion. He also displayed again His divine ability to appear at will. He was not a ghost or spirit. He ate with them.
All these details were essential in teaching correctly about Christ.
