What Would Jesus Say?

Text: Luke 24:36-49

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

          “As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them.” What things? What were they talking about? We only need to look back a few verses to realize that the things they were talking about were the astounding events of that Easter day. We sit here, two weeks removed from Easter Sunday, and yet the story is so big, so far-reaching, even 2,000 years later, that we’re still talking about events that happened on the day that Jesus rose from the dead. And it won’t end today. We’ll be talking about it next week and the week after. We have seven Sundays of the Easter season. And even then, every Sunday of the year is a mini Easter celebration. Every single time we gather is a remembrance of this one single day that changed the course of the world forever. And it continues to mold and shape our lives. Our lives as individuals, and our lives together as the body of Christ.

So, really, that first line of today’s Gospel could be said about us today. “As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them.” It’s true. We gather to talk about these things. The things that were revealed to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The things that the women witnessed at the tomb so early in the morning. That it was “necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory.” The fact that Christ is Risen!… That’s why we’re here. To hear, and see, and learn, and grow in this reality that stems from that first Easter day. And as we gather, we expect that Jesus Himself is going to stand among us. He’s going to show up in His Word. He’s going to feed us with His body and blood. And this morning He even showed up as His Holy Spirit conveyed faith to Walter as the waters of Holy Baptism were poured over Him.

He shows up every week. Every day, in fact. So, we shouldn’t be surprised that He’s here with us delivering His gifts. But the disciples didn’t have the same 2,000-year history of Jesus showing up like we do. They had maybe 12 hours since the events of that shocking and mystifying morning when the tomb lay empty. Where angels and Jesus Himself proclaimed the resurrection to various groups of them. Where a man hidden from their recognition revealed all the Scriptures to a couple of them and then vanished after blessing and breaking the bread. It’s no wonder that their initial reaction when Jesus shows up is that they were “startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.”

There had to be that moment of panic when Jesus appeared. A lack of recognition for sure, but also terror about what might happen next. What would Jesus do? I was in high school and college in the 1990’s at the height of the What Would Jesus Do movement. Everyone was wearing WWJD wristbands and it was a rallying cry for young Christians to consider in our own actions what Jesus might do. It’s a worthy question, although a better one might have us ask ourselves What Would Jesus Have Me To Do, since we’re not actually capable of doing what Jesus does. And WWJHMTD doesn’t have quite the same ring to in. You know, that movement actually began almost a century before it became popular in the 90’s. It started with the 1896 publication of Charles Sheldon’s book In His Steps, which was subtitled What Would Jesus Do? The concept is certainly biblical as Paul tells us in Galatians 2 that “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Augustine of Hippo carried on this theme in the early 5^th Century with the doctrine of Imitatio Christi, or Imitation of Christ. This doctrine conveys the thought, but perhaps that first time the actual phrase What would Jesus do is recorded is in an early 15^th Century work by Thomas a Kempis, appropriately titled Imitatio Christi.

I’m sure the disciples were wondering what Jesus might do as he appeared to them that evening, but I think a better question in this circumstance might be

WHAT WOULD JESUS SAY?

          Their leader, their teacher, has risen from the grave. They’re locked in an upper room for fear of the Jews. Peter denied Him three times. Nearly all the rest abandoned Him in His darkest hour. They had to have been fearful of what Jesus might say. What retribution for their lack of loyalty might be coming their way. His opening line is anything but all that. “Peace to you!” That’s His opening line. He rises from the dead, comes to meet the disciples as He said He would, and the greeting is not, “How could you all leave me and forsake me? Why didn’t you believe after all the times I told you exactly what was going to happen?” There would be time for restoration. Peter would have the opportunity to express proper remorse for his actions later on when Jesus asks him three times whether he loves Him. Now’s not the time for all that. Now is the time for peace.

In the same way, Jesus comes and stands among us in peace. When the pastor begins the service of worship “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” that mark of the peace of Christ through the Triune name of God is placed on the gathered assembly. It’s the same mark of peace that was placed on the forehead and on the heart of Walter this morning, marking him as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. It’s the same mark, and words, that will be made over each of your bodies and your graves on the day the Lord calls you home. When Jesus comes and stands among the believers, He comes in peace.

But that’s not the only thing that Jesus says. “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” It’s an important question that needed to be asked of a group of people who had plenty of reason to be troubled and have understandable doubts arising in their hearts. We can’t really even imagine the trouble and doubts they were experiencing on that day, but we certainly each have our own troubles and doubts that arise in our own lives. Disagreements with family and friends. Trouble keeping up at work. Sinful thoughts and actions that never seem to wane. Questions about whether the Bible’s words are true. To all this, Jesus says to us, just as He said to the disciples, “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.”

Jesus comes to us with truth and reality. He says, “Look at me. This is what I did for you. It’s real.” This is why I love this statue over here. Because as much as we know that God is present in His Word each time we hear the Bible read and the message proclaimed. And as much as we know that Christ is present in, with, and under the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper. As much as we know that the Holy Spirit is working through the waters of Holy Baptism. Sometimes it’s just nice to see with our eyes the Jesus who says, “See My hands and feet.” And the wounds are all there. Check them out next time you’re walking by. His feet are almost hidden by His robe, but the marks of the nails are clearly there.

He invites those gathered to “Touch Me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” He still invites you to do this. As you receive the body and blood on your lips, you can be assured that this is no spiritual resurrection. This is a physical, bodily resurrection and he continues, even today, to give Himself to you.

And then, as if to further prove that He is indeed flesh and bones, Jesus askes them, “Do you have anything to eat?” Anything to give to your Lord and Savior who has given so much to you? How do we respond to such gifts? What do we do for the One who has died and risen so that we might have new life? The disciples give Him fish because He asked for something to eat. Our proper response is praise. Praise to the One who fulfilled “everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets and the Psalms.” Praise to the One who opens our “minds to understand the Scriptures.” Praise to the One who suffered “and on the third day rose from the dead, so that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

What would Jesus Say? That question the disciples must have been asking themselves that night can easily be translated to our lives today. What will Jesus say when we enter into His house? “Peace and welcome.” What will Jesus say when we hear His Word? “This is the truth, because I AM the truth.” What will Jesus say when a child is brought to the waters of Holy Baptism? “Welcome to My family. Receive the gift of faith.” What will Jesus say when we approach His altar to receive His meal? “This is My body. This is My blood.” What will Jesus say on the last day when He meets us in all His glory? By the grace of God we will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your Master.” Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.