Luke chapter 24

vs 33

So, by at once, does that mean they left and walked through the night to get back to Jerusalem? Or that they left first thing in the morning? Night-time travel was excessively dangerous in the old world. Light sources were lanterns at best, and they made you stand out a mile away in the darkness - fodder for bandits. So if they'd done that, they took quite a risk to get the message back to the 11.

They found them too, still met together. So, does that mean the 11 were living in some sort of commune in Jerusalem, and these guys walked in in the middle of the night? Or does it mean they walked all night and found them meeting together the next day? Or Did they leave the next morning and get there the next day?

Depending on which map you look at in the New Bible Atlas, it could be anywhere from 7kms (a couple hours' walk, less at a brisk pace) to 50kms away (an all day trek). I'm thinking it was about 7-10kms away, because I trust a particular map. So after a meal time, they could have easily legged it back to Jerusalem and found the 11 still staying up late talking.

vs 34

Awww, they ran all that way in the dark, and they get there only to find that Jesus had appeared to Simon too.

vs 35

But they still told their story, which is a pretty amazing story. And it's a narrative culture, so they're allowed to swap stories without it being boring after the facts have been dealt with.

vs 36

Not to be outdone, though, Jesus makes the party really swing by appearing again! This time to all of them! Now none of them can boast, really.

vs 37

No time for boasting when you're scared, I guess. But why are they scared? Didn't they just say that Simon had seen Jesus risen from the dead? Their actions say to me that they were not 100% believing what was happening.

vs 38

Jesus always asks such good questions.

vs 39

Ok, here's a curly one - I've got to say that the translation of the TNIV (NIV not working for some reason) saying 'ghost' is a little inadequate here. Ghost means something pretty specific in our culture - the floating spirit of the dearly departed back from the grave. KJV and NASB both use 'spirit', which is much more nebulous. It's a small thing, really - the word, pneuma, means so many different things, including "a human soul that has left the body". I'm not sure what Judea's belief in ghosts was, or even ancient Israel's (but remember Samuel's return via the witch of Endor). Sufficed to say that I am hoping it was somewhat different from our modern superstitious view.

Unfortunately, though, with the disciples' reaction (first thing that pops into their mind upon seeing Jesus and having heard that he's raised from the dead is "it's a ghost") I think they might have had a very similar superstitious culture about disembodied spirits being something other than just spiritual foul play. It might not sound like a big deal, but there are people out there who say "So, do Christians believe in ghosts?" and it's nice to have answers about that sort of thing.

vs 40

And, again, they have to see it to believe it. Not very different from our culture at all. Which leads to another, more common, curly question. "If God really loves me and would do anything for me, why won't he appear to me so that I can believe and be saved?" Do you answer "Well, God's not a cosmic candy machine, he doesn't just do whatever anyone wants", or "God does love you and wants you to be saved. And he does appear to you. So if he hasn't appeared to you, then perhaps you have to ask the question, 'do I really need to see Jesus to believe in him, or is something else holding me back?'"

vs 41

This verse makes the "I don't believe it" sound a lot more idiomatic. Less scepticism and doubt, more amazement and joy. Meanwhile, Jesus is hungry.

vs 42

Wow, that deserved a verse on its own.

vs 43

This is important, because it's one more proof that he was physically there.