Eastertide #3

It is I myself

(Luke 24:39)

“Peace be with you!” said our resurrected Lord to the ten disciples huddled in the upper room. But they figured it must be a ghost. Jesus assures them, he’s no ghost: “Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself.” And then for a little show and tell, Jesus asks if they have anything to eat. The disciples come up with “a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence” (Luke 24:36-43). Ghosts can’t do that. They’re not real enough to eat.

Something similar happened to a couple making their way back home from Jerusalem where they had witnessed the events of Calvary. Jesus doesn’t let on who he is—he has some fun with them. When they sit down and break bread together, they recognize that it’s Jesus.

Sometime later, back up on the Sea of Galilee, the fisherman disciples go back to work. Things aren’t going well. Jesus appears on shore. He notices they are discouraged and yells out to them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find fish.” Sure enough, all sorts of fish—153 large fish gathered in the net. As the disciples pull the heavy load of fish to shore where Jesus was, “the net did not tear (schizō)” (Jn 21:11). Jesus barbequed some fish and said, “Come and have breakfast with me.” John concludes the story by telling us “this was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciple after he was raised form the dead” (Jn 21:14).

The church has seen in this a picture of how the gospel will bring a net full of all different kinds of people “from every tribe and language and people and nation” to Jesus. And, the net will hold them all—it does not break into various schisms.”

When Peter retells the stories of Easter, he wants us to know that they “ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Ac 10:41). That’s the first thing on the agenda when we all get to heaven: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Rv 19:9). Ghosts can’t do that. They are not real enough to hold down a meal. When we arrive at that heavenly table, it will be “I myself”—you yourself—us as us—as real as Jesus.