Friday, September 11 For a fact the Lord was raised up.​—Luke 24:34.

[Áine]

Friday, September 11

For a fact the Lord was raised up.—Luke 24:34.

 

Jesus’ disciples needed encouragement. Why? Some had left homes, families, and businesses to follow Jesus full-time. (Matt. 19:27) Others were treated as social outcasts because they had become his disciples. (John 9:22) They made these sacrifices because they believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah. (Matt. 16:16) But when Jesus was executed, their hopes were dashed and they became downhearted. No doubt Jesus saw his disciples’ grief, not as a sign of spiritual weakness, but as an understandable response to a terrible loss. So on the very day that he was resurrected, he began encouraging his friends. For instance, he appeared to Mary Magdalene while she wept at his tomb. (John 20:11, 16) He also appeared to the two disciples who had left for the village of Emmaus. And he appeared to the apostle Peter. w24.10 13 ¶5-6

[Eugen Kr]

Luke 24:34 They said: “The Lord has really been raised up and has appeared to Simon!” It is significant that Jesus did not raise himself from the dead. In the Greek text, the verb is in a form that conveys the idea: “was raised.” Jehovah restored life to his Son and then exalted him as Lord and Christ. The word “really” implies that it actually happened—it is an undeniable fact. Jesus did not deliver a single, generic speech to everyone. He recognized the specific help each person needed. Jesus did not avoid Peter or leave him to languish in uncertainty. A valuable lesson here is that he took the initiative to reach out to Peter and appeared to him personally. Jesus did not reason: “Peter let me down, so he can deal with his guilt on his own.” When Jesus was executed as a criminal, it may have seemed to the disciples that all their hopes had died along with him. The words “The Lord has really been raised up” signify far more than just the report of a miracle. They confirm that Jesus is the promised Lord and Messiah, that his sacrifice was accepted, that his teachings are true, and that neither humans nor death can thwart Jehovah’s purpose. Strong faith does not mean a person never weeps or experiences despair. Sometimes, faith is demonstrated when, despite the pain, a person continues to seek answers from Jehovah.