It seems that the disciples gathered to discuss the stories of Jesus sightings by the two men on the road to Emmaus as well as the message the women received from the angel at the empty tomb. Peter may have also had his post-resurrection appearance and was putting in his two cents worth in the discussion about the resurrection, when Jesus miraculously appeared in their midst and shut down the argument. After lovingly commending peace to his gathered disciples who might deserve a rebuke, he then assures them that they need not let the “troubles” and cares of life get them down. They need only believe in Him and His resurrection. But these disciples had a purpose to fill in God’s plan. He was going to make them eye witnesses to the fact of his resurrection. So in Luke 24:39 Jesus says, “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
In the Preacher’s Commentary we read, “I would suggest that there is far more evidence for believing that Jesus was raised from the dead than for not doing so. First of all, there is no logical reason why any of the principals in the Gospel narrative would steal the body. How the Pharisees, faced with this great spiritual awakening that threatened Judaism, would have loved to produce the corpse and give the lie to the Resurrection rumor. They could not. Surely the soldiers were held accountable for the disappearance of the body they were guarding. You can be certain that leaves were canceled, promotions denied. They may have been imprisoned or killed for their negligence. The soldiers would be extremely eager to produce the body. It’s inconceivable that the disciples might have stolen the body. They were a broken, defeated, demoralized group after the Crucifixion. With the appearance of the risen Christ they were filled with a holy boldness which endured for the rest of their lives. If the Resurrection was a myth, there is no way to explain psychologically the actions of the early Christians – some of whom were crucified or fed to lions as a result of their faith. The evidence is overwhelming that something supernatural occurred.[1]
This group of disciples did indeed become eyewitnesses as God had planned. John tell us “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us” (1 John 1:1-2). The disciples saw with their eyes the resurrected Jesus who proclaimed to be “flesh and bone.” It wasn’t flesh and blood because all human life is in the blood. But some commentators suggest that there is also “death” in the blood because of the transmission of sin from Adam to every following generation. Every drop of Jesus’ blood, the only disease-free blood, was poured out intentionally for our sins on Calvary. 1 Corinthians 15:50 makes it clear that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” An incorruptible body is one of flesh and bone but not blood! As Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection we too will be like him in being “flesh and bone.” There will be no blood in which COVID-19 or anything else can infect us. I can find peace in that!
[1] Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 354.