Elder, you asked, speaking of Luke 24:37, Why were the apostiles and disciples afraid?
Lets say you and I were followers (disciples of Christ.) Were standing outside of Jeruslem, at a place where three men have just been crucified. Now speaking of Christ, we see a bloody torn man. Three inch spikes, meaning thorns have been pushed down into his skull, his beard has been torn from his face, he suffered lashing on both his back and front, and then has nails punched through each hand, and both feet.
Now we see a Roman soldier put a spear in his side, showing that He was dead.
We observe him being taken from the cross, and buried in a tomb, with a very large rock sealing him in. And last of all, we see a Roman guard protecting the tomb.
Three days later, rumors begin to come to us that one woman, and two men having seen Christ alive. Now think about it, would you have believed a rumor that he was seen alive?
Now the two men who had been on the road to Emmaus, and spoke to the Lord, report seeing him also. They did not realizing who He was until He vanished from their site. Now they go to Jerusalem, meet with the 11 apostiles, and other disciples.
There is a closed room, the door is shut tight, suddenly, out of thin air, we see this figure that looks like, speaks like, and acts like the bloodied, torn, figure we last saw hanging dead from a cross. Now, out of the blue, he is standing before us, and except for the puncture wounds from the nails, the guy looks as if He had a normal day.
What do you think your reaction would have been? Amazement? unbelief? anxiety? fear? or all of the above.
I rest my case.
Phil LaSpino
