Luke 24:5–8, 36–48

Family Bible Study
University Relations, Samford University; Southwestern Seminary graduate

You Have a Risen Lord
Luke 24:5–8, 36–48
While Ray was serving his first church, he encountered a man who was particularly resistant to the gospel. The man was obviously quite intelligent, a committed community servant but unresponsive to any presentation of the gospel. Over a period of time, the man became the focal concern of many Christians in the community. “How could such a fine, hardworking, smart man not want to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?”

Over time, and with great care and respect, Ray came to know this man. After numerous visits, their conversation came around to the biblical claims regarding salvation. Ray presented the Bible’s message as convincingly as he could, but the man responded with reasoned and reasonable counterclaims to the Bible. Seeing that this approach was proving fruitless, Ray moved to a second tactic. He guided the conversation through the church’s history, pointing out its glaring failures but highlighting the stellar lives of those who loved and served the risen Lord in His Kingdom: St. Francis of Assisi, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, William and Catherine Booth, Dwight L. Moody and others. Once again, to all these forceful arguments presenting the power and authenticity of the Christian faith, the man had objections — good objections.

Finally Ray began to share with this man his personal testimony. Either out of respect for Ray or because he could not refute this witness, the man remained silent.

When Christians testify to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they must draw upon all the evidence available to them. In Luke 24:44, Jesus used the Scripture and from the law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms, He laid the biblical foundation for the Christian faith that He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament hopes and expectations for a Messiah, a Savior. What a Bible study those disciples received. The Bible is the truthful and trustworthy revelation of God to His people. God expects believers to be well-read in its truths in order to be able to teach and use it convincingly in their witness to the risen Lord.

A second, and equally important, source of witness to the living Lord is a Christian’s new life in Christ. Jesus invited the disciples to examine His hands and His feet. They touched Him and saw He was flesh and bone, not merely spirit (Luke 24:39). Jesus even ate fish to illustrate with yet more evidence His bodily resurrection. The risen Lord changes one’s doubting and troubled heart (Luke 24:38) to a heart of faith and confidence.

Christians possess numerous biblical and experiential reasons to be assured that Jesus is risen from the dead and that He lives. We may encounter difficult situations as we witness, but never should that stop the effort. Jesus Christ did rise from the dead and the grave to conquer sin and death and to give purposeful life to all who receive and follow Him.

Southern Baptists’ singular passion throughout their history has been to win people to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, thus preparing their soul for eternal life in heaven. Eternal destinies rightly still provide a strong motive for Southern Baptists to win people to saving faith in Christ. But the evidence of the best seller by Rick Warren, “The Purpose Driven Life,” indicates that believers are looking for more in their Christian experience to complement their assurance of heaven. Could this reality also indicate that unbelievers, too, are looking for purpose for their life? And if that is true, then how would the presentation of the gospel be affected? In his testimony to the Philippian church, Paul spoke of knowing Him (Christ), the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering (Phil. 3:10). When Christians present the gospel today, present the hope of eternal life in heaven but also present the possibility that a person’s present life can be changed to live for God’s glory and purpose today in this life.

A question every person must consider and answer is, “If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?” An equally important question — one that many people are asking today — is, “If I live tomorrow, will I live a life that counts, that makes a difference, that possesses an eternal purpose?”