Day 219 – Appearance of Jesus and the Promise of the Holy Spirit!!!

Appearance of Jesus and the Promise of the Holy Spirit!!! 

Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them,  “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them,  “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence. Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and  the  Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”……… Luke 24:36-49 
In our previous Study, we considered how Jesus made Himself known in the breaking of bread to the two Disciples who were on their way to Emmaus. We also saw how the Disciples returned quickly to Jerusalem to share their experience with the other Disciples. Here we see how Jesus Himself appeared to the Disciples and How He told them to tarry until they endued with the Power of the Holy Spirit. 
Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them,  “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? : Just as the Disciples were discussion about their experiences with the Lord in the breaking of the Bread, Jesus Himself appeared. When we make use of the experience we have with the Lord in strengthen the faith of others, we can we sure that the Lord Himself will give us more revelation and experience. Those who water others, the Lord waters back in return. God’s plan is that we become a living water for others to be blessed. If we therefore fail to flow and bless others with what we have received from the Lord, we become a stagnate River and a River which remains like that becomes smelly after some time. Let us therefore flow and bless others that we may receive more revelation from the Lord. Notice also, Jesus said, “Peace unto you”. This is a phrase that Jesus used more frequently after He rose from the Dead. It is to show His Disciples that a new Era has began. We have come to an age where We are now at peace with God. There should never be a fear in our heart that God is looking for us to harm us. We are now Justified by faith and have peace with God through Jesus Christ(Romans 5:1). We can now enter this Kingdom of Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit. We can now worship God without Fear but in Holiness all the days of our life(Luke 1:75). But when they should have responded with Great Joy to the Message of Peace that was spoken to them, they were troubled and thought they had seen a Spirit. There are many times we are troubled in our hearts because we are mistaken about who Christ really is. They  thought that they had seen a spirit, when they saw Christ, and that put them into this fright. Many at times, we forget that Christ is our elder brother, very close to us in the Person of the Holy Spirit and look upon him to be at a great distance from us as the world of spirits is from this world, and we therefore terrify ourselves. When Christ by His Spirit is trying to Humble and convert us by the circumstances and events He permits in our lives, we mistake Him, as if He designed it to hurt us and this troubles us so much. Those who wait and hope in the salvation of the Lord should never be afraid. If we fear God, we should have no fear of any other thing. 
Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.:  We see from here that Jesus had Flesh and bone in his resurrection body. He was not a Spirit. Even after resurrection, He had Flesh and bone. This is the kind of Body that we shall also have when the Lord returns. A body that can disappear. A body that will never be drawn to Sin anymore. A body like Jesus is what we should long for. However now, we have have a foretaste of that resurrection life in our mortal bodies through the power of the Holy Spirit. 
But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them,  “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.: Even after they touched Him and saw His Hands and feet, they still did not believe Him. And to prove further that He was not a Spirit, He eat fish in their presence. Well there are some who feel that you are more spiritual when you are a vegetarian. Well, Jesus eat fish even after He resurrected from the Dead. He ate fish with His glorified body. 
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and  the  Psalms concerning Me.” : Jesus spoke here about the three division of the Old testament. The first five books which are the Law of Moses, the poetic parts which is the psalms, song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and Job and all the Prophets. He said in the entire old testament there are things written concerning Christ which has to be fulfilled. May the Lord open our understanding to see these. Those whose eyes has been opened will see Jesus when they read through the Old testament. From Genesis to Malachi, there is virtually no Chapter that does not point us to Jesus. 
And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. : Is this not a prayer we are all to pray? Is this not something worth asking God for? Shouldn’t we say to the Lord, “Open My Mind Lord so that I can comprehend the Scriptures”. There are many who claim that the Bible is complex and difficult to understand. Why not ask the Lord to open your understanding? Do you think God will deny you of this? If the Lord does not open your understanding to comprehend the Scriptures, then who will? No amount of teaching and Bible study will do. No amount of Bible memorization will help you. The Lord has to do it Himself. But it is important to note that if you have no interest in obedience to what the Scriptures really teaches, then there is no need to pray this prayer. If the Lord opens your understanding and all you do is get Honour for Bible teaching and Exposition and fail to obey what you have understood, you are at a more terrible situation. James 3:1 says, ” My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” Luke 12:47-48 makes it clearer, ” And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” It is better not to have understanding of the Scriptures than to have it and not obey. Let Him who has ears hear!!! 
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.: Notice, what is the message that Jesus said has to be proclaimed in His name in all the World? It is the message of Repentance and forgiveness of Sins. It is not just a message of faith. Many people are going around proclaiming that people must believe and have faith in Jesus. This is an incomplete Gospel Message!!! Peter on the Day of Pentecost preached Repentance and faith. He said to those who asked Him what they must do to be saved, ” REPENT, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit(Acts 2:38). Paul also preached Repentance. He said to the Elders at Ephesus,” I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, REPENTANCE toward God and FAITH toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Every single prophet preached Repentance. John the Baptist who was the greatest of all the Old testament Prophets preached Repentance. We must emphasize this Message of Repentance. We must make people know that a person cannot become a child of God unless He Repents and then believe in Jesus Christ. Forgiveness of sin is not granted to a person who merely confesses His Sins. Proverb 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever CONFESSES and FORSAKES them will have mercy.” So what shall we proclaim throughout the World? Repentance and Faith!!! This is the most important message that is needed today. Not only among unbelievers but also among Believers who sit in the Church for there is Sin even in the Church among believers. We must preach Repentance even in the Church. The last message of Jesus to five of the seven churches in revelation is, “Repent!!!”. We are also to serve as witnesses to what we have experience of Christ in our lives. We must share with others what the Lord has done with our lives. We must tell others how the Lord has changed us from the terrible state we were before. 
How shall we do this? How shall we be witnesses of these things? Jesus says to them, ” Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” The Promise of the Father is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire. Act 1:8 says, ” But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” This is what will make us effective in our service for the Lord. As important as it is to go out to preach the message of Repentance and remission of Sin, it is more important to wait until you are endued with the Power of the Holy Spirit. If you are to ask the Lord, “Which is more important between going out to preach and getting baptized with the Holy Spirit and Fire”. From this passage, it is clear to be that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is far more important. However it should be noted that these Disciples has to tarry and wait for some days for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But we don’t have to wait like they did. The Holy Spirit has already been poured out. You don’t have to ask God to send the Holy Spirit from Heaven. The Holy Spirit is already on Earth!!! He came and has been around over 2000 years again. What we need to pray is that, “The Holy Spirit should come upon us and cloth us with power”. It is impossible to serve God without this clothing with power from on High. Jesus told His Disciples, “Don’t waste Your time trying to serve Me without that power!!!” Open Your Heart and ask Jesus for the Holy Spirit. He is more eager to give you than you are to receive it. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”(Luke 11:11-13).
Dear Friend, let the Peace of God guide your Heart. Seek for revelation and comprehension of the Scriptures. Don’t go around with an incomplete Gospel that tells people to believe but never tells them to repent and forsake their Sins. Seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit and Fire. Tarry and don’t think of serving the Lord until you have received it. May the Lord Help us to be Doers and not mere hearers of His words.(Amen). God bless you. Have a blessed day. 
#Everyday with Jesus.