“As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 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.’ And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, He said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate before them.“
(Luke 24:36-43 ESV)
Look at how gentle Jesus is with His disciples! There they stand, scared to death, thinking they have seen a ghost. And so Jesus starts with that problem. He shows them His hands and feet. He invites them to touch Him. He even eats in front of them! All to prove that He’s not a ghost, and they can be comfortable. Their own dear Lord and Savior is with them, well and alive.
Now I can imagine some other ways Jesus might have handled it. He might have scolded them: “Don’t you remember a word I said to you about My resurrection before I died? I told you how many times?!” Or He might have gone over their heads, and started reciting all the Old Testament prophecies word by word. Or He might have just stood there waiting, impatiently, checking His watch, until the disciples finally pulled themselves together and Jesus could get on to the next thing.
But Jesus didn’t do any of that. He was gentle with them, and He started with the need they had right then—the need for comfort and peace, to be reassured, to know that it really was Him, alive and well. He dealt with them as a parent deals with a frightened toddler, hugging them and speaking quietly to them and helping them calm down. Why?
Because Jesus has always been about meeting us where we are. When human beings fell into sin and rebelled against God, He came after us. He didn’t wait for us to return. He Himself became a Man, God in human flesh. He lived among us, taught and healed and forgave us, and finally destroyed the power of evil over us through His death on the cross. And then He rose from the dead and did what? Came right back to us, so that we would know that He lives forever and will always be there for us. We can trust safely in Him, no matter what needs we have. He is there for us.
We Pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for meeting us where we are and taking care of all our needs. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on April 11, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. How do you think Jesus felt about the disciples’ confusion and fear?
2. How does He feel about you when you are afraid and stressed out?
3. How will Jesus react if you call on Him for help during bad times?