Luke 24:37Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It carried the marks of wounds and the signs of injury, and the Lord permitted them to be touched, not only to reinforce their faith but also as a gesture of esteem. He did not shy away from carrying the wounds He endured for us into heaven; instead, He presented them to God the Father as the cost of our liberation. Accordingly, the Father exalted Him at His right hand, graciously accepting the tokens of our salvation, with the sufferings He bore for us being the most valued treasures in His crown.

The numerous demonstrations of virtue convince us that Peter did not waver in his belief in the Lord's resurrection. John, upon seeing the Savior, could not doubt; he had already believed when he found the tomb empty. So, why does Luke mention their agitation? First, the state of mind of the majority of the disciples may have affected the others. Second, Peter, despite already believing in the resurrection, could have been unsettled by witnessing his Lord suddenly appear in the upper room through closed doors and solid walls. Luke, therefore, details the sequence of events while John focuses on the pivotal moments.

He then illustrated the essential nature of His sufferings and glorification through resurrection using the Scriptures, just as He had previously enlightened the Emmaus travelers regarding their understanding of the Word.

After assuring His apostles, save for Thomas, of the authenticity of His resurrection, He departed but reiterated His comforting words, ‘Peace be with you,’ to remind them of their divine calling. Having fulfilled His earthly mission, He entrusted His ministry to them, imparting a share of the powers necessary for their future service—powers He had secured for humanity through His ultimate sacrifice. They received the authority to wield these powers with the same autonomy He possessed. This marked an extraordinary day in the history of Christ's resurrection. The apostles came to realize that their Lord triumphed over both life and death, and that all His claims about Himself were irrefutable; they had witnessed an unprecedented miracle—His own resurrection—thus reaffirming their significance as His apostles.

Yet, with the Risen Christ’s departure, who did not remain with them as He had before, they understood they were now called to a unique relationship with Him. His presence, which was more spiritual than physical (for His very flesh had been transformed), hinted at this transition. Gradually, they were to shift from their prior tangible relationship to one that was spiritual and invisible, which would manifest fully at the time of His ascension. It is likely that on the same day, He also appeared to James (1 Cor. 15:7).

Luke specifically mentions that the Lord revealed Himself to His disciples over a span of forty days post-resurrection, instructing them about the truths of the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). However, Luke highlights only one of these encounters with all the disciples, emphasizing the teachings he deemed essential. This raises questions about whether the instructions he mentions were all delivered during this singular appearance or if some relate to later encounters. The phrases "and he said, and he said" (Luke 24:44, 46) might suggest these teachings occurred at different times. If we interpret Luke's narrative as continuous, as well as Mark's, it would imply that the Lord's ascension (Luke 24:50, 51) occurred on that same first resurrection day, which conflicts with other Gospel accounts. "Peace be with you" was a common greeting among Jews, yet it carried profound significance coming from the Lord, who had previously bestowed His peace upon His disciples (John 12:27). Now, amidst their anxiety due to threats from the Jewish leaders and their own uncertainties about their Master, this sudden appearance of the Lord through locked doors filled the disciples with confusion and fear. They assumed they were seeing a spirit, perhaps an entity separated from the body, emerging from the realm of the dead, or a shadowy figure appearing as a phantom, leading them to believe a deceased individual had appeared to them.