I AM not a Ghost!

Touch Me and make sure that I AM not a ghost!
Luke 24:37-43

These people were in a locked room, hiding and struggling with the fact that Jesus’ body was missing. Their hopes and dreams were lost on the cross where Jesus “died.” They heard rumors of His appearances from several people in their group. Suddenly the missing body of Jesus was there in front of them; they had not yet begun to consider if Jesus was alive and what His body would be like. Jesus appeared among them suddenly, startled, and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. Jesus encouraged them to look and touch. He had flesh and bones and could even eat food. On the other hand, his body wasn’t a restored human body like Lazarus’s (John 11); He was able to appear and disappear. Jesus’ resurrected body was immortal.

Luke 24:37-39, “But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! Why are you frightened? He asked. Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.”

Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible, and there is no glory for God in that which is only humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.

Luke 24:40-43, “As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. Still, they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.”

Jesus showed them his hands and his feet to reveal the wounds inflicted by the nails that had held Him to the cross. His resurrected body still bore these wounds as a testimony to His followers that this was the same man they had loved, followed, and seen die. This was too good to be true — and they experienced the conflicting emotions of disbelief, doubt, joy, and wonder that any person would have when a most desired, but seemingly most impossible, wish comes true. Jesus stood there among them, alive, even eating a piece of broiled fish to show that He was not a ghost. He was real; he came back to life just as He had told them he would.

It is remarkable to consider that the resurrection body of Jesus retains the wounds He received on the cross.

Why is this?

• To exhibit the wounds to the disciples, that they would know that it was the very same Jesus.
• To be the object of eternal amazement to the angels.
• To be the ornaments of His great work for us.
• To memorialize the weapons with which He defeated death.
• To serve as advocates in His perpetual intercession for us.
• To preserve the evidence of humanity’s crime against Him.

When we go to heaven, we will see the wounds in the hands, feet, and side of Jesus. They are there FOREVER! This is how the Lord loves us, His perfect body, to be forever scared for us! Now we can live in the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION! We have GREAT possibilities because all things are possible with the Lord.

Can we touch the body of Christ today? YES! The risen Jesus appeared to His disciples and others, and they were frightened when they saw him. After questioning them as to why they are frightened, he tells them to look at him and then says, “Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do” (Luke 24:39b, NLT).

We can still touch the body of Christ. When we serve one another, contact one another, we are in touch with “the church that is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself” (Ephesians 1:23 NLT). As we are made full and complete by Him, we encourage and build up one another as we reach out and touch one another with the love, grace, and truth of God’s Word. We make this world a better place by building one another up, edifying and encouraging one another in the body of Christ.

Touching One Another!
Pastor Steve