Jesus Appears to His Disciples - Kerryn Malone
Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed? Not just stressed or busy, but truly overwhelmed — the kind where nothing makes sense, where everything you thought you knew has been turned upside down, where hope itself seems to have died? That's exactly where Jesus' first followers found themselves in the days following his crucifixion. They had locked themselves in a room, terrified, confused, grieving. Their rabbi, their friend, their hope — brutally executed. And yet, strange rumours were circulating. Angels at the tomb. A missing body. Some even claimed to have seen Jesus alive. But surely that was impossible... wasn't it?
This past Sunday, Kerryn Malone took us into that locked room with the disciples in the days following the resurrection, exploring Luke 24:36-49. She invited us to find ourselves in this story — a story about fear meeting peace, confusion meeting clarity, and ordinary people being invited into the extraordinary mission of God. You can watch Kerryn’s message above or listen to the full sermon below.
Peace in the Midst of Fear
Kerryn painted a vivid picture of Jerusalem in those days. The crucifixion of Jesus had been anything but ordinary — three hours of darkness in the middle of the day, a massive earthquake, the temple curtain torn from top to bottom. Now there was a missing body and bewildering reports of Jesus appearing to people alive. The disciples were physically, psychologically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually overwhelmed.
It's into this overwhelming fear and confusion that Jesus speaks his first words after the resurrection: "Peace be with you."
This wasn't a casual greeting. Kerryn reminded us that Jesus spoke peace as a statement of fact. "Or in other words," she explained, "the Prince of Peace is with you. I am your peace, he said. God who is peace drew near to his followers on that day."
What struck Kerryn this Easter was the way God chose to address his people's fear. The angel at the empty tomb said, "Do not fear." Jesus in the locked room said, "Peace be with you." In both circumstances, God chose first to speak words of peace and reassurance into their fear, into their uncertainty and their confusion, into their grief and their distress.
"God who is peace drew near to his followers on that day. And God who is peace draws near to us because in the same way that Jesus' desire was to bring peace to his overwhelmed and anxious disciples, his desire is to bring peace, that same peace, to you and I."
Evidence for Doubting Hearts
But the disciples didn't immediately celebrate. Luke tells us they were "startled and frightened, thinking that they saw a ghost." Even though Jesus had explicitly told them three times that he would die and rise again, they simply weren't expecting to see him alive. Perhaps they thought he was speaking symbolically. Perhaps a suffering, crucified Messiah simply didn't fit their concept of a saviour. Or perhaps, in their grief, they had simply forgotten.
So Jesus provided evidence. He invited them to look at his hands and feet. He told them to touch his physical body — "a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." And when they still struggled to believe "because of joy and amazement," he did something only a living body could do: he asked for food and ate it in front of them.
"I don't think Jesus asked for food because he was hungry," Kerryn observed. "Scripture tells us he took the fish that they gave him and he ate it in their presence. In doing this, what Jesus was providing them with was evidence. Ghosts don't eat food."
Why did Jesus go to such lengths to prove he was truly, bodily alive? Because his risenness matters. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is the fulcrum and foundation point of Christian belief.
"It's Christ's resurrection that shows that God's divine love is stronger than death and transforms Jesus' death from a tragedy into a powerful, redemptive act."
Walter Brueggemann's words captured this beautifully: the resurrection of Jesus "is not merely a comforting doctrine about life after death, what will happen once we die. It is a profound revolutionary event that signifies God's absolute power to create new life in the midst of hopelessness and despair, yes, and even death. And it's a taste of things to come."
Henri Nouwen adds that the resurrection is God's expression of faithfulness to his creation, to his people, to you and to me. "Nothing that belongs to God will ever go to waste," Kerryn shared. "Nothing or whatever belongs to God will never get lost."
Opening Minds to See the Bigger Picture
Next, Jesus did something crucial: he made sense of things. He reminded his followers that the terrifying events they had just witnessed — far from being an interruption to God's plan — had actually happened exactly as they were supposed to.
Luke tells us that Jesus opened their minds so that they could understand the scriptures — the Law of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets. These were scriptures the disciples had heard since childhood, promises about a coming Messiah. The problem was their expectation: they were looking for a victorious, conquering, political king who would overthrow Rome, not someone who would be beaten, humiliated, and executed on a cross.
Kerryn explained that crucifixion was reserved for "the lowest of the low" — no Roman citizens were ever crucified. And for Jews, the cross represented being cursed by God. "So how could Jesus be the Messiah?" she asked. "How could he be the Messiah and have died in this awful way? This is why Jesus had to open their minds to understand because it actually didn't make sense to them."
Michael Frost's description resonated: it was "a monumental story of love and brokenness, fear and hope, truth and lies, and the unending resolve of our loving God and his intention to save all that he had created." That unthinkable death on the cross was no accident — it was God's plan for dealing with the sinfulness and brokenness of the whole world.
"Jesus helps them to see that, in fact, they were part of a critical turning point, a moment in the story of God's creation... The followers of Jesus in that locked room came to the understanding that their lives and their story were part of a much bigger story. And just as the followers of Jesus in that room were part of a bigger story, our lives today and our story are part of that same bigger story."
Witnesses Commissioned
With their minds opened to understand, Jesus gave them their commission: "You are witnesses of these things." They had seen it. They had understood what God had done. Now they were to go and tell the world — starting right where they were, in Jerusalem.
"This is the invitation he placed before his disciples on that first Easter," Kerryn explained. "And actually, this is the invitation he still places before each of us."
She challenged us with this reality: "As the church, we don't exist just to help each other feel good about ourselves. If we take our lead from the way Jesus commissioned his followers, we the church exist as a missional presence in our world. We are not here to draw people to us. We're here to draw people to their creator."
Her questions were direct and personal:
Have you encountered God's goodness?
Has his love been real for you?
Do you know what it is to be restored by the presence of God?
And then: "Where is your Jerusalem? Where is the place that Jesus is saying, just start here? Start right where you are." Who do you cross paths with, right where you are, that needs to hear this good news — the news that there is a God who cherishes them deeply?
Empowered by the Spirit
But Jesus didn't send them out in their own strength. His final words in this passage were crucial: "I am going to send you what my father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
The early disciples were ordinary people — "not scholars or intellectuals or professional speakers or social media influencers," Kerryn pointed out. "They were ordinary people, dare I say, just like you and me." So how did this small band of very ordinary people begin such a world-altering movement?
They were empowered with the very presence of God's Spirit.
"When we enter into the story and the mission of God in our world, we don't go in our own strength or our own wisdom. We go with the empowerment of God's spirit."
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2 that his message and preaching were "not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom but on God's power."
Kerryn concluded with four searching questions, inviting us to see where we find ourselves in this story:
Do you need God's peace? Jesus came with the promise of peace. Perhaps that's what you need most right now.
How will you respond to the living resurrected Jesus this week? As C.S. Lewis observed, Christianity can never be somewhat important. If it's false, it can be dismissed. But if it's true, then it matters infinitely.
How will being part of God's redemptive plan shape your coming week? Jesus' death and resurrection were part of God's broader plan for his creation, and you are part of that unfolding story. He invites us to partner with him.
What is God empowering you to do or to be in his world? The transforming power of this good news doesn't come from our cleverness or persuasive words, but by the empowerment of God's Spirit.
One Way to Live It Out This Week
This week, identify your "Jerusalem" — the place where you already are, right where God has placed you. It might be your workplace, your street, your gym, your school pick-up spot. Then ask yourself: who in my Jerusalem needs to encounter God's peace? Not who needs to hear a sermon or be convinced of doctrine, but who needs to experience the peace, hope, and love that you've found in the resurrected Jesus? Pray for one person by name this week, asking God to show you how to be a witness to them — through your presence, your words, or your actions.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank you for all that you have done. We thank you for knowing us and coming to us and meeting us at our point of need. We thank you for standing in our place on that cursed cross and for demonstrating the ultimate victory by rising again. We thank you that you have a plan to renew our creation, our world that is so full of sorrow and brokenness. And Lord, we are so thankful that you invite us to participate in that mission — that in our humanity and our imperfection, we have a place and a part and a role in what you're doing in the world. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
Personal Reflection
Where in your life right now do you most need to hear Jesus say, "Peace be with you"? What fears, anxieties, or confusions are you carrying that you need to surrender to the Prince of Peace?
Jesus opened the disciples' minds to see how his death and resurrection fit into God's bigger story. How does understanding that your life is part of God's redemptive plan change the way you view your current circumstances, relationships, or challenges?
The disciples went from being locked away in fear to becoming empowered witnesses. What is one "locked room" in your life — a place of fear, hiding, or self-protection — that God might be inviting you to step out of in the power of his Spirit?
Small Group Discussion
Kerryn described the disciples as "physically, psychologically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually overwhelmed." When have you experienced that kind of all-encompassing overwhelm? How did you experience (or fail to experience) God's presence during that time?
Read Luke 24:36-43. Why do you think Jesus went to such lengths to prove he was physically, bodily alive? What difference does the physical resurrection make (as opposed to a merely "spiritual" resurrection)?
Jesus had told the disciples three times that he would die and rise again, yet they still didn't expect it. Why do you think they forgot or couldn't comprehend what he'd said? What important truths about God do you find yourself forgetting in difficult circumstances?
Kerryn quoted Walter Brueggemann saying the resurrection "is a profound revolutionary event that signifies God's absolute power to create new life in the midst of hopelessness and despair, yes, and even death." Where in our world today do you see the greatest need for God's resurrection power to create new life?
Jesus "opened their minds" to understand how the scriptures pointed to him. What practices or experiences have helped you grow in understanding how the whole Bible tells one coherent story about Jesus?
"Where is your Jerusalem?" Kerryn asked. "Who do you cross paths with, right where you are, that needs to hear this good news?" Discuss honestly: what makes it difficult for us to be witnesses in our everyday contexts?
The early disciples were ordinary people empowered by God's Spirit. In what areas of your life do you most need to rely on the Spirit's power rather than your own wisdom or strength?
As a group, pray for one another's "Jerusalems" — the specific places and people where you're called to be witnesses. Pray for boldness, sensitivity, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.