Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE CLIMAX OF JESUS' MISSION §18.3
however we should note the way Luke describes Jesus' involvement with 'the
apostles' in the days following his resurrection.
3 After his suffering he presented himself alive (zönta) to them by many convincing
proofs (tekmeriois), appearing (optanomenos) to them during forty
days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While eating (synalizomenos)
with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there
for the promise of the Father.
Three features deserve comment here. (1) Luke describes Jesus simply as 'alive',
rather than 'risen'. This is no doubt a variation of the 'raised' formula (Luke 24.7,
46), but it is a distinctively Lukan emphasis (Luke 24.5, 23) and probably reflects
one of the earliest reactions of all: that Jesus (who had died) was alive (again)!
(2) By speaking of tekmeria, [ 1 x Luke is pressing his belief in the tangibility of the
resurrection appearances (Luke 24.39), 112 but the term presumably indicates his
own response to those who questioned the Christian claims regarding Jesus' resurrection
(cf. Acts 17.32). (3) Most intriguing is the use of synalizö in 1.4. It means
literally to 'eat salt (hals) with', and so to 'eat at the same table with, share tablefellowship
with'. 113 Luke here extends his table-fellowship motif, 114 possibly
again as part of the 'convincing proofs' (again Luke 24.39). In context the implication
is almost of a continuous period — a forty-day-long resurrection appearance!
115 Would Luke have denied this? Probably so, in view of Luke 24.31. But he
has made no effort to avoid giving that impression. There is a confusing mix here
of far-reaching claim and imprecise formulation, rather as in Matthew's two resurrection
appearances (Matt. 28.9-10, 16-17), which probably reflects the vagueness
of traditional memory rather than the writers' deliberate choice.
(8) Appearances in Galilee — Mark 16.7; Matt. 28.16-20; John 21.1-23.
Matt. 28.16-20 John 21.1-14
16 Now the eleven
disciples went to
Galilee, to the mountain
to which Jesus had
directed them. 17
When they saw him,
they worshiped him;
1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea
of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together
were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee,
the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to
them, 'I am going fishing'. They said to him, 'We will go with you'. They
went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just
after daybreak, Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples did not know that
111. Tekmerion: 'that which causes something to be known in a convincing and decisive
manner' (BDAG, tekmerion); 'necessary proofs . . . leading to certain conclusions' (Barrett,
Acts 1.70).
112. See above, n. 99.
113. BDAG, synalizö 1; the text makes sense enough, so there is no need to hypothesize
a variant spelling of synaulizö ('stay with'), as in NRSV (see Barrett, Acts 1.71-72).
114. See again above, § 14.8a.
115. Grass, Ostergeschehen 48-49.
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