Ghost Or No Ghost

On Resurrection Sunday Morning as I sat with the entire congregation listening to the person who was giving the Children’s Address or facilitating it, more so, she said that Ghosts don’t eat fish. She told this to the children, most categorically. “Ghosts can’t eat fish, can they?” This really had me tickled pink, but not again. The Lord had me face stinging truth, with such a simple and at one time, nonchalant statement to me.

“Ghosts can’t eat fish,” is a fact of Jesus’ Resurrection. Whether it is big or small fish, raw or cooked, baked or broiled, eaten with or without bread, is not the main issue. The one and only life-changing fact of belief here is that Jesus is not an apparition, a ghost or some spirit from the dead. For the first time I was seriously held by Jesus being a ghost or not a ghost. Perhaps you have already been confronted with these facts by His present Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost. But there are some who will certainly be made better for receiving what I now share. Yes, I’m sharing from my learning. Jesus is still out and about giving convincing proofs to His own that He is alive.

This gathering is made up of the Eleven – the Twelve less Judas – and many other disciples who are listening to testimonies and saying, It is true! The Lord has risen and appeared to Simon. Luke 24: 34b. Two other disciples entered and gave their personal testimonies also about how they recognized Jesus when He shared a meal with them and broke the bread. It is at this point when Jesus Himself stood among them and greeted them with these words, Peace be with you. Luke 24: 36b. They all were startled and became afraid, thinking they saw a ghost. Jesus saw their response and knew exactly why they did not believe it was really He who was there as a living Person and not a ghost. His disciples never spoke the word ghost. They never said anything about a ghost, but their actions on seeing Him, shouted out ghost and Jesus saw and heard them correctly.  He said to them, Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. Luke 24: 38 – 39.  

These disciples listened, to Jesus, but they still did not believe that it was all real and that He was real, for joy and amazement. Jesus never got angry with them, because His mission was to convince them and prove to them that He is indeed risen. Jesus then asked them, Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate it in their presence. Luke 24: 41b – 43. Jesus does not want His disciples to keep in their minds and live with the notion that their Lord and Master has come from the grave as a ghost. His mission of convincing proof is to let them see and know for sure that their Master is alive with flesh and bones as they have. 

Jesus proves that He is no ghost, or spiritual apparition, by eating the food they gave Him, in their presence. I know that this shows that Jesus is no ghost, as ghosts have no substance and cannot eat fish or any kind of food for that matter. This kind of physical food is made for human bodies – flesh and bones bodies – which no ghosts have.   

“Ghosts can’t eat fish,” Simply, it says that ghosts are not human, therefore they cannot eat human food. Jesus, during His time on earth with His own, in His Risen Body, ate fish, bread and other foods no doubt, not because He was hungry. His eating was to prove that He was indeed alive and wanted them to see Him as a living Person, just as they, with flesh and bones. Jesus eats broiled fish in their presence. A ghost cannot eat broiled fish in their presence, or away from their presence.

Does this have any relevance or bearing on your life and mine today? When I heard that Auntie, tell the children that ghosts can’t eat fish, I wondered what on earth those little children knew about ghosts. What do you know about ghosts? What experiences have you had with ghosts? Have you ever seen a ghost? Do you know anyone who has seen a ghost or sees ghosts?

Interesting! Yet this is a Resurrection marvel and wonder for me as Jesus speaks of Himself as not being a ghost. Where are you with our Risen Jesus and ghosts?