Finally Enlightened


Luke 24:36-53
36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them. 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

The perfection of God’s plan now comes full circle as Jesus meets with all of the Disciples (excluding Thomas for the moment) and they all get to see for themselves the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. Luke dramatically describes their reactions of confusion, amazement, and tear-causing joy. There stands their Master, in the flesh (as He proves by eating a piece of fish) and He is glorious, not bloody or dead! Jesus does, though, still bear the scars of His sacrifice in His hands, His side, and His feet. It is indeed their Lord.

Jesus affirms for them that He is the One whom they followed but also the Great “I AM” of the Old Testament. “I AM myself.” These are powerful words and bring all of what He has done while on earth into focus. Verse 45 helps us understand that it was Jesus who opened their eyes and their hearts to the truth.

The center of this passage is Jesus’ statement to those gathered, “I AM myself”. “I AM” stands before them in flesh and bones. By claiming for himself this OT title of God, Jesus is also confirming the claims he made earlier in his earthly ministry, particularly during his trial before the Sanhedrin, when Jesus was ascribed four divine messianic titles including this same one: “I AM”. The same I AM who became flesh, was condemned, beaten, and nailed to a cross now is physically raised from the dead and remains the eternal I AM.
Just, A. A., Jr. (1997). Luke 9:51–24:53 (p. 1044). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

Luke collapses the 40 days between Jesus' resurrection and Ascension into one passage which he follows up with The Book of Acts, the next edition of his story of Jesus and His Church. This important passage ends with the Disciples returning to the Temple to worship the truly Living God – the Person of Jesus Christ.

The gospel ends where it began—in the temple—and it ends how it began—with worship. Standing in the center of this final passage is the ascension of Jesus, where he is enthroned in his humanity and divinity as the glorified Son of Man, and the worship of the ascended Jesus by the disciples. This is the first time in the gospel Jesus is worshiped in knowledge of who he really is. The whole gospel has been a journey toward this moment, when the ascended Jesus is worshiped by those who finally perceive that the cross and empty tomb were the goal all along. From Zechariah’s sacrificial offerings in the temple before the incarnation to the blessing of God in the temple by the disciples after the ascension, the hearers and readers of the gospel, like the disciples themselves, have journeyed toward faith in Jesus as the Messiah who, according to Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms is the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord.
Just, A. A., Jr. (1997). Luke 9:51–24:53 (pp. 1055–1056). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

Luke has taken us with great detail through the events of Jesus life from before He was born to the moment of His Ascension. This book is written with the intention of leading those who do not know Jesus to becoming fully formed disciples of the Living God. Luke causes us to marvel at the works of God in our own lives and to see that everything Jesus did while here on earth was for our salvation. To God alone be the glory.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv
Read more

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl
Read more