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Luke Chapter
Twenty-four
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Resurrection, Appearing and Ascension of
the Son of Man the Savior
II. He appeared to the two disciples who went to a
village called Emmaus (v.13-35).
III. He appeared to eleven apostles in
IV. He entrusted the disciples to wait for the promised
power (v.44-49).
V. He was carried up into heaven (v.50-53).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Luke. 24:1 “Now on the first day of
the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them,
came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.”
YLT: “And on the first of
the sabbaths, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bearing the spices they
made ready, and certain [others] with them,”
The
Background: according
to the funeral custom of the Jews
in ancient times,
they anoint the body with ointment and wound it in linen clothes
with the spices (See Mark. 14:8;
John. 19:40).
Literal Meaning: there is a “but” in
the beginning of this verse in the original. This “but” is very precious and it
reveals a very important truth: though our Lord Jesus had been buried, He did
not stay in the tomb.
“On the first day of the week” There
were seven days in a week according to the Jewish calendar, and the seventh day
was the Sabbath (See Gen 2:2-3). Therefore, the Sabbath was the last day of a
week, and the next day was a new beginning of another week, i.e. Sunday, “the
Lord’s day” of Christians (See Rev 1:10). The Jews took Sunday as “the first
day of the week”, and believers in the New Testament called Sunday “the Lord’s
day” in order to remember the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (See Acts 20:7;
1Cor 16:2).
“They, and certain other women with
them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.” Men are not allowed to do business on the
Sabbath. Some of the spices which they had prepared may be bought before sunset
of Friday (See 23:56) and others may be bought after sunset of Saturday (See
Mark. 16:1). They brought the spices and came to the tomb in order to anoint
the body of the Lord Jesus, showing that they did not expect that the Lord
would rise.
Spiritual Meaning: “the first day of
the week” It symbolized the beginning of a new age. The burial of the Lord had
finished the old creation, and the resurrection of the Lord had brought about
the new creation.
“Very early in the morning” It
symbolized that the Lord’s life of resurrection had broken through the power of
darkness and brought those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death the
dayspring from on high (See 1:78-79, Matt. 4:16).
“They, and certain other women with
them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.” These women followed the Lord till the
cross (See 23:49; Mark. 15:40), and were the last ones who left the tomb (See
23:55; Mark. 15:47) and the first ones who returned to the tomb. Therefore,
they could be the representative of those who were drawn near to the Lord and
loved and pursued Him.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The general people have their life be concluded
as their death. “But” the Lord Jesus is totally different. Beloved believers,
do you have this “but” in your faith?
2) The Lord Jesus rose in “the first day of the
week”, symbolizing that the resurrection of Christ had brought a new beginning.
The old things have passed away. Behold all things have become new (2Cor 5:17).
3) “Very early in the morning”, whenever we
believers live in the old creation, we will live in darkness. And whenever we
live in the new creation, we will enter the spiritual early morning.
4) The Lord said: “I am the resurrection and the
life (John 11:25)”. Resurrection not only reveals that He is the Lord of life
(See Acts 3:15), but also manifests that life has sorrowed up the death (2Cor
4:10-11; 5:4).
5) Though the Lord Jesus had died, the sisters came
to the tomb to anoint Him because of love, showing that their love towards had
transcended death and was stronger than death (See Song 8:6).
6) They had not anointed the body of the Lord Jesus
finally, for He had risen! Therefore, he who desires to anoint the Lord should
catch the opportunity (See 14:3-4). Once one has missed the chance, it will be
too late to repent. If we love the Lord, we shall catch every chance to love
Him without delay.
7) The love of those sisters towards the Lord is
very precious, however, their love is the love of despair------the love that
lacks faith. Our love towards the Lord should include the faith.
Luke. 24:2 “But they found the stone
rolled away from the tomb.”
YLT: “and they found the
stone having been rolled away from the tomb,”
The
Background: at
that time, a rich man’s tomb was a stone cave chiseled out of a rock, looking
like a house which had a stone bed, stone tables and stone chairs for the
purpose of mourning for the dead. There was a low rectangle groove used to put
the body with the spices. The entrance of the stone cave was blocked by a big
round stone in a track chiseled out of a bedrock. Only strong men could roll
away the stone out of the door of the sepulcher.
Literal Meaning: “the stone rolled
away from the tomb” the purpose of the stone’s being rolled away was not
letting the Lord Jesus come out (for He did not have such demand), but making
the women come in (See Mark. 16:3).
Spiritual Meaning: “the stone rolled
away from the tomb” it symbolized that the risen power had removed all the
obstacles, thus manifesting the risen life.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If we love and serve the Lord, we will be
confronted with many difficulties and obstacles (what the big stone
symbolizes). However, we shall not worry about how to resolve it.
2) If we advance bravely without escaping all the
difficulties and afflictions, we will find that many difficulties (stone) have
been already taken away by the Lord.
Luke. 24:3 “Then they went in and did
not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”
YLT: “and having gone in,
they found not the body of the Lord Jesus.”
Literal Meaning: “did not find the
body of the Lord Jesus” The compound noun “the Lord Jesus” is recorded two
times in the four Gospels and it is also recorded in Mark. 16:19.
“The body of the Lord Jesus” is the core
of this chapter: 1) the women prepared spices in order to anoint the body of
the Lord Jesus; 2) Peter looked over the body of the Lord Jesus (See v.12); 3)
the two disciples who went to a village called Emmaus talked about the body of
the Lord Jesus (See v.13-14); 4) the disciples looked attentively at the body
of the Lord Jesus and were joyful (See v.36-42).
Luke. 24:4 “And it happened, as they
were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in
shining garments.”
YLT: “And it came to
pass, while they are perplexed about this, that lo, two men stood by them in
glittering apparel,”
Meaning of Words: “perplexed”: be in
doubt, be nonplussed; “shining”: to flash as lightening, lighten.
Literal Meaning: “that behold, two
men stood by them in shining garments.” “Two men” were angels (See v.23; John.
20:12) and they appeared to men by the image of men.
When the Lord was born, there were angels coming to
preach the glad tidings (See 2:10). When the Lord was raised from the dead,
there were also angels coming to verify it. Both of them were great events that
shook heaven and earth. Therefore, they were preached by angels from the
heaven, and were heard and seen by men on the earth.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Many believers seemed to be perplexed about the
resurrection of the Lord.
2) Though “being perplexed” is better than “unbelief”,
it is not good enough. We should pray to the Lord that He could open our eyes
of hearts so that we could be delivered from the stage of “doubt” as soon as
possible.
Luke. 24:5 “Then, as they were afraid
and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, ‘Why
do you seek the living among the dead?”
YLT: “and on their having
become afraid, and having inclined the face to the earth, they said to them,
‘Why do ye seek the living with the dead?”
Meaning of Words: “be afraid”:
tremble, be terrified (in the original there is “having become” before
“afraid”).
Literal Meaning: “why do you seek the
living among the dead?” means “why do you seek the rising Lord in the tomb
which buried the dead?”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
(another translation in the original). Yes! Christ and that is of Christ are
“living”. And therefore if we want to find the living Christ in all that is of
the death------earthly, of men, of the letters, of the ceremonies, religious, traditional……,
it is like fishing in the air and it is in vain.
2) Church is “the assembly of the living God”
(1Tim. 3:15) and she is not the “dead” building, group or organization. The
church is living and of life.
3) It is hard for men to meet the rising Christ in
the inert gatherings.
Luke. 24:6 “He is not here, but is
risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in
YLT: “he is not here, but
was raised; remember how he spake to you, being yet in
Meaning of Words: “risen”: awake, rise.
Literal Meaning: “how He spoke to you
when He was still in Galilee.” The Lord Jesus predicted that “He must be killed
and be raised the third day” in
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “He is not here, but is risen!” Though He had
been put in the tomb, the tomb was by no means His destination. Likewise, we
all will die, but death is not our destination.
2) Death could not lock Him as the tomb cannot hold
Him (See Acts. 2:24). Believers also cannot remain in the places of death.
Since we have already had this life of resurrection, we should usually have the
experience that “death is swallowed up of life”.
3) If Christ is not risen, then our faith is vain
(1Cor. 15:14) because:
a.
The Lord Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the
resurrection form the dead (Rom. 1:4).
b. God
has proved that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God to us His children, in that He
has raised up Jesus (Acts. 13:33; Ps. 2:7).
c.
Jesus was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification (Rom. 4:25).
d. If
Christ is not raised, we are yet in our sins (1Cor. 15:17).
e.
Christ was raised from the dead, and became the first-fruits of them that
slept. Even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1Cor. 15:20-23).
f. If
believers won’t be risen, in this life we only have hope in Christ and we are
of all men most miserable (1Cor. 15:19).
Luke. 24:7 “saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful
men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
YLT: “saying It behoveth
the Son of Man to be delivered up to the hands of sinful men, and to be
crucified, and the third day to rise again.’”
Literal Meaning: “The Son of Man must
be delivered into the hands of sinful men” “Sinful men” generally refer to the
world that do not believe in Him and reject Him.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “And be crucified, and the third day rise
again.” There are two ends in the life of believers------death and
resurrection. It is the reality of the Lord and it is also our experience. The
death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus are not only the dual foundations of
justification but also the dual grounds of sanctification. It is the same with
us that we have to face death and resurrection every day and we must put the
members which are upon the earth to death by the Holy Spirit and reckon
ourselves to be dead. Today we live no longer for ourselves, but for Him who
died for us and rose again.
2) The Lord rose “the third day” after His
suffering (See v7). In the creation of God in Genesis, it was also the third
day in which there was life (See Gen 1:11-13). Therefore, that the Lord rose in
the third day symbolized the manifestation of the life of God.
3) The cross is the way to resurrection and
resurrection is the inevitable outcome of the cross.
Luke. 24:8 “And they remembered His
words.”
YLT: “And they remembered
his sayings,”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The word of the Lord is a lamp unto my feet and
a light unto my path (Ps. 119:105). It is also the best answer when we
encounter with dread and uncertainty.
2) Remembering the word of the Lord would enable us
to receive fresh enlightenment again and it is also the key to the recovery of
our spirit.
Luke. 24:9 “Then they returned from
the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.”
YLT: “and having turned
back from the tomb told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.”
Literal Meaning: “told all these
things to the eleven and to all the rest.” After Judas had betrayed the Lord,
the Bible usually used “the eleven” to denote the whole apostles (See Acts.
1:26; 2:14). “All the rest” refer to the other disciples and most of which were
from
Luke. 24:10 “It was Mary Magdalene,
Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these
things to the apostles.”
YLT: “And it was the
Magdalene Mary, and Joanna, and Mary of James, and the other women with them,
who told unto the apostles these things,”
Literal Meaning: “Mary Magdalene” The Lord Jesus once cast out seven demons
from her (See 8:2; Mark. 16:9).
“Joanna” It is said that she was wife of
Chuza, Herod's steward (See 8:3). Her name was only recorded in the Gospel of
Luke.
“Mary the mother of James” was the
mother of Jesus (See Matt. 13:55; 27:56).
Luke. 24:11 “And their words seemed to
them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.”
YLT: “and their sayings
appeared before them as idle talk, and they were not believing them.”
Meaning of Words: “seem”: appear,
like; “idle tales”: silliness (the medical term and it means that one has a
metal disorder and speaks incoherently).
Luke. 24:12 “But Peter arose and ran
to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves;
and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.”
YLT: “And Peter having
risen, did run to the tomb, and having stooped down he seeth the linen clothes
lying alone, and he went away to his own home, wondering at that which was come
to pass.”
Literal Meaning: “he saw the linen
cloths lying by themselves” “The linen cloths” were the cloths that bound the
body of Jesus. What surprised the disciples was that the Lord’s body was not
there, but the shape of the linen clothes remained, without any disorder. If He
was stolen by others, the linen cloths would be definitely carried away
together, or the linen cloths would be unfastened and the shape would be in
disorder.
Luke. 24:13 “Now behold, two of them
were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles
from
YLT: “And, lo, two of
them were going on during that day to a village, distant sixty furlongs from
Literal Meaning: “which was seven
miles from
Spiritual Meaning: “
Luke. 24:14 “And they talked together
of all these things which had happened.”
YLT: “and they were
conversing with one another about all these things that have happened.”
Literal Meaning: “all these things
which had happened” denote the things that the Lord was took, judged, crucified
and risen.
Luke. 24:15 “So it was, while they
conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew
near and went with them.”
YLT: “And it came to pass
in their conversing and reasoning together, that Jesus himself, having come
nigh, was going on with them,”
Enlightenment in the Word: when believers are spiritually weak and on the
downhill path of the spirit (to Emmaus), the Lord Himself always drew near and
went with us with the aim of bringing us to the church (
Luke. 24:16 “But their eyes were
restrained, so that they did not know Him.”
YLT: “and their eyes were
holden so as not to know him,”
Meaning of Words: “restrain”: seize,
retain, hold, take by.
Literal Meaning: “their eyes were
restrained” The passive voice “were restrained” shows that their eyes were
restrained by the external world so that the function of their eyes cannot be
performed.
“They did not know Him” They only knew
Jesus the Savior according to the flesh and did not know Christ the Savior in
the resurrection.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Our eyes “are always restrained” and they are
unreliable and therefore we should know Him according to the flesh and we
should know Him by faith (See 2Cor. 5:7, 16).
2) The Lord Himself went with the two disciples
(See v.15), however, they “did not know Him”. When we are weak and think that
the Lord leaves us, we indeed should know that He goes with us!
Luke. 24:17 “And He said to them, ‘What kind of conversation is this that you have with one
another as you walk and are sad?’”
YLT: “and he said unto
them, `What [are] these words that ye exchange with one another, walking, and
ye are sad?’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) They talked about the things concerning the Lord
(See v.19), however, they “were sad”. It is description of many believers
today------they enter the meeting, search the Bible and talk about the things
concerning the Lord, however, it seems that they have not received the joy of
the Lord.
2) The two disciples “were sad” because “their eyes
were restrained, so that they did not know Him” (v.16). Everyone who knows Him
is with great joy (See v.41, 52).
Luke. 24:18 “Then the one whose name
was Cleopas answered and said to Him, ‘Are You the only stranger
in
YLT: “And the one, whose
name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, `Art thou alone such a stranger in
Meaning of Words: “the only stranger”:
reside as a foreigner.
Literal Meaning: “the one whose name was
Cleopas” The name “Cleopas”
was only recorded one time in the whole Bible and his origins remained obscure.
The story that two disciples met the Lord when they went to Emmaus was briefly
recorded in the Gospel of Mark (Mark. 16:12-13). However, this story was
narrated in detail by Luke. And therefore presumably Luke received the message
directly from Cleopas.
In addition, “Cleopas” is similar to “Cleophas” in
the original and therefore some Bible exegetes believed that they were actually
the same one and the other of the two disciples whose name wasn’t recorded here
was his wife Mary (See John. 19:25).
“Are You the only stranger in
Luke. 24:19 “And He said to them, ‘What things?’ So they said to Him, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a
Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,”
YLT: “And he said to
them, ‘What things?’ And they said to him, `The things about Jesus of Nazareth,
who became a man a prophet powerful in deed and word, before God and all the
people,”
Literal Meaning: “who was a Prophet”
“prophet” is the one sent by God and speaks for God.
“Mighty in deed and word” Please note
that they only knew the might of the Lord Jesus in the flesh and did not know
the power of His resurrection (See Pill. 3:10).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Every “prophet” who truly speaks for God must
“be mighty in deed and word” and be full of the power of the Holy Spirit.
2) Christ is God’s prophet: He “is mighty in word”,
revealing the mysteries of God; He “is mighty in deed”, manifesting the
fullness of God.
Luke. 24:20 “and how the chief priests
and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.”
YLT: “how also the chief
priests and our rulers did deliver him up to a judgment of death, and crucified
him;”
Luke. 24:21 “But we were hoping that
it was He who was going to redeem
YLT: “and we were hoping
that he it is who is about to redeem
Literal Meaning: “we were hoping that
it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” The words show that the Lord Jesus
in the hearts of the disciples was the Messiah who would redeem the people of
Luke. 24:22 “Yes, and certain women of
our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us.”
YLT: “`And certain women
of ours also astonished us, coming early to the tomb,”
Luke. 24:23 “When they did not find
His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said
He was alive.”
YLT: “and not having
found his body, they came, saying also to have seen an apparition of
messengers, who say he is alive,”
Luke. 24:24 “And certain of those who
were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him
they did not see.’”
YLT: “and certain of
those with us went away unto the tomb, and found as even the women said, and
him they saw not.’”
Literal Meaning: “certain of those”
refer to Peter and John (See John. 20:3).
Luke. 24:25 “Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that
the prophets have spoken!”
YLT: “And he said unto
them, `O inconsiderate and slow in heart, to believe on all that the prophets
spake!”
Meaning of Words: “foolish”: slow in
understanding.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If we are “foolish” in spiritual things, the
reason must be that our hearts are “slow” to believe.
2) If one’s heart is slow to believe, his eyes will
be restrained and he will be sad (v.16-17).
Luke. 24:26 “Ought not the Christ to
have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’”
YLT: “Was it not behoving
the Christ these things to suffer, and to enter into his glory?’”
Literal Meaning: “and to enter into
His glory” It obviously shows that after the Lord rose and met Mary Magdalene,
He ascended to God the Father (See John. 20:17).
“His” indicates that that glory is suitable to Him
and only Him is worthy of that glory (See Pill. 2:6-11).
“Ought not?” It means that: since Christ
suffered the death according to the Bible and then He rose and entered into His
glory according to the Bible, isn’t it reasonable?
Enlightenment in the Word: Since Christ suffered the death first and then
entered into the glory, we believers should suffer tribulations first (See
2Tim. 3:12; Acts. 14:22) and then shall have the glory (See Rom. 8:17; 2Cor.
4:17-18).
Luke. 24:27 “And beginning at Moses
and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things
concerning Himself.”
YLT: “and having begun
from Moses, and from all the prophets, he was expounding to them in all the
Writings the things about himself.”
Literal Meaning: “beginning at Moses
and all the Prophets” “Moses” denotes the five Books of Moses. “All the
Prophets” denotes the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets.
“All the Scriptures the things
concerning Himself” It refers to all the chapters concern the Messiah in the
whole Old Testament.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Old Testament all typify and predict Christ
and therefore we have to read the Old Testament if we want to know Christ.
2) This verse shows us that: a) Christ is the
central point of the Bible; b) the key to read the Bible is to find Christ in
the Bible; c) one has to meet the rising Christ and then his understanding
would be opened so that he could understand the Bible.
3) When we search the Scriptures, we should hold
the attitude that we come to the Lord in order to have life eternal (See John.
5:39-40), thus, it would profit us.
Luke. 24:28 “Then they drew near to
the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone
farther.”
YLT: “And they came nigh
to the village whither they were going, and he made an appearance of going on
further,”
Literal Meaning: “the village where
they were going” refers to Emmaus (See v.13).
“And He indicated that He would have
gone farther.” The Lord gave them a chance to invite Him to go with them on
purpose.
Enlightenment in the Word: Though the Lord is willing to bestow grace, He
would never force men to receive the grace. If we are self-content with
spiritual pursuit, probably we can’t receive the spiritual grace fully (See
2Kings. 13:14-19; Pill. 3:12-14).
Luke. 24:29 “But they constrained Him,
saying, ‘Abide with us, for it is
toward evening, and the day is far spent.’
And He went in to stay with them.”
YLT: “and they
constrained him, saying, `Remain with us, for it is toward evening,’ and the
day did decline, and he went in to remain with them.”
Literal Meaning: “abide with us” The
word shows that they honored the one who knew the Bible well and they hoped to
get more instructions from Him.
Enlightenment in the Word: if men haven’t “constrained” Him, He may pass them
and go farther (See v.28). However, if men “constrain” Him urgently, how
willing the Lord is to abide with men.
Luke. 24:30 “Now it came to pass, as
He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and
gave it to them.”
YLT: “And it came to
pass, in his reclining (at meat) with them, having taken the bread, he blessed,
and having broken, he was giving to them,”
Literal Meaning: “that He took bread,
blessed and broke it, and gave it…” These behaviors should be done by the
householder. The Lord Jesus here seemed to turn to be the master from the
guest.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord stays and abides with men (See v.29).
He wouldn’t like to be the guest at all times and He is the master. It is not
that we receive the Lord but that the Lord provides us.
2) He whoever receives Him will be given His
abundant provision contrarily.
Luke. 24:31 “Then their eyes were
opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.”
YLT: “and their eyes were
opened, and they recognized him, and he became unseen by them.”
Literal Meaning: “their eyes were
opened” It means that their thoughts were shone by light (See 2Cor. 4:4).
“And He vanished from their sight.” It
indicates that He suddenly vanished from the fleshly sight. This shows that the
body after resurrection is not restrained by the natural principle and it
surpasses time and space.
Spiritual Meaning: “And He vanished
from their sight” It means that they lost the obvious presence, however, the
Lord was still with them secretly.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Understanding the Bible is not equal to knowing
Christ. It is of no value for one to have the knowledge of the Bible only and
not know Christ.
2) Knowledge is different from revelation. Even
though believers understand the knowledge of Christ, they may lack the
revelation and therefore they still do not know Christ.
3) Without the Bible, there won’t be Christianity.
However, without revelation, we do not know Christ personally. Concerning the
Lord, what’s the most important is to know Him from the inner heart.
Luke. 24:32 “And they said to one
another, ‘Did not our heart burn
within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the
Scriptures to us?’”
YLT: “And they said one
to another, `Was not our heart burning within us, as he was speaking to us in
the way, and as he was opening up to us the Writings?’”
Meaning of Words: “burn”: set on fire,
kindle.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If believers indeed meet the Lord in the Spirit
and hear that “He talked with them”, their heart must “burn” with them.
2) There are two kinds of knowledge of believers to
Christ: a) the knowledge because the Bible was opened; b) the knowledge because
their eyes were opened (v.31).
Luke. 24:33 “So they rose up that very
hour and returned to
YLT: “And they, having
risen up the same hour, turned back to
Literal Meaning: “returned to
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Concerning the one who meets the Lord, his
spiritual state will turn for the better------“rose up that very hour and
returned to
2) The spiritual revival would bring believers back
to the church (“returned to
Luke. 24:34 “saying, ‘The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’”
YLT: “saying `The Lord
was raised indeed, and was seen by Simon;’”
Literal Meaning: “and has appeared to
Simon” it shows that the Lord once appeared to Peter alone after His
resurrection (See 1Cor. 15:5).
Luke. 24:35 “And they told about the
things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the
breaking of bread.”
YLT: “and they were
telling the things in the way, and how he was made known to them in the
breaking of the bread,”
Luke. 24:36 “Now as they said these things,
Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.’”
YLT: “and as they are
speaking these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith to
them, ‘Peace to you;’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The true peace springs from the experience of
the Lord’s presence in the Spirit.
2) If believers lack peace, it is not the real
intention of the Lord and it must be caused by themselves.
Luke. 24:37 “But they were terrified
and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.”
YLT: “and being amazed,
and becoming affrighted, they were thinking themselves to see a spirit.”
Meaning of Words: “spirit”: breath.
Literal Meaning: “and supposed they
had seen a spirit” It indicates that they saw a ghost.
Luke. 24:38 “And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your
hearts?”
YLT: “And he said to
them, `Why are ye troubled? and wherefore do reasonings come up in your
hearts?”
Meaning of Words: “trouble”: stir,
agitate, panic, worry; “doubt”: consideration, dispute, debate.
Luke. 24:39 “Behold My hands and My
feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh
and bones as you see I have.’”
YLT: “see my hands and my
feet, that I am he; handle me and see, because a spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as ye see me having.’”
Literal Meaning: “behold My hands and
My feet” Most probably there was the mark of the nails remaining in His hands
and feet (See John. 20:25-28). It is the mark of His love towards us.
“As you see I have” refers to the body
that the Lord puts on after His resurrection.
Luke. 24:40 “When He had said this, He
showed them His hands and His feet.”
YLT: “And having said
this, he shewed to them the hands and the feet,”
Luke. 24:41 “But while they still did
not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, ‘Have
you any food here?’”
YLT: “and while they are
not believing from the joy, and wondering, he said to them, `Have ye anything
here to eat?’”
Enlightenment in the Word: Many times, the Lord also asks us: “Have you any
food here?” O, the Lord is searching in order to see whether He could find
something from us to satisfy Him.
Luke. 24:42 “So they gave Him a piece
of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.”
YLT: “and they gave to
him part of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb,”
Enlightenment in the Word: what we could dedicate to the Lord is only “a piece
of broiled fish”, however, the Lord is willing to receive it with glad (See
v.43).
Luke. 24:43 “And He took it and ate in
their presence.”
YLT: “and having taken,
he did eat before them,”
Literal Meaning: the spiritual body
after resurrection does not need food and drink, however, the spiritual body
could eat and drink as the fleshly body when it is necessary. The spiritual
angels could also eat and drink (See Gen. 18:7).
Luke. 24:44 “Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was
still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law
of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’”
YLT: “and he said to
them, `These [are] the words that I spake unto you, being yet with you, that it
behoveth to be fulfilled all the things that are written in the Law of Moses,
and the Prophets, and the Psalms, about me.’”
Literal Meaning: “the Law of Moses and the
Prophets and the Psalms” refers to the
whole Old Testament. At that time, the Hebrew Old Testament was divided into
three parts: the Law, the Prophets and the sacred scrolls. The Psalms were the
first scroll of the sacred scrolls and therefore the Jews usually used the
Psalms to represent the third part.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord’s revelation and guidance base on the
words that He had said.
2) The whole Old Testament revealed Christ and He
is the center and content of the Old Testament.
Luke. 24:45 “And He opened their
understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”
YLT: “Then opened he up
their understanding to understand the Writings,”
Meaning of Words: “open”: open
thoroughly, expound; “understanding”: mind.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If one wants to know spiritual things, he should
have the spiritual mind (“understanding’). Without the spiritual understanding,
one cannot comprehend spiritual things.
2) If believers want to comprehend the Bible, our
“understanding” should be opened by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (See
Eph. 1:18).
3) If one whose understanding has not been opened
reads the Bible, he only comprehends the Bible by his brain and he does not
really understand the Bible.
4) Concerning all the books in the world, men seek
to “understand” them at first and then they could believe them. Only the Bible
should be “understood” by one who has established the intimate relationship
with the Lord by “faith” at first (See 1Tim. 4:3b).
Luke. 24:46 “Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the
Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,”
YLT: “and he said to them
`Thus it hath been written, and thus it was behoving the Christ to suffer, and
to rise out of the dead the third day,”
Literal Meaning: though the Old
Testament did not directly pronounce Christ’s “suffering” and “rising from the
dead”, many verses described His suffering implicitly (e.g. Ps. 23; Is. 53) and
other verses implied that He would rise from the dead the third day (e.g.
Jonah. 1:17; See Matt. 12:40; Hos. 6:2; Ps. 16:10).
Luke. 24:47 “and that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at
YLT: “and reformation and
remission of sins to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning
from
Literal Meaning: “to all nations, beginning
at
This verse reveals the main points of
preaching:
a) Preach in the name of the Lord: only exalt
Christ and do not exalt any spiritual giant or religious groups.
b) Preach repentance and remission of sins:
“repentance” refers to the behavior that sinners should have (See 3:3);
“remission of sins” refers to God’s reaction towards sinners who repent.
Repentance is the requirement for remission of sins and remission of sins is
the result of repentance.
c) To all nations,
beginning at
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The great preachers gather listeners easily and
therefore they yield twice the result with half the effort. However, there is a
crisis that many people come for the name of great preachers (instead of the
name of the Lord) and consequently in the evangelistic meeting there are many
people making a commitment for Jesus and few of them stay in the church.
2) Concerning the preaching of the glad tidings, it
is true that believers should have a sense of duty of “the whole world”,
however, we should not reach for what is beyond our grasp. We should preach
from our own family members, relatives and friends and classmates.
Luke. 24:48 “And you are witnesses of
these things.”
YLT: “and ye ye are
witnesses of these things.”
Meaning of Words: “witness”: martyr.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord not only wants believers to bear
witness to Him with our mouths but also asks us to be His witness. It is the
best witness to manifest the salvation of Christ and the life of resurrection
by life (See Pill. 1:27).
2) The witness of believers’ walking is better than
the witness of words.
3) One, as a witness of God, has to manifest the
life of God by living out the word of God. The witness without the word of God
deviates from the will of God. The witness that lacks the life of God does not
have the content of witness.
Luke. 24:49 “Behold, I send the
Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are
endued with power from on high.’”
YLT: “`And, lo, I do send
the promise of my Father upon you, but ye abide ye in the city of
Meaning of Words: “upon”: above; “in
the city”: sit in the city, stay in the city.
Literal Meaning: “I send the Promise
of My Father upon you” “The Promise of My Father” refers to the pouring out of
the Holy Spirit (See Joel. 2:28-29) and it is also called the baptism of the
Holy Spirit (Acts. 1:5). It is different from the indwelling Spirit (See John.
20:22).
“You are endued with power from on
high.” The indwelling Spirit enables us to receive the life of God. However,
the Spirit’s sending upon (pouring out) enables us to receive power (See Acts.
1:8).
This verse reveals us that the power of
preaching is from the Holy Spirit and He is: a) what the Lord has given (“I
send…”); b) what the Father has promised; c) from on high; d) received by wait.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord has given believers two great gifts: a)
the guidance of the Bible (See v.45); b) the power of the Holy Spirit.
2) The time that we wait for God quietly should
never be in vain forever. One contrarily loses time if he is unwilling to wait
for God and acts presumptuously.
Luke. 24:50 “And He led them out as
far as
YLT: “And he led them
forth without unto
The
Background: In the time of the
Old Testament, the gesture of priest who blessed the people was to lift up his
hands (See Lev. 9:22; Num. 6:22-27).
Literal Meaning: “as far as
Luke. 24:51 “Now it came to pass,
while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.”
YLT: “and it came to
pass, in his blessing them, he was parted from them, and was borne up to the
heaven;”
Literal Meaning: “was carried up into
heaven” It indicates that He was taken up before the eyes of the masses (See
Acts. 1:9) and it is different His previous sudden disappearance (See v.31).
From the Lord’s resurrection to His being taken up formally, the Lord had
stayed on the earth for forty days (See Acts. 1:3).
Luke. 24:52 “And they worshiped Him,
and returned to
YLT: “and they, having
bowed before him, did turn back to
Enlightenment in the Word: Seeing Christ who had been taken up in the Spirit
(See v.51) would make us be “with great joy”.
Luke. 24:53 “and were continually in
the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.”
YLT: “and were
continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.”
Literal Meaning: in the period of
time closely after the day when the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven, the
disciples always gathered together in the temple (See Acts. 2:46; 3:1; 5:21,
42). There were many rooms in the temple that would be used by the disciples
for the meeting.
The Gospels of Luke begins with the
burning of incense and prayer “in the temple” (See 1:8-10) and ends with the
praise of God “in the temple”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) What believers should seek is that I may dwell
in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the
LORD, And to inquire in His temple (Ps. 27:4).
2) God saves us in order to let us praise Him.
Praising and blessing God should be the reaction that everyone who has received
grace should have and the praising and blessing should never stop in the
eternal life.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Power of the Resurrection------“open”
I. Open the door of
the tomb: the stone was rolled away (v.2).
II. Open the Bible:
understand the word of God objectively (v.27, 32).
III. Open the
dwelling place: ask the Lord to abide with them (v.29).
IV. Open the eyes of
hearts: they knew the Lord (v.31).
V. Open the mouths:
bear witness to the Lord (v.35).
VI. Open the
understanding: understand the word of God subjectively (v.45).
VII. Open the door
of heaven: bring down the power from on high (v.49).
The Difficulties and Weakness of Men
II. Not believing
(v.11).
III.
Marveling (v.12).
IV. Their eyes were
restrained and they did not know Him (v.16).
V. Astonishing
(v.22).
VI. Being slow
(v.25).
The Changes of Minds of the Two Disciples
Who Went to A Village Called Emmaus
I. Being sad
(v.13-18).
II. Being perplexed
(v.19-25).
III. Burning
(v.26-32).
IV. Being with joy
(v.33-43).
The Conditions of One’s Eyes’ Being Opened
(v.31)
II. Have communion
with the Lord (v.17-19).
III. The Bible is
opened to him by the Lord (v.25-27).
IV. Abide with the
Lord (v.29).
V. Dedicate oneself
to the Lord and let Him break him (v.30).
The Spiritual Body after Resurrection
I. He comes and goes
suddenly (v.15, 31)------He is both visible and hidden and comes and goes at
will.
II. He has flesh and
bones (v.39)------He has the body and He is not unreal.
III. He has hands
and feet (v.40)------He could be recognized and act.
IV. He is able to
eat and drink (v.42)------He could have communion with men and have enjoyment
together.
The Sadness and Joy of the Disciples
I. They were sad
because they did not know the deeds of the Lord (v.16-17).
II. They were
terrified and frightened because they did not know the Lord Himself (v.37-38).
III. They rejoiced
because they verified the Lord’s resurrection and appearing (v.41).
IV. They were with
great joy because they saw the Lord being carried up into heaven (v.52).
The Example of Standard of Exegesis
I. The best
teacher------the Lord Himself (v.25-27).
II. The best
book------the Bible (v.27).
III. The best
subject------Christ (v.27, 44).
IV. The best
way------open their understanding (v.45).
Seeing the Effort of Christ’s Resurrection
II. Glory to
God------praise and bless God (v.53).
The Foundations of the Faith of Christianity
I. The resurrection
of the Lord Jesus is absolutely true (v.36-43).
II. The salvation of
the cross is the plan that God has established (v.44-46).
III. Believers’
experience in the Spirit is the reality of witness (v.47-49).
The Aim that the Rising Lord Appeared to the
Disciples
II. Bear witness to
the disciples that the Bible is true and faithful (v.46).
III. Entrust the
disciples the commission that they should preach to all nations (v.47-48).
IV. Show to the
disciples that the key to preach is waiting for the pouring out of the Holy
Spirit (v.49).
How to Preach Well
I. Preachers should
understand the Bible and then could preach the message (v.45).
II. Preachers should
seize the central message of the Bible (v.46).
III. Preach in the
name of the Lord (v.47a)------exalt the name of the Lord and join to the Lord.
IV. The repentance
and remission of sins should be preached (v.47b)------make men know their own
sins and God’s salvation.
V. Beginning from
VI. To all nations
(v.47c)------the whole world is the area of preaching.
VII. Preachers must
experience and live out the salvation by themselves (v.48)------they should
walk in concert with the witness of words.
VIII. Concerning
preaching, they have to wait and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit (v.49).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren