Luke 24
COMMENTARY:
: 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. (3026 “idle tales” [leros] means nonsense, idle talk, empty talk, worthless finery, silly talk, trumpery, or twaddle.)
DEVOTION: Unbelief is a real problem in the lives of those who are followers of the LORD. The LORD didn’t like it when it was found in the disciples HE was training. HE doesn’t like it in us.
The women came to the disciples with exciting news. They had just seen angels. They gave them the message of the angels. They saw the empty tomb. The reported all they saw and met with individuals who thought they were crazy. They thought they were telling them silly things. They didn’t believe even after the LORD told them many times that HE was going to die and be buried and rise from the death on the third day.
HE didn’t say anything to them that wasn’t truth. They knew that HE always taught the truth. However, in the back of their mind they still thought HE was going to set up HIS kingdom right away and they were going to reign with HIM over the world.
We go to church each week and hear more about the good news of the Gospel. We hear about the promises of Scripture. We are told to memorize verses that will encourage us throughout the week. We are even given notes to review many times, so that, the message of the week is fresh in our minds.
Our responsibility is to get into the Word of God each day and pray for the Holy Spirit to instruct us in how to apply what we learn to our lives. Then we are to go out and share what we learn with those the LORD brings into our path.
However, we have an enemy that wants to stop us from being the witness the LORD wants us to be. That enemy lies to us each day about how we are too busy to serve the LORD. He wants us to compartmentalize our world into work and church. He wants us to think that we are not to share our faith with anyone out of the church building. He wants us to forget about thinking that we have something the world needs. He has fooled more believers throughout the week than anyone else could ever do.
CHALLENGE: Don’t believe the enemy. Believe the Word of God. Obey the command to “GO.” Give the world a taste of the truth of the Word of God.
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (1329 “expounded” [diermeneuo] means to unfold the meaning of what is said, explain, interpret, or to translate into one’s native tongue.)
DEVOTION: This chapter has an emphasis on the word “open.” The grave was open for the women and disciples to see that Jesus was no longer in the tomb. The two disciples from Emmaus had their eyes opened to the fact that it was Jesus with them in their home. Jesus opened the understanding of the disciples to the teachings of the Scriptures. Too often our eyes and understanding are CLOSED.
Jesus is our perfect example. HE met the two men on the road to Emmaus. HE asked them questions about what was happening in their world. HE let them explain what was going on in their world. HE let them explain their thoughts regarding Jesus of Nazareth. HE let them continue talking.
HE opened or explained what the Scripture had to say regarding Jesus of Nazareth. They only had the Old Testament at the time but there was enough in the books of Moses and the Prophets to let these two men know the truth about Christ.
When they were going to enter their home, HE acted as if HE would continue walking. They invited HIM into their home and shared their food with HIM. HE blessed their food. Their eyes were opened to who HE was. HE vanished. These two men stated that their “heart burn within” when HE explained the Scriptures to them.
When we enter our churches on Sunday – do our hearts burn within us – when we hear the word of God explained from the pulpit? Should our hearts burn when we hear the word of God explained? Is the Holy Spirit active in our services to help us understand the teachings of the Word of God?
One of the problems today is that some entering our churches think they have heard it all and therefore don’t listen too well to the message from the Word of God. Another problem is that sometimes our pastors are not explaining the Word of God. They might start with a verse or two but then the Bibles can be shut and the preacher says what he wants and our hearts do not burn with the truth of the Word of God. Our pulpits need to explain the Word of God, so that, our hearts can burn with the truths we need to apply to our daily walk with the LORD. Are we attending a church where this is happening??
Once we have heard the Word of God do we go out and explain the Word to others, so that, their hearts can burn with the truth of the Word of God?
CHALLENGE: Encourage your pastor to burn your hearts with the truth of the Word of God. Tell them you are praying for the Holy Spirit to fill them and give them power each Sunday.
: 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew HIM, and HE vanished out of their sight. (855 “vanished” [aphantos] means taken out of sight, made invisible, unseen, not apparent, disappeared, or non-manifested.)
DEVOTION: Every Sunday those who are genuine believers attend a church that preaches the Word of God with power. When the Word of God is preached with power there should be a moving of the Holy Spirit in the worship service. Hearts should be touched with the truth of the Word of God so that they know Jesus better for being together to worship.
These two disciples had walked with Jesus for most of the day. They had explained to HIM what was happening in Jerusalem. The women had given their report. The two disciples, Peter and John had gone to the tomb and observed that Jesus was no longer in the grave.
Jesus commented to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus that they were “fools” for not believing all the reports. HE had told them that HE was going to rise from the dead on the third day. They didn’t believe HIM.
Finally, HE opened their eyes after HE had explained what Moses and the prophets had said about HIM. Once their eyes were opened they returned to Jerusalem and told the other disciples. It had to have been a long Sunday for these two disciples.
Now we know the complete story of HIS death, burial and resurrection. What are we doing with what we have learned? Are we excited like those two disciples were to get up and go out and tell others? That should be our motivation to share what we have just read with others.
We used to sing a song called “Get all excited.” The problem is that genuine believers have lost their joy and excitement. Only the Holy Spirit can get it back for each of us. Ask HIM for the joy of the LORD to be our strength to serve HIM better.
CHALLENGE: Don’t look like individuals who have no hope and look like they have sucked sore lemons. Let people know about the joy the LORD gives to you.
: 53 And were continually in the temple, preaching and blessing God. Amen. (2127 “blessing” [eulogeo] means praise, celebrate with praises, favored of God, to speak well of, to express one’s esteem or approval of, act graciously toward, kindly toward or provide benefits.)
DEVOTION: The disciples were excited. They returned after the ascension of Christ to Jerusalem as they were commanded. At first they didn’t believe the women but once they saw Christ and listened to HIS command to wait for power from heaven. They returned to worship the LORD in the Temple.
They were filling their time of waiting with praise to the Father who sent HIS Son to die on the cross for their sins. They didn’t fully understand all that was happening but they had been instructed by Jesus that the Holy Spirit was going to teach them all things after HE had left the world to return to HIS Father.
Now is not the time of waiting but a time of service. The LORD sent the Holy Spirit and the disciples went out to reach the world for the LORD. They knew their assignment. They were to make disciples in the whole world.
We have the same assignment we have to receive instructions from the LORD from the Word of God and a good Biblical church. Once we have the instructions we are to act like disciples and reach our world for the LORD.
Each of us has to make sure we are being the disciples the LORD wants us to be in our world. Some are young but can still tell their friends about Jesus. They can tell their relatives about Jesus. Some might even have to tell their parents about Jesus.
CHALLENGE: Are we blessing each day of our life while we are witnessing to others?
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Jesus blessed breadverse 30
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Disciples worshipped Christ with joyverse 52
Disciples praised God in templeverse 53
Disciples blessed God in templeverse 53
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Prophets had spokenverse 25
Mosesverses 27, 44
Prophetsverses 27, 44
Scripturesverses 27, 32, 45
Written word fulfilledverses 44, 46
Psalmsverse 44
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Father – makes promisesverse 49
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Lordverses 3, 34
Jesus verses 3, 15, 19, 36
Lord Jesusverse 3
Son of manverse 7
Crucifiedverses 7, 20, 46
Third day riseverses 7, 34, 46
Jesus of Nazarethverse 19
Prophetverse 19
Christverses 26, 46
Blessed breadverse 30
Vanished verse 31
Midst of disciplesverse 36
Eating food after resurrectionverse 43
Opened understanding of disciplesverse 45
Blessed disciples at Bethanyverse 50
Carried up to heavenverse 51
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Godverses 19, 53
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Two men in shining garmentsverses 4-7
Vision of angelsverse 23
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
All nationsverse 47
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sinful menverse 7
Idle talesverse 11
Believed notverses 11, 41
Sadverse 17
Foolsverse 25
Slow of heartverse 25
Terrifiedverse 37
Afraidverse 37
Troubledverse 38
Doubtverse 38
Believed notverse 41
Sinsverse 47
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
First day of the weekverse 1
Believeverse 11
Commune togetherverse 15
Reasonverse 15
Prophetverses 19, 25
Mighty in deed and wordverse 19
Trustverse 21
Redeemverse 21
Sufferingverses 26, 46
Expound the Scriptureverses 27, 32, 47
Blessedverses 30, 50, 51, 53
Eyes openedverse 31
Hearts burnverse 32
Peaceverse 36
Joyverses 41, 52
Wonderedverse 41
Open understandingverse 42
Understand Scripturesverse 42
Repentanceverse 47
Remission of sinsverse 47
Preachverse 47
Witnessesverse 48
Promiseverse 49
Endued with powerverse 49
Worshipverse 52
Praiseverse 53
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Galileeverse 6
Mary Magdaleneverse 10
Joannaverse 10
Mary – the mother of Jamesverse 10
Other womenverse 10
Emmausverse 13
Jerusalemverses 13, 18, 33, 42, 47, 52
Cleopasverse 18
Chief priestsverse 20
Rulersverse 20
Israelverse 21
Bethanyverse 50
Church (New Testament people of God)
Elevenverses 9, 33
Apostlesverse 10
Peter (Simon)verses 12, 34
Witnessesverse 48
Last Things (Future Events)
Heavenverse 51
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