LUKE 24:44-49 WITNESSES TO WAIT

WITNESSES TO WAIT

LUKE 24:44-49

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Susan: Jesus, in this instance, reminded His disciples that He had told them previously on more than one occasion that in order to fulfill prophecy and the purpose for which He had been sent, He must suffer crucifixion, be buried, and be resurrected.

Luke 9:22 . . . saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

Luke 9:44 “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”

Luke 18:31-33 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Luke 22:37 For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”

Susie: By saying the law of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets, Jesus was indicating that the entire Old Testament contained prophecies concerning Him, the Messiah.

Luke 24:45-47 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Susan: Jesus supernaturally opened their minds to enable them to perceive and understand the revelation of scripture concerning Himself.

Susie: Jesus then gave a summary of what had been taught concerning Him—His suffering, death, and resurrection—and that His witnesses would carry His message of repentance and forgiveness around the world. He may have referred to Old Testament scriptures such as Isaiah 50:6, Psalm 22:1-31, Daniel 9:24, and Psalm 67:24 among many others.

Luke 24:48-49 And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Susan: Luke gives a condensed version of what has come to be known as “The Great Commission.” Mark states it briefly as well, but Matthew details it for us:

Mark 16:15 (NKJV) And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Susan: Jesus commanded the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the power that He had promised them. What was that power? He wasn’t a “what” but a “who”—the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was and is the person of the Trinity who enables the believer to trust in the Lord, understand His word, and become a bold witness moving passionately and powerfully in God’s purposes for his or her life.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26-27 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Susie: Luke sets up his sequel to his gospel, the book of Acts, which is the story of how these witnesses received the power of the Holy Spirit and carried Jesus’s message to the world.

Ponder this and Apply it: Another reason we should not be too hard on these first followers of Jesus is that even though they walked and talked with Him daily for about three years, they did not yet have the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Those of us who have trusted Jesus after the events of Acts chapter two, are enabled to understand the events of scripture because of the Holy Spirit inside us. They were still awaiting that powerful filling at the end of Luke’s Gospel. If you are a believer, praise the Lord for the work of the Holy Spirit in your own life, and remember to always ask Him to reveal truth to you when you read your Bible. If you do not yet know the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life because you have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus and would like to know more, please contact us through our website: www.PreciousJewelsMinistries.org. We would love to tell you more about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!