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Luke 24

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

And they remembered his words,

And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass therein these days?

And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.

And he took it, and did eat before them.

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.

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved 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.

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.

And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

What does Luke 24:45 mean?

Explanation

Luke 24:45 is a significant verse that occurs in the context of Jesus' post-resurrection appearance to his disciples.

The phrase "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures," conveys that Jesus enabled his disciples to comprehend the true meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures, which Christians often refer to as the Old Testament.

This verse implies a revelatory act by Jesus that gave his followers an intellectual and spiritual illumination, allowing them to grasp how the scriptures pointed to his death and resurrection as the fulfillment of messianic prophecy.

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

The Gospel of Luke was written around 80-110 AD. At this time, the early Christian community was trying to understand the implications of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection in terms of Jewish prophecy and scripture.

Jewish tradition was rich in interpretation and debate over the Hebrew Scriptures.

Jesus’ disciples were Jews who had an anticipation of a Messiah.

The opening of their understanding in this verse indicates a significant turning point where the disciples started to view Jesus as the fulfillment of those messianic prophecies.

Theological Insights

Theologically, this verse touches upon the concept of divine revelation.

From a Christian perspective, this means God discloses truths to humans that they could not know otherwise, here, it is the understanding of scripture in light of Christ's ministry.

Different theological viewpoints may offer varying insights on this verse:

Evangelical: The opening of the mind to understand scripture is seen as an essential work of the Holy Spirit.
Catholic: This verse may be interpreted within the context of the Church’s tradition and magisterium (teaching authority), emphasizing the role of the Church in interpreting scripture.
Liberal: A more metaphorical understanding might be taken, seeing the verse as symbolic of personal transformation and enlightenment rather than literal divine intervention.

Practical Applications

In practical terms, Luke 24:45 can be applied to daily life by suggesting that believers should seek understanding and insight through prayer and study, acknowledging that comprehension of spiritual truths often requires divine help.

It encourages an approach to scripture that is open to enlightenment beyond the literal text, inviting believers to see how their lives participate in the broader narrative of God's work.

Cross-References

John 16:13: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth..."
Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia... whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."
1 Corinthians 2:12: "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."
2 Corinthians 3:14-16: "...but their minds were blinded... until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ."

Language Study

In this verse, the key Greek word is "dianoigō," which means "to open." It is often used metaphorically in the New Testament to refer to opening one's mind or understanding, not just physical opening.

The phrase "understand the scriptures" uses the Greek word "syniēmi," which denotes a coming together or a mental comprehension, indicating profound insight not accessible without assistance.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many ancient cultures and religions, there is the motif of hidden knowledge or revelation.

For example, in Gnosticism, a prominent belief was that salvation came from secret knowledge.

Similarly, in Judaism, there is a tradition of deep exegetical study to uncover the layers of meaning in the Torah.

Luke 24:45 contrasts with such perspectives by presenting understanding as a gift granted by Christ rather than acquired through human effort or esoteric knowledge.

Scientific Perspectives

While scientific perspectives typically do not directly engage with individual scripture verses, the topic of cognitive understanding and revelation can intersect with areas of cognitive science and psychology.

Cognitive science examines how people understand and conceptualize their world, which might shed light on the natural processes involved in moments of insight or "revelation." Nonetheless, the supernatural aspect discussed in this verse lies outside the domain of scientific inquiry.

Commentaries

Modern biblical scholars and theologians offer various interpretations of Luke 24:45:

William Barclay: He suggests that the opening of the understanding was Jesus' way of showing the continuity between His teaching and the Hebrew Scriptures.
John Calvin: Calvin sees it as a work of the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the mind to understand God's word correctly.
**Joel B.

Green**: In The Gospel of Luke, Green emphasizes Jesus as the hermeneutical key to interpreting the scriptures.

**N.T.

Wright**: Wright often speaks about the necessity of understanding Jesus in his historical context, suggesting this verse shows the disciples' shift in understanding toward a new Christian outlook.

Each commentator agrees that this verse displays a pivotal moment of revelation and understanding granted by Jesus to his disciples.

Luke 24

Luke 24

What does Luke 24:45 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 24:45 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?