Luke 24

Lu 24:1-12.

ANGELIC

ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE

WOMEN

THAT

CHRIST

IS

RISEN--PETER'S

VISIT TO THE

EMPTY

SEPULCHRE.

(See on

Mr 16:1-8;

and

Mt 28:1-5).

5. Why, &c.--Astonishing question! not "the risen," but

"the Living One" (compare

Re 1:18);

and the surprise expressed in it implies an incongruity in His

being there at all, as if, though He might submit to it, "it was

impossible He should be holden of it"

(Ac 2:24).

6. in Galilee--to which these women themselves belonged

(Lu 23:55).

7. Saying, &c.--How remarkable it is to hear angels quoting a whole

sentence of Christ's to the disciples, mentioning where it was uttered,

and wondering it was not fresh in their memory, as doubtless it was in

theirs!

(1Ti 3:16,

"seen of angels," and

1Pe 1:12).

10. Joanna--(See on

Lu 8:1-3).

12. Peter, &c.--(See on

Joh 20:1-10).

Lu 24:13-35.

CHRIST

APPEARS TO THE

TWO

GOING TO

EMMAUS.

13. two of them--One was Cleopas

(Lu 24:18);

who the other was is mere conjecture.

Emmaus--about seven and a half miles from Jerusalem. They probably

lived there and were going home after the Passover.

14-16. communed and reasoned--exchanged views and feelings, weighing

afresh all the facts, as detailed in

Lu 24:18-24.

drew near--coming up behind them as from Jerusalem.

eyes holden--Partly He was "in another form"

(Mr 16:12),

and partly there seems to have been an operation on their own vision;

though certainly, as they did not believe that He was alive, His

company as a fellow traveller was the last thing they would expect,

17-24. communications, &c.--The words imply the earnest discussion

that had appeared in their manner.

18. knowest not, &c.--If he knew not the events of the last few

days in Jerusalem, he must be a mere sojourner; if he did, how could he

suppose they would be talking of anything else? How artless all this!

19. Concerning Jesus, &c.--As if feeling it a relief to have someone

to unburden his thoughts and feelings to, this disciple goes over the

main facts in his own desponding style, and this was just what our Lord

wished.

21. we trusted, &c.--They expected the promised Deliverance at His

hand, but in the current sense of it, not by His death.

besides all this--not only did His death seem to give the fatal blow

to their hopes, but He had been two days dead already, and this was the

third. It is true, they add, some of our women gave us a surprise,

telling us of a vision of angels they had at the empty grave this

morning that said He was alive, and some of ourselves who went thither

confirmed their statement; but then Himself they saw not. A doleful tale

truly, told out of the deepest despondency.

25-27. fools--senseless, without understanding.

26. Ought not Christ--"the Christ," "the Messiah."

to suffer . . . and enter--that is, through the gate of suffering

(and suffering "these things," or such a death) to enter into

His glory. "Ye believe in the glory; but these very sufferings are the

predicted gate of entrance into it."

27. Moses and all the prophets, &c.--Here our Lord both teaches us

the reverence due to Old Testament Scripture, and the great burden of

it--"Himself."

28-31. made as though, &c.--(Compare

Mr 6:48;

Ge 18:3, 5; 32:24-26).

29. constrained, &c.--But for this, the whole design of the interview

had been lost; but it was not to be lost, for He who only wished to

be constrained had kindled a longing in the hearts of His travelling

companions which was not to be so easily put off. And does not this

still repeat itself in the interviews of the Saviour with His loving,

longing disciples? Else why do they say,

Abide with me from morn to eve,

For without Thee I cannot live;

Abide with me when night is nigh,

For without Thee I cannot die.

KEBLE

30, 31. he took . . . and blessed . . . and their eyes were opened--The

stranger first startles them by taking the place of master at their own

table, but on proceeding to that act which reproduced the whole scene of

the last Supper, a rush of associations and recollections disclosed

their guest, and He stood confessed before their astonished

gaze--THEIR RISEN

LORD! They were going to gaze on Him, perhaps embrace Him, but

that moment He is gone! It was enough.

32-34. They now tell each to the other how their hearts

burned--were fired--within them at His talk and His expositions of

Scripture. "Ah! this accounts for it: We could not understand the glow

of self-evidencing light, love, glory that ravished our hearts; but now

we do." They cannot rest--how could they?--they must go straight back

and tell the news. They find the eleven, but ere they have time to tell

their tale, their ears are saluted with the thrilling news, "The Lord

is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon." Most touching and

precious intelligence this. The only one of the Eleven to whom He

appeared alone was he, it seems, who had so shamefully denied

Him. What passed at that interview we shall never know here. Probably

it was too sacred for disclosure. (See on

Mr 16:7).

The two from Emmaus now relate what had happened to them, and while

thus comparing notes of their Lord's appearances, lo! Christ Himself

stands in the midst of them. What encouragement to doubting, dark,

true-hearted disciples!

Lu 24:36-53.

JESUS

APPEARS TO THE

ASSEMBLED

DISCIPLES--HIS

ASCENSION.

36. Jesus . . . stood--(See on

Joh 20:19).

37, 38. a spirit--the ghost of their dead Lord, but not Himself in

the body

(Ac 12:15;

Mt 14:26).

thoughts--rather, "reasonings"; that is, whether He were risen or no,

and whether this was His very self.

39-43. Behold, &c.--lovingly offering them both ocular and

tangible demonstration of the reality of His resurrection.

a spirit hath not--an important statement regarding "spirits."

flesh and bones--He says not "flesh and blood"; for the

blood is the life of the animal and corruptible body

(Ge 9:4),

which "cannot inherit the kingdom of God"

(1Co 15:50);

but "flesh and bones," implying the identity, but with

diversity of laws, of the resurrection body. (See on

Joh 20:24-28).

41. believed not for joy, &c.--They did believe, else they had

not rejoiced [BENGEL]. But it seemed too

good to be true

(Ps 126:1, 2).

42. honeycomb--common frugal fare, anciently.

43. eat before them--that is, let them see Him doing it: not for His

own necessity, but their conviction.

44-49. These are the words, &c.--that is, "Now you will understand

what seemed so dark to you when I told you about the Son of man being

put to death and rising again"

(Lu 18:31-34).

while . . . yet with you--a striking expression, implying that He

was now, as the dead and risen Saviour, virtually dissevered from this

scene of mortality, and from all ordinary intercourse with His mortal

disciples.

law . . . prophets . . . psalms--the three Jewish divisions of the

Old Testament Scriptures.

45. Then opened he, &c.--a statement of unspeakable value; expressing,

on the one hand, Christ's immediate access to the human spirit and

absolute power over it, to the adjustment of its vision, and

permanent rectification for spiritual discernment (than which it is

impossible to conceive a stronger evidence of His proper divinity); and,

on the other hand, making it certain that the manner of interpreting the \

Old Testament which the apostles afterwards employed (see the Acts

and Epistles), has the direct sanction of Christ Himself.

46. behoved Christ--(See on

Lu 24:26).

47. beginning at Jerusalem--(1) As the metropolis and heart of the

then existing kingdom of God:--"to the Jew first"

(Ro 1:16;

Ac 13:46;

Isa 2:3,

see on

Mt 10:6).

(2) As the great reservoir and laboratory of all the sin and crime of

the nation, thus proclaiming for all time that there is mercy in Christ

for the chief of sinners. (See on

Mt 23:37).

48. witnesses--(Compare

Ac 1:8, 22).

49. I send--the present tense, to intimate its nearness.

promise of my Father--that is, what My Father hath promised; the

Holy Ghost, of which Christ is the authoritative Dispenser

(Joh 14:7;

Re 3:1; 5:6).

endued--invested, or clothed with; implying, as the parallels show

(Ro 13:14;

1Co 15:53;

Ga 3:27;

Col 3:9, 10),

their being so penetrated and acted upon by conscious supernatural

power (in the full sense of that word) as to stamp with divine

authority the whole exercise of their apostolic office, including,

of course, their pen as well as their mouth.

50-53. to Bethany--not to the village itself, but on the "descent"

to it from Mount Olivet.

51. while he blessed . . . parted, &c.--Sweet intimation! Incarnate

Love, Crucified Love, Risen Love, now on the wing for heaven, waiting

only those odorous gales which were to waft Him to the skies, goes away

in benedictions, that in the character of Glorified, Enthroned Love, He

might continue His benedictions, but in yet higher form, until He come

again! And oh, if angels were so transported at His birth into this

scene of tears and death, what must have been their ecstasy as they

welcomed and attended Him "far above all heavens" into the

presence-chamber, and conducted Him to the right hand of the Majesty on

High! Thou hast an everlasting right, O my Saviour, to that august

place. The brightness of the Father's glory, enshrined in our nature,

hath won it well; for He poured out His soul unto death, and led

captivity captive, receiving gifts for men, yea for the rebellious, that

the Lord God might dwell among them. Thou art the King of glory, O

Christ. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, be lifted up, ye everlasting

doors, that the King of glory may come in! Even so wilt Thou change

these vile bodies of ours, that they may be like unto Thine own glorious

body; and then with gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought, they

shall enter into the King's palace!

52. worshipped him--certainly in the strictest sense of adoration.

returned to Jerusalem--as instructed to do: but not till after

gazing, as if entranced, up into the blue vault in which He had

disappeared, they were gently checked by two shining ones, who assured

them He would come again to them in the like manner as He had gone into

heaven. (See on

Ac 1:10, 11).

This made them return, not with disappointment at His removal, but

"with great joy."

53. were continually in the temple--that is, every day at the regular

hours of prayer till the day of Pentecost.

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