Digging Deeper – From Confusion to Commission: The Power of Understanding
Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things…”
Luke 24:44-48
FROM CONFUSION TO COMMISSION: THE POWER OF UNDERSTANDING
This is another account of the meeting with the disciples on the day Jesus specifically appeared to Mary Magdalene, the two men walking to Emmaus, and the disciples in their hideaway.
But Luke, it seems, was given a little more color commentary by one of the disciples who was there. As a doctor by trade, Luke likely remembered and noted additional details.
Jesus reminds everyone that He had been foretold in the Law of Moses, prophesied by both the major and minor prophets, and proclaimed extensively in the Psalms by all the writers.
He’s essentially saying, “I’ve been in this story all along.” His resurrection wasn’t a plot twist—it was the plan since before time as we know it began.
And still, they didn’t have a clue what He was talking about—until verse 45:
“Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”
And what follows is both a reminder and a charge, which they now finally understood:
“Thus it is written (in the Old Testament) that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem.”
Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, opens our minds to understand Scripture (see also 1 Corinthians 2:14–16). And when He does, our natural response becomes that of a proclaimer—announcing repentance and forgiveness of sins, but only in His name.
(Remember, only Jesus is kind of a big deal.)
Is understanding the Scriptures difficult?
Is seeing Jesus in the Old Testament a challenge?
Then ask Him to open your mind to understand what He wants you to know—what you need to know in that moment.
He will make a special visit to do just that.
Quite simply, Dave Griffith loves getting to know Jesus better by studying His Word daily and is passionate about teaching his siblings in Christ how to study His Word as well. He is passionately in love and like with his helpmate, Jackie; and is most fulfilled when he is hanging with his 10 kids (3 of his, 2 of Jackie’s, 3 are married, 2 more spiritually adopted) and 9 grandkids. He is a small group leader and a men’s group leader. He is a serial entrepreneur owning or having owned numerous businesses. He also enjoys naps!