30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 24 13-35 JESUS IS KNOWN IN THE SCRIPTURES 05 26Mar2022 Luke 24 19-24 The identity of Jesus
📖 Luke 24:13-35
05 – 26Mar2022 – The identity of Jesus - Luke 24:13-35 - JESUS IS KNOWN IN THE SCRIPTURES - Bible reading: Acts 2:36
“Thank You, Jesus, that You are concerned that our wrong perceptions of life are to be corrected. These corrections are necessary for us to be filled with the Shalom of God and also be Shalom creators in our hurting world. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
We saw the two preliminary steps that must be in place for us to connect with people and bring them to see Jesus from the Scriptures. The first is that we must build bridges with people. The second step is that we must make people express their current position in life. This will help us understand people and then present Christ.
Here we find these two disciples explaining to Jesus their current perception of the things that had happened in the recent past.
Luke 24:19-24 And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, (20) and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. (21) But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. (22) Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. (23) When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. (24) And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see."
As the disciples laid bare their perception of what had happened, they presented three pivotal points that became the specific places where the Lord connected them with the Scriptures and to Himself as the Christ.
As we listen to people, reveal their perceptions, we must seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to help us identify the specific points on which their worldview is hinged. Those specific points will be the places where we present Christ from the Scriptures.
The first pivotal point in the perception of the disciples was that Jesus was a prophet, mighty in deed and word. This was how the disciples perceived the identity of Jesus.
Matthew 16:13-16 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" (14) So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (15) He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" (16) Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Simon Peter made this phenomenal declaration of the identity of Jesus and the Lord told him that this revelation was not out of his flesh but was of God. The Lord went on, immediately, to speak of His crucifixion, death, burial and His resurrection. Though Peter was correct in his understanding of the identity of Christ, he too was not firm in his view. Peter, possessed by the devil, tried to dissuade Jesus from going to the cross.
In the minds of the disciples, the identity of Jesus, as the Christ, the Son of God, had not fully registered.
John 7:40-43 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet." (41) Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee? (42) Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?" (43) So there was a division among the people because of Him.
The common, accepted position of all the people concerning the identity of Jesus was that He was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.
Just because the majority are holding a particular perception, does not make that perception to be correct. When people express their worldview in life, we must identify the faulty perception, not only of the person but also of the majority. Faulty perceptions of the majority become part of the culture of the community.
This was one of the places in their perception where Jesus brought in corrective teaching from the Scriptures.
When we come to the Acts of the Apostles, we see how the perception of the disciples was corrected. Peter begins from the place of the people’s prevailing opinion regarding Jesus.
Acts 2:22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—
He then moves the people to the right understanding of the identity of Jesus by referring to the prophecies of David.
Acts 2:30-32 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, (31) he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. (32) This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Then Peter gives the final, thundering, declaration of the identity of Jesus.
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
When people understood the identity of Jesus, they were convicted and they repented.
Thought to ponder
As you engage your audience, are you conscious to know their current worldview and in the enablement of the Holy Spirit are you moving them to Christ, from the Scriptures?