30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 24 13-35 JESUS IS KNOWN IN THE SCRIPTURES 06 27Mar2022 Luke 24 19-24 Jesus, a redeemer, in the line of Moses
📖 Luke 24:13-35
06 – 27Mar2022 – Jesus, a redeemer, in the line of Moses - Luke 24:13-35 - JESUS IS KNOWN IN THE SCRIPTURES - Bible reading: Acts 3:22-26
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your patience towards us. You are correcting and changing us to Your perceptions. You are doing this to us so that we will be fully available for You. Make us willing and allow You to correct our perceptions. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
We are at that place when the Lord requested the disciples to tell Him, their perception of what had happened in the recent past. The disciples were now laying bare their struggle of not being able to understand why things happened the way they did.
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."
The first pivotal point in the perception of the disciples was related to the identity of Jesus. The disciples saw Jesus as a prophet, mighty in deed and word, before God and the people. This perspective of the identity of Jesus was corrected when we hear Peter speaking to the people and affirming that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
The second faulty understanding of the disciples, was of Jesus being the Redeemer. They understood Jesus as the one who would redeem Israel.
Luke 24:21 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.
This was a political understanding of redemption, where Israel would be free from foreign oppression, free to govern their own nation and have the experience of a land flowing with milk and honey.
Even at the time of the ascension of Jesus, this matter of Jesus redeeming and restoring Israel was still uppermost in the mind of the disciples.
Acts 1:6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
This was the psyche of the entire Jewish community, which prevails even today. Where did this perception begin, for the Jews? It began when they saw their redemption from the bondage of Egypt.
Exodus 3:16-17 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; (17) and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey." '
To the Hebrews, the understanding of redemption was to be free from slavery to Egypt, to come to their own land, which was located amongst several other tribes. Their land and their life as a people would be of abundance and fullness. A redeemer was being sent by God to redeem them and this redeemer was Moses. Moses, himself said that there would be a redeemer who would emerge in his lineage and He would redeem His people.
Deuteronomy 18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
Since Moses had said that a redeemer would come, like him, the people understood that the redeemer would deliver them from the oppression of Rome. They would govern their own nation and enjoy a life of prosperity.
This was the understanding of redemption, for the disciples. They expected Jesus to be the redeemer of Israel. Peter and John are able to bring the right perspective of redemption to the understanding of the people.
Acts 3:22-26 For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN. HIM YOU SHALL HEAR IN ALL THINGS, WHATEVER HE SAYS TO YOU. (23) AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERY SOUL WHO WILL NOT HEAR THAT PROPHET SHALL BE UTTERLY DESTROYED FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE.' (24) Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. (25) You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.' (26) To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."
Peter and John explain the larger understanding of the redemption of Jesus. The redemption of Jesus was not only for the Jews but for all the families of the earth. This redemption begins with being redeemed from sin.
It is crucial for us to have the right perception of Jesus as the Redeemer. It is from this right understanding that we are His Shalom creators.
Thought to ponder
Do you see Jesus only as of the Saviour of your soul or do you see Jesus reconciling all things in heaven and on earth, to Himself?