July 17, 2015
Luke 24:25-27
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
It happened on the Emmaus road the afternoon of the day Jesus rose from the dead. Two of his disciples “…were traveling…to a village called Emmaus which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:13). One of them was Cleopas, according to Luke 24:18. The other may have been Mrs. Cleopas, called Mary, according to John 19:25. They were down-hearted over the betrayal and crucifixion of their Leader. There were reports of Him being alive again, but they really didn’t believe them (see Luke 24:21-24).
“So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.” (Luke 24:15). They didn’t recognize Him, and were telling Him why they were so sad. They finished with Luke 24:31: “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” Jesus’ response is our featured scripture – Luke 24:25 through 27:
Then he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that
the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things
and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets,
He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.
The phrase “Moses and all the Prophets” is a shortened Jewish reference to the whole of the Old Testament – their complete scriptures. Moses refers to the first five books of the Bible, and all the Prophets refers to the rest – Joshua through Malachi. What the Lord was saying is that throughout the scriptures – in every book of the Bible – Jesus is In The Bible! Here are just a few examples:
• Genesis 3:15 – “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Notice Seed, He and His are capitalized in the NKJV. That’s because it refers to Jesus Christ, the Seed of the woman! In crushing the head of the seed of the serpent, Satan, Jesus Christ won the victory over the devil at the cross, dealing him a death blow! By the way, crucifixion – whereby the victim’s feet were nailed to the cross – is the only known capital punishment in which a heel would be bruised!
• Exodus 12:21-23 – This is about the first Passover, when God delivered the Jews from slavery in Egypt.
…kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take…the blood…and strike the lin-
tel and the two doorposts with [it]…and none of you shall go out at the door
of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike
the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood…the LORD will pass over…your
houses….
Jesus Christ is “…the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). His blood is the only substance that will cleanse away sin! And it does the job completely! (See Isaiah 1:18; I Peter 1:18, 19; I John 1:7).
• Joshua 5:13, 14 – After the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, Joshua saw…
…a Man opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to
Him and said to Him, “Are You for us, or for our adversaries?” So He said,
“No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”
This is none other than the pre-incarnate Christ! Notice that Joshua wanted to know if this One with the drawn sword was “…for us, or for our adversaries?” But the answer was neither! Jesus Christ is for the whole world – because He loves the whole world! (See John 3:16; Romans 5:8; I John 2:2).
• I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings – these three books record the lives of Kings David and Solomon. David is recognized as the greatest king of Israel, and Solomon – the wisest and richest ever. But Jesus has…
…the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knew
should bow, of those in heaven, and of those in earth, and of those under the
earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9, 10).
And – according to Revelation 19:16 – He is “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS…”!
• Nehemiah 1:2-4 – Word came from Jerusalem to Nehemiah in Babylon that…
“The survivors who are left from the captivity…are there in great distress and
reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned
with fire.” So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and
mourned for many days….
Nehemiah received permission and resources from the Persian king to go and rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem. He also worked to restore for the Jews’ confidence and hope. Jesus Christ said in Luke 4:18 at the beginning of His ministry: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives… to set at liberty those who are oppressed….” He came to restore that which was broken down – our relationship to God! (See Ephesians 2:11-22; Colossians 1:19-22).
• Jonah 3:1, 4-9 – God told Jonah, “Arise, go to Nineveh…and preach to it the message that I tell you.” This was the second time God had sent Jonah. He rebelled the first time (see Jonah 1:1-3). Jonah’s message? – “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” But this wicked people received and believed God’s warning of judgment: “…from the greatest to the least of them…[including] the king of Nineveh…,” they repented, and cried out “…mightily to God…saying…’Who can tell if God will…turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?’ ” Jesus is the One who was sent to warn us of the destruction to which we are headed without Him! (See Luke 13:2-5). He proclaimed God’s love and concern for us, and provided the way of escape – Himself, dying on the cross for our sins! (See Romans 5:8; I Peter 2:24).
These are just six examples of Jesus In The Bible. He is throughout all 66 books! Is it any wonder that in Luke 24:27 it says “…beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Read your Bible! Get to know Jesus who is proclaimed therein!