(Luke 24:25-27)
What does it mean: starting with Moses, all the prophets, and all the Scriptures? What Scripture did He use to explain all the things concerning Himself? Do you know the significance of Luke’s overall description of Moses, all the prophets and all of Scripture? I have written about this before in Bible Gem 789 so I have clipped the relevant parts and pasted it below.
When the words Moses, Prophets, Writings or Scripture are used it is the Complete Word of God which has being referred to. This is rightly interpreted as Scripture or the Holy Writings. When Jewish people write quotes from the Scripture they often use the terms the Law, the Prophets and the Writings as technical terms for the parts of the Old Testament. The Law refers to the Torah (the first five books of Moses). The Prophets of course refers to the Old Testament Prophets but also to the history books as well. The Writings refer to all the other books. Many times when Jesus or Paul quote the Old Testament they will frequently use a quote from each of these three sections, the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. To quote from all three sections is to provide irrefutable evidence of the strength of what you are saying because it comes from all three of the major parts of the Old Testament.
There are some who believe that is what is meant here. Moses of course is the term which stands for the 5 Books of the Pentateuch or the Law (The Books of Moses). Prophets refer to the Prophets from a Jewish perspective not a modern day Christian notion. Not just the Major and Minor Prophets but the collection which includes the Historical books as well. There is debate over the use of these terms in this passage of Luke. Does Luke mean to include the Writings or not? They are not mentioned but what is mentioned is the term Scriptures, I.e. All that which has been written. Some say yes he included the Writings when he used the term Scriptures. The Books of Moses, The Prophets and the Scriptures (= Writings). I don’t agree. I believe Luke is smarter than that. I don’t think Luke is using the term Scripture to mean the Writings. The syntax of the sentence is forced if we take that meaning from it. Rather I think that the surface meaning must be what we take from the text. That is Jesus used the Law (Books of Moses) and the Prophets (all of them – History and Prophecy) to explain the things concerning Himself. In other words He omitted any reference from the Writings – the Wisdom Literature, Psalms and Proverbs etc. Is that to infer there was nothing in the Writings connecting the Messiah with suffering before He entered into His Glory? No! Not at all. You yourself know that is not true if you have been following Gems for the last number of weeks. Right? Do you remember or have you forgotten already?
I had a look on the internet before to see what people have written about Luke 24:27. It made me laugh. Sometimes the things people post on the Internet are indeed ludicrous. It’s as if something is posted on the Internet then it has to be right? “I read it on the Internet” seems to carry with it the inference – then it must be true. Not at all. Be wary of what you read on the Internet. Ha ha – yes even the Gems. I can hear some of you saying but your Gems are on the Internet Ian. Does that mean your Gems are included too? Yes, as I teach in Deeper Bible level 401, when it comes to Interpretation check out anyone’s interpretation against what the Scripture has to say before you accept it. That includes the Gems. If the Berean Christians checked out what Paul had to say, then we had sure better check out the interpretations we find on the Internet. There were all sorts of ideas of what Jesus taught from the Scripture concerning Himself posted on the Internet. But much of what I read is just plain wrong. This passage makes it clear the kind of explanation Jesus gave concerning Himself. It was not anything and everything. Rather it was an explanation of the fact with the proof of Scripture (Moses and the Prophets) that Messiah had to “suffer all these things before entering His glory.” Isn’t that the point Jesus was driving home to them. Isn’t that the reason why they are confused? Simply they missed the fact that Jesus would come twice – once as The Suffering Servant and the Second time as The Conquering King. That is why they were all left bewildered as to why He had to die and be raised from the dead. But simply put it seems they missed the point Jesus had made numbers of times related to His coming Resurrection. That went right by them and was the reason why they were left shattered when He died on the cross and was entombed.
If Jesus took them through all the Scriptures which give an explanation of the fact that the Messiah would suffer before He entered His glory, then why didn’t Luke spell it out for his readers? Simply because he has already. Jesus has told them over and over that He would be crucified, die and be buried but three days later He would be raised from the dead. Luke has already recorded it numbers of times. We have spent time looking at those times already. So why would Luke repeat it again? Jesus has reinforced the fact over and over. But yes of course there are other Scriptures which could be used to support Jesus’ teaching. I am not going to tell you what they are, or list them all for you. That is your task. Why? Why would I be that mean to you? Simply because I want you to learn, not for me to learn more. When you dig it out for yourself you learn. If you wait for someone else to tell you, you forget. Do I make myself clear? I think so. but also I am not being as mean as you think I might be. Not only has Jesus given the disciples some of the passages already but Luke must it clear in his second book. When we start the Book of Acts you will see Luke includes the verses which the disciples used to convince people that Jesus death burial and resurrection was all part of the plan. The disciples themselves have taken note of what the two on the road to Emmaus told them and proceed to use those same proof texts when faced with doubters in “2nd Luke” – namely Acts. So the evidence is all around you, you just have to be astute enough to see it. Hence for that reason I am not going to provide you with a list of proof texts from the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. I am going to give you the opportunity to grow.
Have you clicked to what I was referring to before when I wrote above – Is that to infer there was nothing in the Writings connecting the Messiah with suffering before He entered into His Glory? No! Not at all. You yourself know that is not true if you have been following Gems for the last number of weeks. Have you found the answer? If not keep looking. It is not hard.
As Luke wrote, Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and then enter into His glory? I think that is a more interesting topic to talk about for the next Gem. So as far as I am concerned I have finished discussing what it was Jesus taught them on the road to Emmaus. You can figure out the rest of it. I have given you enough clues. Calvary was inevitable! The terribleness of sin found as a theme throughout the Old Testament set against the deep love of God for His wayward people made Jesus death on the cross inevitable. I will discuss those things in the next Gem and pick up on some other interesting elements before we move on to:
4). Breaking the Bread – the last Last Supper (Luke 24:28-31a)
5). Epilogue (Luke 24:31b-32 + Mark 16:13)
Sometimes the way we see the problem is the problem.
Jeffrey Rachmat
To teach is to learn twice over.
Anon
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
Benjamin Franklin
Ineffective Leaders Spend too much time TEACHING THE CROWD & not enough time TRAINING THE CORE.
Charles Peh