Luke 24:44-49 - The Commission

To the women at the empty tomb, the angels reminded them saying, "that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:7). Then to the two Emmaus Road companions, Christ first rebuked them, then reminded them through a question, followed with explanation of the Scriptures. “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures" (Luke 24:26-27).

Now in the third incidence concerning His resurrection, He Himself reminded the eleven remaining apostles and some disciples with these words: “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” (Luke 24:44).

Luke 24:45 tells us that Christ was the one who opened their minds to the understanding. Remember, these were devoted followers, yet somehow there was a spiritual veil that occluded their spiritual sight. Although The Lord had told them specifically on two occasions about His death and resurrection (Luke 9:44-45; 18:31-34), yet they could not see. But on that Easter evening, their eyes were unveiled and their minds enlightened. Christ illuminated the Holy Scriptures to them. What they learned that night and the subsequent 40 days prior to His Ascension formed the content of both their apostolic teachings and mission. We are told by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians that spiritual truths are spiritually discerned. Like the early disciples, we too need this illumination to be able to discern spiritual truth. Therefore, each time you approach the Holy Scriptures, remember to seek the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

That very evening, those present with Him were given a grounding on the mission of Christ from the Old Testament. Suffice to say that the whole Old Testament - the Law, the Prophets and Psalms - all alluded to Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, including the call to spread the Gospel of repentance and the forgiveness of sins through Christ. No wonder Psalms 22:27 says, “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before Thee." In Verses 48-49 Christ then formally commissioned them as His witnesses.

Christ didn't leave them alone, He promised to send the Holy Spirit. They were told to wait at Jerusalem till they were empowered by the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father. On the day of Pentecost, as promised, the Holy Spirit came visibly upon them to empower them for the mission. Today, Christ has called us to Himself. The privilege of knowing Christ comes with the responsibility to share Christ. We need to know Christ personally, we need to know the essence of the Gospel and we need the power of the Holy Spirit. May The Lord through the Holy Spirit gives us understanding concerning Christ, so that we may be fully equipped for the mission!