Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 23 GWT, Ch. 24 NKJV

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Thoughts

As we close the book of Luke, a couple of passages stood out to me.

God Must Give Us Understanding

Historically, most Christians have believed that Scripture is literally God’s Word. Orthodox, traditional  Christians believe that the Scriptures are, and I use this word with its literal meaning, literally God-breathed, as 2 Timothy 3:16 says.

And so it stands to reason that unless God opens the Scripture to us, the natural, human, secular mind is not going to grasp its meaning. 

But don’t take my word for it. Here in chapter 24, we read in verse 45:

And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

Luke 24:45 NKJV

We have another example in Acts 16:14.

Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of  Thyatira, who worshiped God.  The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

Acts 16:14

So that’s why I often ask God to give us understanding in the beginning prayer of most of these episodes. Sure, each of us has some level of intelligence, and we have some understanding of the English language. But Scripture is more than words. It is of the Spirit, and unless the Spirit opens it to us, we will not comprehend its greatest meanings.

Two Different Books

I believe that is why some people can read the Bible and not be moved. Unless God has quickened their heart, it’s just words on a page. Beloved, those of us who have a relationship with the Author of the Bible, are in a very real sense, reading a completely different Book than is the non-believer.

But just as Jesus had to open the eyes of His disciples that had been with Him for those three years of His ministry, I believe He must open our eyes each time we open the Bible. We can’t rely on yesterday’s supply. We should ask for a fresh and new portion of the Holy Spirit every day. Living Water is moving water, rushing water. It is not stagnant. And neither is the Holy Spirit.

Next

The second thing that I’d like to comment on is the closing three verses of Luke.

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

Luke 24:50 NKJV

Why This Exit?

Why do you suppose Jesus chose this as His way to leave them for the last time? 

Luke does not make it plain here, but Acts 1:3 tells us that Jesus left them 40 days after His resurrection. What do you suppose He was doing during those 40 days? I think He was reinforcing the truth of the resurrection, and getting them ready for this moment. 

And at the end of those 40 days, when the time was right, He led His disciples out of Jerusalem as far as Bethany, which was a little less than two miles. (Aside: what was that last walk like? They might not have even known that this would be their last moments with Jesus. But He certainly did. What did He think about? What was his mood? Did He take time with each one of them as they walked? Curious minds want to know.)   And He ascended into Heaven. Had He merely disappeared, as He had done at other times (think of His time with the disciples when He broke bread with them, opened their eyes as to who He was, and then vanished), they might have thought that He would be back in the same manner. But His ascension was a for them to see that He was indeed leaving. Here in Luke’s gospel, Jesus had just told them of the Father’s promise, that they would be given “power from on high.” He wanted them looking for the fulfillment of that Promise, not looking for Him to appear again to them right away.

 In addition, it truly showed that He was God. Who else could defy the laws of nature like this, but God Himself? This exit was literally “one for the Book”. You can feel their excitement with the final words of the book, “And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen”

And amen. He ascended into Heaven that day, and now we look into the heavens with oh so much anticipation. Hallelujah!