Bible Commentaries
Luke 24

Verses 22-48

22 Compare 1-11

24 Compare 12 Joh_20:2-16

36-40 Compare Mar_16:14 ; Joh_20:19-23

39 The nature of our Lord’s resurrection is nowhere more clearly revealed than in His efforts to convince the trembling disciples. The Lord was human in the full sense of the word, and had a body, soul, and spirit before His death. He lost none of these in resurrection. Had He been a spirit, as some of the disciples supposed at first, then He would not have had a body, with flesh and bones. The fact that His body did not decompose in death, that it still had the wounds which came at the crucifixion, that it is never said to have blood, all do to show that it was as real a body as before, but changed in its powers and mode of living. The bodies of the saints will be changed from soulish bodies, sustained in life through the medium of the blood, into spiritual (not spirit) bodies, vivified directly by means of spirit.

44 Compare 6,5 Luk_18:31-33

45 Compare Psa_119:18 .

46 Compare 26,27; Ps.22; Isa.53.

46 This commission, for all mankind, in contrast to the kingdom commissions of Matthew ( Mat_10:5-8 ; Mat_28:16-20 ), is concerned with sins and the suffering of Christ. It promises a pardon to all who repent. In actual practice it was often combined with the other commissions, as recorded in the book of Acts. It was not in force until Pentecost. There Peter proclaims: "Repent. . . for the pardon of your sins. . . ( Act_2:38 ). He used it again in preaching to Cornelius: "everyone who is believing in Him is to be obtaining the pardon of sins through His name" ( Act_10:43 ). Peter and the eleven do not seem to have left the land of Israel in the proclamation of pardon. Paul was appointed to carry it to the nations. His first commission was to the effect that the nations were "to get a pardon of sins" ( Act_26:18 ). After his separation ( Act_13:2 ) he coupled this with justification ( Act_13:38-39 ), and drops pardon when he no longer proclaims Christ after the flesh ( 2Co_5:16-21 ). Pardon is administered by the executive of a government, for those who are proven guilty; justification acquits those who are reckoned not guilty.

47 Compare Act_2:38 .

Verses 49-53

49 Compare Joh_14:15-17 ; Joh_26:16:7 .

49 The sequel to Luke's account is in the book of Acts. There the thread of the kingdom proclamation is taken up by the twelve apostles, after their enduement with power at Pentecost.

50-51 Compare Mar_16:19 ; Act_1:9-11 .

50 The Lord seems to have lingered only long enough to establish the fact of His resurrection and prepare the apostles for their future ministry. There is no hint here of His high heavenly honors, but all His teaching is confined within the sphere of Israel's restoration to become earth's suzerain, according to the prophets, and to the blessing of the nations through them.

52 Compare Act_1:12 .

53 Compare Act_2:46-47 ; Act_5:42 .