November 15, 2017

Insights on Today's Reading

Luke 24 - Luke gives a grand account of the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!  Luke records the women who came to the tomb, their encounter with two angels, their report to the disciples.  After Peter visited the tomb Luke tells of two disciples on their way to the town of Emmaus.  A precious moment happens when "Jesus Himself drew near and went with them" verse 15.  It's a beautiful scene as these two men walk along the road to Emmaus with Jesus walking with them.  Note that after Jesus left them they spoke of how their hearts "burned within" them when Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, verse 32.  Luke also records the upper room experience of the disciples to have Jesus appear to them.  He showed His physical body and then opened their understanding of the Scriptures and showed how the whole Old Testament pointed to Him.  Luke ends his gospel by speaking of Jesus' ascension to Heaven, thus preparing his readers to wait for the next book he would author:  Acts.

John 20 - In John's presentation of the resurrection day of Christ he records the beautiful encounter Jesus had with Mary Magdalene at the tomb and His revealing Himself to her.  John also tells of Thomas' doubts of the resurrection until he could see for himself that Christ was alive, verse 25.  Jesus did come back eight days later and told Thomas, "...because you have seen Me, you have believed.  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" verse 29.  That includes you and me!  John gives us one of the best reasons for writing his gospel in verse 31, "...but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."

John 21 - This aftermath of the resurrection gives us the encounter Jesus had with Peter and the opportunity He gave Peter to correct his three denials of Christ by giving him opportunity to say three times over to Jesus, "I love You" verses 15, 16, 17.  John ends his gospel by stating that there was so much more to be said about all that Jesus said and did in His earthly ministry "...that even the world itself could not contain all the books that would be written" verse 25.