Tuesday within the Octave of the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord
Posted on April 2, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 24:36-47 (NKJV)
24:36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.”
Devotion
“Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations.”
Jesus “opened their understanding” so His disciples could understand that the whole point of the Old Testament was that He must suffer and die and rise on the third day. Only Jesus can open our minds to understand that. A right understanding of Scripture is itself a gift of the Lord.
Rightly understanding God’s Word, the disciples are to preach “repentance and remission of sins.” We Lutherans would say “Law and Gospel.” The Christian message is the Law, which shows us our sin and our need for repentance, and then also the Gospel, showing us that we have remission of sins on account of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Especially in a season of election campaigns, many try to “hijack” Jesus in the service of their political (or some other) agenda. God grant us a right understanding of Scripture, that we accept no ‘imitation Jesuses’. Rather, God grant us faithfully to receive His message, and so to repent of our sins and embrace the salvation that is ours on account of Christ Jesus, our risen Lord.
Collect: Almighty God, Who, through Thine Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life: We humbly beseech Thee, that, as Thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by Thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
