Luke 24:21

Luke 24:21. Here we see most distinctly the conflict of hope and fear in the minds of the disciples. It seems as though they were thinking aloud, unmindful of the supposed stranger.

But we (on our part over against the hostility of the rulers) hoped. They do not say they had believed this, or that they still hoped so, but that they had once been in the habit of thus hoping, until their expectation was checked by the events they mentioned.

That it was he who should redeem Israel. A Messiah would certainly come, to redeem Israel; their hope had been that this Jesus was that One. Their view of redemption included both spiritual and political deliverance.

Yea and. This marks a contrast with their former hope.

Besides all this, it is now the third day. The Greek is peculiar. Lit., ‘it' (or, ‘he') ‘leadeth the third day.' Some refer this to Jesus. In any case there seems to be a thought of the promise of the resurrection. Their faint hope had grown fainter, until the third day came without bringing a fulfilment of the promise.