Luke 24:48

And ye are witnesses of these things. AND YE ARE WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS (see the notes at ; )....

48._And you are witnesses of those things. _He does not yet commission them to preach the gospel, but only reminds them to what service he has appointed them, that they may prepare themselves for it in due time. He holds out this, partly as a consolation to soothe their grief, and partly as a spur to correct their sloth. Conscious of their recent departure from their Master, they must have been in a state of dejection and here, contrary to all expectation, Christ bestows on them incredible honor, enjoining them to publish to the whole world the message of eternal salvation. In this manner he not only restores them to their former condition, but by the extent of this new favor he utterly obliterates the recollection of their heinous crimes; but at the same time, as I have said, he stimulates them, that they may not be so slow and dilatory in reference to the faith of which they were appoi...

36-49 Jesus appeared in a miraculous manner, assuring the disciples of his peace, though they had so lately forsaken him, and promising spiritual peace with every blessing. Many troublesome thoughts which disquiet our minds, rise from mistakes concerning Christ. All the troublesome thoughts which rise in our hearts at any time, are known to the Lord Jesus, and are displeasing to him. He spake with them on their unreasonable unbelief. Nothing had passed but what was foretold by the prophets, and necessary for the salvation of sinners. And now all men should be taught the nature and necessity of repentance, in order to the forgiveness of their sins. And these blessings were to be sought for, by faith in the name of Jesus. Christ by his Spirit works on the minds of men. Even good men need to have their understandings opened. But that we may have right thoughts of Christ, there needs no more...

Verse 48. _YE ARE WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS._] He gave them a full commission to proclaim these glad tidings of peace and salvation to a lost world. The disciples were _witnesses_ not only that Christ had _suffered_ and _rose again_ from the dead; but also that he _opens_ the _understanding_ by the inspiration of his Spirit, that he gives _repentance_, that he _pardons sin_, and _purifies_ from _all_ _unrighteousness_, and that he is not _willing_ that any should perish, but that _all_ should come unto the _knowledge_ of the _truth_ and be _saved_. And these are the things of which their successors in the Gospel ministry must bear witness. As far as a man steadily and affectionately proclaims these doctrines, so far God will bless his labour to the salvation of those who hear him. But no man can with any propriety bear witness of that grace that _saves_ the _soul_, whose own soul is...

ARE WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS - Of my life, my sufferings, my death, and my resurrection. How solemn was their office - to “testify” these things to the world, and, in the face of suffering and death, to go and proclaim them to all nations! In like manner, “all” Christians are witnesses for Christ. They are the “evidences” of his mercy and his love, and they should so live that others may be brought to see and love the Saviour....

EXPOSITION LUKE 24:1 THE RESURRECTION. All the four evangelists give an account of the Resurrection. None of the four, however, attempt to give a _history _of_ _it simply from a human point of sight. Each Gospel probably reproduces the special points dwelt on in certain great centres of Christian teaching, in what we should now term different schools of thought. (Attempts have been made by theological scholars to _classify _these as Jewish, Gentile, Greek, Roman; but only with indifferent success). The teaching which St. Matthew's Gospel represents, evidently in the Resurrection preaching dwelt with peculiar insistence on the great Galilaean appearance of the Risen. St. Luke confines himself exclusively to the appearance, in Judaea. St. John chooses for his Resurrection instruction scenes which h

AND YE ARE WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS. As they were witnesses of the truth of his humanity, having seen, and heard, and handled him, both before, and after his resurrection from the dead, and of all that he did, of all the miracles that he wrought in Jerusalem, Judea, and Galilee, and of his transfiguration on the mount; so likewise of his sorrows in the garden, and of his sufferings in the palace of the high priest, and in Pilate's hall, and on the cross; and of his death, which was the death of the cross; and also of his resurrection from the dead, in the same body, to whom he showed himself alive by many infallible proofs; by showing them the print of the nails in his hands and feet; by being handled by them; by eating and drinking in their presence; and by conversing with them for the space of forty days: and their business was also to testify the doctrine of repentance, and remission...

Luke 24:1. _Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:_ Brethren, they might have been much more perplexed if they had found the body of Jesus there, for then his promises would not have been fulfilled, and all their hopes would have been blighted forever. Unbelief is often the mother of needless perplexity. The resurrection of Christ is plain enough to us now; but to those who had seen him die, and whose faith was so very weak, it was a cause for perplexity that they could not find his dead body. They meant to embalm it, they had brou

VII. HIS RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION CHAPTER 24 _ 1. The Resurrection. (Luke 24:1)_ 2. The Walk to Emmaus; the Appearance of the Risen Son of Man. (Luke 24:13) 3. The Appearance to the Eleven. (Luke 24:36) 4. The Commission. (Luke 24:46) 5. The Ascension. (Luke 24:49 .) The account of the Resurrection in Luke's Gospel has also its characteristic features. He alone reports the full account of the walk to Emmaus. It is a precious story showing forth the fact that the risen One is the same tender, loving, sympathizing f

THE LAST WORDS AND THE ASCENSION. Jesus reminds His disciples how He had told them that Scripture predictions about Him must be fulfilled. He goes over the ground again (with Luke 24:45 _cf._ Luke 24:27), and adds that the gospel of repentance and forgiveness in His name should be preached everywhere. It is not clear whether the instruction to preach is regarded as contained in the OT Scriptures. Syr. Sin. has in my name, and perhaps we should take the Gr. infinitive (should be preached) as an imperative. LUKE 24:44. THE PSALMS: the third division of the Hebrew scriptures, including other writings than the Psalter, though this was particularly rich in Messianic prophecy....