25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? (Luke 24:25-32 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe, 1. Our Saviour reproves and then instructs them. He reproves them for being ignorant of the sense of scripture. They thought the death of the Messiah a sufficient ground to question the truth of his office, when it was an argument to confirm and establish it: O fools, ought not Christ to suffer? As if he had said, “Do you not find that the person described by the prophets in the Old Testament to be the Messiah, was to wade to his glory through a sea of blood? Why then do you think yourselves deceived in the person who suffered three days ago, when his death does agree so well with the predictions of the prophets, who foretold, that the Messiah should be cut off, but not for himself, and be smitten for the iniquities of his people?
Here we may observe, the great wisdom and grace of God, who makes sometimes the diffidence of his people an occasion of further clearing up the choicest truths unto them: never did these disciples hear so excellent an exposition of Moses and the Prophets concerning the Messiah as now, when their sinful distrust had so far prevailed over them.
Observe, 2. The doctrines which Christ instructs his disciples in, namely, in the necessity of his death and passion, and of his glory and exaltation; Ought not Christ to suffer, and to enter into his glory?
Learn,
1. That with respect to God’s decree, and with relation to man’s guilt, the death of Christ was necessary and indispensable.
2. That his resurrection and exaltation was an necessary as his passion.
3. That there was a meritorious connexion between Christ’s sufferings and his glory; his exaltation was merited by his passion; He was to drink of the brook in the way, and then he was to lift up his head.
4. Christ did not only put light into these his apostles’ heads, but heat also into their hearts, which burned all the while he communed with them; Did not our hearts burn within us, while he opened to us the scriptures? Oh what an efficacious power is there in the word of Christ, when set home upon the hearts of men by the Spirit of Christ!
BURKITT | Luke 24:1-12 | Luke 24:13-24 | Luke 24:25-32 | Luke 24:33-53 |