Clothed with power from on high.

Luke 24:13-53 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

And behold, on that very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. ¹⁷ And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they came to a stop, looking sad. ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You possibly the only one living near Jerusalem who does not know about the things that happened here in these days?” ¹⁹ And He said to them, “What sort of things?” And they said to Him, “Those about Jesus the Nazarene, who proved to be a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, ²⁰ and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him. ²¹ But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. ²² But also some women among us left us bewildered. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, ²³ and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. ²⁴ And so some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” ²⁵ And then He said to them, “You foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?” ²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures.

²⁸ And they approached the village where they were going, and He gave the impression that He was going farther. ²⁹ And so they strongly urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. ³⁰ And it came about, when He had reclined at the table with them, that He took the bread and blessed it, and He broke it and began giving it to them. ³¹ And then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. ³² They said to one another, “Were our hearts not burning within us when He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” ³³ And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, ³⁴ saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵ They began to relate their experiences on the road, and how He was recognized by them at the breaking of the bread.

³⁶ Now while they were telling these things, Jesus Himself suddenly stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” ³⁷ But they were startled and frightened, and thought that they were looking at a spirit. ³⁸ And He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why are doubts arising in your hearts? ³⁹ See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you plainly see that I have.” ⁴⁰ And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. ⁴¹ While they still could not believe it because of their joy and astonishment, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴² They served Him a piece of broiled fish; ⁴³ and He took it and ate it in front of them.

⁴⁴ Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things that are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and He said to them, “So it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

⁵⁰ And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. ⁵² And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the temple praising God.

In today’s text it says:  Then He said to them, “You foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures.  The Word made flesh, the resurrected, living word was speaking the written word to them, yet their eyes were not opened to understand that He Himself was the Christ.  Later it says:  Jesus Himself suddenly stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” But they were startled and frightened, and thought that they were looking at a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why are doubts arising in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you plainly see that I have.” And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While they still could not believe it because of their joy and astonishment, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They served Him a piece of broiled fish; and He took it and ate it in front of them.  Even seeing Jesus and hearing Him speak, they still had doubts and were frightened. That’s how difficult it is to truly comprehend and believe in the resurrection. We cannot understand, rather we must believe by faith. It isn’t though simply a blind faith that we have. It’s not that we believe in a fantasy or fairy tale as some would say.

In the text it says:  Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things that are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “So it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”  The Holy Spirit, the power from on high, is what gives us the ability to believe. The Holy Spirit is the one who opens our minds to understand and believe.  In John 4:24 Jesus says:  “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  While we, with our finite minds cannot fully comprehend the infinite God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can believe. In John 16:13-15 Jesus says:  When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.

Just as it is the Spirit who discloses the truth to us, it is the Spirit who must disclose it to others. We cannot reason, argue or debate people to the point where they believe. We cannot convince them even by scripture that Jesus is, as He says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”   In 1 Corinthians 1:18 it says:  The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  We must be clothed with the power from on high. In Acts 1:8 Jesus says:  “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”  Our witness for Christ needs to be accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. Even the greatest sermon will fall on deaf ears if it is not preached under the unction of the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 5:16;22-25  says: Walk by the Spirit… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well. Amen.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit. Amen.