Luke 24, John 20-31

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As we come to the end of our daily readings of the Gospels, there are so many vivid pictures in these chapters.

In Luke 24, Jesus shows up on the Emmaus road and the text reads: "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:27)

That picture is just stunning to me. Can you imagine Jesus telling Clopas and the other individual that Isaiah 6 is referring to me? Isaiah 53 is referring to me. Isaiah 14 is referring to me. I could go on and on, and still not quote all of the OT that refers to Christ. Only Christ knows that.

Friends, this is an encouragement to study the Bible. To know the Word and understand how it prophesies about Jesus's first coming, tells us of His earthly life, tells us what His life, death on the cross, and resurrection from the grave means for us and to all who believe in Him, and it also tells us how we are to live Christ-like lives and that we should be prepared when He returns.

I wish I could have been there on the Emmaus Road. How rich that teaching would have been!!!

Next, we have the picture of Thomas. Doubting Thomas, as many call him. But when he recognized that Jesus had really resurrected, he called Jesus "His Lord and his God!" (John 20:28)

Thomas recoginzed that Jesus was his redeemer and Lord. That he owed his life to Christ? How about you? Are you trusting Jesus as just Savior and not Lord?

There are other pictures that could be discussed, the picture of Jesus and Mary, and the picture of Jesus with Peter - but as John writes, "Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." (John 21:25)

Friends, I want to leave you with probably one of the most explicit statements why the Gospel According to John was written, and by implication all of the Gospels:

"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31)

Now you know why when some one who is not a Christian asks a Christian, "I want to start reading the Bible, where should I start?" That a lot of the time people suggest the Gospel according to John.

Share the Gospel with your friends, family, and co-workers. Share it with everyone. Let us be faithful in this command that Christ calls us to do.

" and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. " (Luke 24:46-47)

Soli Deo Gloria.

Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.