And as the apostles were saying these things, He Himself stood among them. He said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. “Why are you troubled?” He asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Touch Me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.”
Then He told them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you – that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the scriptures. Luke 24:36-39, 44-45
My words…
Praise
Jesus, I am so happy You chose to stick around earth for a while following Your resurrection. I am so blessed when I read the encounters You had with Your disciples. Most all of them reacted the same way upon seeing you: joyfully terrified beyond belief – and confused. Those of us living a couple of thousand years later may not understand the confusion. You did mention to Your apostles, on more than one occasion, that You would suffer, die and rise again on the third day. But it seems they did not fully understand Your meaning. Nor did they fully understand the Psalmist’s prophetic declaration that the Messiah would not see decay. So, as a final parting gift, You dispelled the confusion and opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Wait. What? You opened their minds to understand the scriptures! I wish I could have seen the apostles’ faces as the epiphanies unfolded in that place. Suddenly everything they had heard You say made sense. All of their questions were answered. And with this influx of understanding, I can only believe they clung to You, knowing fully Your true nature. Only You, so full of love, would choose this way to prepare them for what lay ahead.
Prayer for me
Your words tug at my thoughts. As You know, I spend a lot of time thinking about what I read in the Bible. At times, I am overwhelmed by the density of the verses (Hebrews) and at other times, I am just as confused as the Apostles (Nephilim?) It is during these times that I ask of You the same gift You imparted to Your apostles following Your resurrection: Open my mind to understand the scriptures. I desire a deeper understanding of Your word. I desire more epiphanies!
Forgive me
Forgive me when I neglect to depend on Your power – Your Spirit – when contemplating Your words. I long to know You better, but that cannot be accomplished if I rely on my own understanding of scripture. Forgive me when I do not treat Your words with the respect they deserve.
Prayer for others
I pray for those servants who have taken on the mission of getting a Bible into the hands of everyone on the planet. Your words are power – power enough to change the lives of people and change the direction of nations, and because of this, owning and reading the Bible has been outlawed in many countries. So I pray for those who risk their lives in order to own a Bible. Open their minds to understand the scriptures!
Thank You
I am grateful for every Spirit-drenched word You left behind. I wish there were more! I would love to read exactly what You, Elijah, and Moses discussed during Your time of transfiguration. A few more verses about what happens in the unseen spiritual realm would also be heartening. But I believe Your wisdom determined the canon, and I thank You that everything I need to know to live the life You intend for me is found within Your two convenants.
More praise
Jesus, when You stood among Your disciples as a risen Savior, You imparted the perfect words to allay their fears and fill their hearts: “Peace to You. Why are you troubled? It’s Me!” And that is just one message among hundreds that I go to in scripture when I am fearful and confused. Your words are eternal and transforming in every culture and every age. The best part? Each word was written out of love for me, love for Your children. And that is why I hold them close.
