Luke chapter 24

vs 44

Jesus didn't just see himself as a saviour dying on the cross to fulfil some philosophical obligation brought about through a logical process. We have to remember that. If we read the NT without its background in the OT, we will never really understand Jesus or our salvation.

vs 45

He did it with a hammer, I expect. Considering how difficult it had been to open their minds before he died.

vs 46

Now, obviously that's not just a verse in the OT - those concepts (the Messiah, his suffering, his death and his resurrection) are spread over the OT in little verses we would not otherwise catch, especially in a simple reading of the OT.

vs 47

Again, these concepts of sin, and repentance and forgiveness of it, only have any meaning to us because of the OT. And again, these are not simple ideas, they are built up over time.

vs 48

And if you look at it, everything he's said (bar the preaching to the nations) has been done. So they are witnesses of it.

vs 49

What did the Father promise? The Holy Spirit of course. When did he promise it? In the Old Testament, along with all these other things! And if God has been faithful all the way, then they should sit tight in Jerusalem and wait for it.

vs 50

I don't know if Bethany as a place has any specific specialness for this event. I know it's where Jesus was anointed and where he entered Jerusalem. Perhaps that's it - he's leaving from the same place he entered?

vs 51

Which must have been totally trippy. We don't really know how or why or what. But you certainly get the idea that he is being taken back to heaven.

vs 52

Whereas the death of Jesus was a sad moment, and the resurrection of Jesus was a confusing moment, the ascension of Jesus is a joyous and praiseworthy moment! I don't think we remember this enough. We talk about Jesus death a lot, about his resurrection a little bit (even this I think we should talk about more) and his ascension not really. We might say something like "and now he's in heaven at the right hand of God, speaking on our behalf" or something, but we don't explain that, unlike most people, he didn't die again to get there.

vs 53

The temple was the place to be as the earliest group of Christians. What else do you do? It's the same God you're worshipping, and Jesus spoke at the temple all the time.

I might just point out that this is where Luke ends, but it is by no means the end of the story. Luke, in that way, is really the most complete of the gospels, because it goes on to Acts, which then tells us all about the early church. It's often called (and treated) as Luke-Acts. Will I go on to Acts next? Hmmm...