Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 24:19-21 (New International Version 2011)

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

These verses occur after the crucifixion of Jesus. The followers are walking with Jesus, but they haven’t recognized Him. In verse 19, Jesus asks the subject of their conversation.

Notice how they describe Jesus; they say Jesus of Nazareth.  They don’t say, Jesus Christ (in Hebrew Jesus the Messiah, in English Jesus the anointed one). They emphasize their disbelief by saying that Jesus was a prophet.

Then they said, but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. They had the expectation that Jesus of Nazareth would be the redeemer, the Christ, but they concluded that was not to be.

I doubt that I would have believed any differently. Such is part of the human condition. And God so loved us that He gave His only son for us. Amazing.