Luke- Week 26- Day 3

(46) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: (47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And ye are witnesses of these things.
(49) And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Luke 24:46-49

Explanation:

(46) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

Why was this written? Why did Christ suffer? Why did Christ die and rise again from the dead on the third day? Look at verse 47-

(47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Why? What was the reason?

So, there could be remission of sins for the repentant! So, there could be a faith that ultimately and finally saves. What does the scripture say? “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.”
So, that this message of the Gospel could be preached “in his name”- who’s name? Jesus! “For there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
So that this message of the Gospel could be preached “among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is the power of God to all them that believe, to the jew first and also to the Greek.”

(48) And ye are witnesses of these things.

These disciples were the witnesses…

…of the person of Jesus Christ– His resurrected body…

…of the prophecy of Jesus Christ – in Moses, the prophets, and the psalms…

…of the purpose for his death, burial and resurrection. – that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

The purpose of Jesus’s predicted coming, life, birth, death, burial, and resurrection was a missionary purpose. He came to “seek and to save those that were lost.” His purpose in discipleship was so that the end of that discipleship would be “sending”. He wanted His disciples to witness all the needed to be witnessed so that repentance and faith for the remission of sins in Jesus’ name could be preached to all nations. And He knew that they would need the Holy Spirit’s power to do that.

(49) And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Not only had he trained them, not only had he died for them and rose again, not only had He made it possible for them to witness these things, He was going to empower them by sending the Holy Spirit to them to accomplish the mission He started and for which He was sending them.

Application:

True, Biblical discipleship always leads to replication. It always leads to sending. Until the disciple can replicate- “teaching them to observe all that (Christ) hath commanded”- the discipleship process is not complete. And we know that to truly do that takes the work of the Spirit.

Replication starts with evangelism, but continues with “teaching them to observe all things (He) has commanded” us. We are to make disciples who make disciples.