Luke 24:44 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then he said to 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 and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

NIV: He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

NASB: Now He said to them, 'These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things that are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.'

CSB: 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."

NLT: Then he said, 'When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.'

KJV: And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

NKJV: Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

Christ told the disciples of His death and resurrection several times (Luke 9:22, 44; 17:25; 18:31–33; 22:37). He introduced His ministry by quoting the Old Testament: Isaiah 61:1–2 (Luke 4:18–19). But He also fulfilled countless promises, descriptions, and comments from being the "seed" of Eve who will defeat the "serpent" of Satan (Genesis 3:14–15) to being the sun of righteousness of Malachi 4:2.

Jesus shows the disciples that He is the subject of the Old Testament. He mentions the Law, the Prophets, and Psalms; the phrase "the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings" is a typical term used to refer to the whole of Jewish Scripture; the Psalms are the most significant part of the Writings. In the Law, Jesus is the perfect sacrifice of atonement which gives meaning to the sacrifices of sheep, goats, and cows. The Prophets, especially Isaiah, talk about the crucifixion and good works of the Messiah, the righteous branch of Jesse. The Psalms also foreshadow Jesus, even prophesying the return of a priest in the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4).

Everything written must be fulfilled, but not everything is fulfilled yet. Jesus has not yet banished Satan to eternal torment. He has not yet taken the throne of David. And Israel does not yet acknowledge their Messiah. The crucifixion and resurrection make the fulfillment of future prophecies possible.

"Then" is a general term meaning this event happened after the previous. It's entirely possible that Jesus' teaching here occurred after the night of the resurrection. He probably taught this several times, to different groups, before His ascension.

Luke 24:44–49 includes the last teachings recorded in Luke, prior to Jesus' ascension. It's unclear where or when this occurs; it seems more of a synopsis than a single event. Jesus opens the disciples' minds to how He has fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. He tells them to stay in Jerusalem until they receive the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:16–20, John 20:24—21:25, and 1 Corinthians 15:5–7 also record Jesus' experiences during this time.

After Jesus is executed and buried (Luke 23:52–53), the women who had followed Him from Galilee come to improve His burial condition. They find an open, empty tomb and angels. The disciples are informed. Two of them spend time speaking with a stranger while walking, only to realize it was Jesus Himself. Jesus appears to His followers, eating fish and explaining how His role as Messiah was predicted in Scripture. Jesus then ascends to heaven while His disciples worship.

Luke 24 describes how Jesus' followers learned of His resurrection. Luke 23 recorded His legal trials, crucifixion, death, and burial. Acts chapter 1, also written by Luke, explains how Jesus' followers prepare for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the church. Luke 24's theme is the fulfillment of prophecy from Jesus and the Old Testament prophets. Once Jesus' followers understand, He returns to heaven. Matthew 28 includes how the Sanhedrin bribed the guards. John chapter 20 adds Thomas coming to believe while chapter 21 records Peter's reconciliation with Jesus.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.