It must have been exciting to walk with the Master in those days.  In this chapter alone, we have seen the transfiguration, the message of Elijah, the healing of the boy and the father who wanted to believe but did not know if he could.

Today, we find that Jesus has another truth to reveal to His chosen disciples. This is one that they were not able to comprehend even though He reminded them of it several times during the last days of His public ministry. That truth was of His coming crucifixion and resurrection.  For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.  This truth was revealed to them in at least three other places in the gospels. 

In Matthew 16:21-22, we see that Jesus told them of His crucifixion and resurrection, and Peter spoke up to say that it was not possible for this to happen to Him.   From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 

We find in Matthew 20:18 that Jesus explains it again and in even more detail.  Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, Mat 20:19  And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. 

However, we find in Luk 24:11, when the women returned from the tomb and their encounter with the angel telling them Jesus had risen, the disciples still had not grasped the Lord’s truth.   And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Again in Luk 24:21, in the account of the two men on the road to Emmaus, we find that they still had not grasped the truth of His resurrection.  But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 

Why did they not understand?  First, It is possible that they had not heard of someone rising from the dead.  Second, maybe losing their beloved Master was such a tragedy that they could not believe it was possible.  However, part of the problem was that they were so preoccupied with their own thoughts that His truth did not reach their hearts.  This can happen to us if we are not careful.  We read something from the Scriptures, which is wonderful and relates to us, but the trials of life get our attention, and not the Word of God. 

Another reason we might not understand the Scriptures is that the devil tries to distract us from the truth of the Bible.  We see this in the parable of the seed and Sower.  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side (Matthew 13:19). 

When we read the Scriptures, or hear it preached at church, we need to be careful to listen to what is being taught, so that we are not guilty of missing God’s hidden truth when it is revealed to us. 

April 22^nd, 2 Samuel 7-9; Luke 19-1-28