Dave Mohler Preacher's kid.

It would be difficult to determine what they truly understood before Jesus' resurrection as compared to after their encounter with the Lord after His resurrection. What they understood later is included in their writings as they were written in the periods between about 50 a.d. and 95 a.d., and had not only the clarification by the risen Lord, but a lengthy period of reflection and remembrance of details that occurred when they were followers of Him. Each wrote from his own perspective and gave truth to their readers as faithfully and as completely as they were able. 

Such was the undeniable reality of their life's experiences and knowledge of God's truthfulness that they willingly suffered and died because of it. Yes, we would like to be able to ask them some questions, but they have conveyed to us all that we need to sustain our faith and to anticipate a future just as they have written.

7 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that, despite Jesus' repeated indications to the apostles during His ministry that He was going to be put to death, after which He would subsequently rise again, the apostles could not fully comprehend what He was saying because it was so totally out of their conception of the "normal" range of possibility. (And this was despite the passages in the Old Testament (such as Psalm 16, Psalm 22, and Isaiah 53) that had prophesied not only the the Messiah's suffering and death, but also His resurrection.) It seems to me that it was passages such as these that Jesus would have needed to "open their minds" to fully comprehend.

In addition, the apostles may still have harbored hopes (as indicated by Cleopas during the walk to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-32) that Jesus would have freed Israel from Roman domination, in line with popular expectations arising from Old Testament passages that spoke of the Messiah's triumphant return at the close of the age, but that were commonly misinterpreted as applying to the time of His first incarnation. Their great disappointment may have also prevented them from having a total understanding of prophecy.

13 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Shirley H Wife, mother, veteran in the spiritual war we all face!

I think that Luke 24:32: "Weren't our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the scriptures to us?" This made them realize that their mission was to go and tell the story to everyone that they could.

Look at the next verse, Luke 24:33, 34: "That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, who said, 'The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!'"

Also see 1 Corinthians 15:3 - 8. Paul says he passed on to you most important what he had received. He also claims that being born last, in the wrong time, Jesus appeared to him. Look at Acts 9, where Paul encounters the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus. Remember, Paul had been persecuting Christians, and now he was a chosen vessel to deliver God's message. And like all other believers we should expect that our life on this earth will contain troubles.

12 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report