Luke 24:44-45

44, 45. Carefully tracing the entire passage, (Luke 24:12-53,) the reader is likely to see no break in the narrative, and will at first conclude that the ascension took place upon the night (or next morning) of the meeting of the two travellers to Emmaus with Jesus, namely, the day of the resurrection. And sceptical critics have stoutly maintained that Luke believed that the ascension took place on the same day with the resurrection. But we shall be relieved, perhaps, from this apparent difficulty by duly taking into view the manner of Luke.

The passage in the Acts (Acts 1:1-12) actually goes over the same ground with this chapter, Luke 24:44-53. But if from the passage in Acts you strike out the two words “forty days,” you would suppose that the whole takes place on the day of the ascension; just as in the present Gospel passage you would suppose that all (ascension included) takes place upon the day of the resurrection. Transfer the words “forty days” to any place in the present passage which the syntax would allow, and you instantly see that the entire passage may as readily stretch over the forty days as the parallel passage in Acts. The “forty days,” therefore, explains both passages.

Some commentators suppose that Luke 24:43 terminates the Emmaus narrative, and that Luke 24:44-49 is a general summary of the teachings of Jesus during the “forty days.” Others extend the narrative and make the break at Luke 24:49. For reasons that will appear, we close the Emmaus narrative at Luke 24:45. In Luke 24:44 Jesus explains to them that the present events do but verify his past words and fulfil the Old Testament Scriptures. Luke 24:45, tied to Luke 24:44 by the then, avers that the Lord closed by opening their understanding to comprehend and digest at future leisure the Scripture fulfilments. Thus much looks to the past; what follows (Luke 24:46-49) looks to the future.