Do You Understand the Scriptures?

Do you understand the Scriptures? Well it wasn’t until after the resurrection that Jesus’ disciples understood. Luke writes “then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). These men spent three years living with, walking with, and learning from Jesus, yet they didn’t understand the Scriptures. If they had understood and believed the Scriptures they wouldn’t have been sad or confused following Jesus’ death.

It was on the road to Emmaus following His resurrection where Jesus told some of His disciples that they were “foolish and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke 24:25). Then He proceeded to “expound to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). Jesus returned from the dead to ensure His disciples and the world would understand the Scriptures concerning His death and resurrection. Jesus would later commission Paul to open the minds of both the Jews and the Gentiles.

The Lord opened the minds of the disciples to understand the Scriptures and he wants to do the same for you. As Easter weekend passes for another year, don’t let the opportunity “to understand the Scriptures” pass you by for another day. If you want to understand the Scriptures then the Holy Spirit will have to be at work inside of your heart and mind. Sure, you can read and study the Bible, but it will never become real and living until you place yourself under its authority and commit to obeying it through a life surrender to God’s will.

The mind is dull apart from the Holy Spirit; to understand the Scriptures the mind needs to be enlightened supernaturally. However, don’t miss the reason Jesus stayed around for 40 days following His resurrection. He was about to launch a revolution that would change the world and He had chosen His disciples to build off His foundation of blood and righteousness. Jesus was solidifying their faith, summarizing His earthly ministry, and preparing them for kingdom building without His physical presence.

Let Jesus prepare you for kingdom building by “opening your mind to understand the Scriptures.” Jesus has a message that the world needs to hear and wants to use you as His messenger.