Jesus provides the wonder of salvation planned by God the Father in the text that Luke writes. And it is in this context that Jesus turns to his disciples and privately shares God’s truth of who are the blessed. In the same manner, Christians have a desire to privately meet with the Lord in prayer, this intimate relationship between God and his disciples happens naturally. What Jesus tells the disciples privately is that they are blessed.
Jesus’ disciples are blessed because they were given the ability to see that he was the Messiah and all the things Jesus did pertaining to salvation (v 23). When Jesus is seen as Lord, he becomes the only object of worship. After becoming Jesus’ disciples, the idols and worldly pleasures are done away with as Jesus becomes Lord and Savior. He is the only that is worthy and able to transform the hearts of sinners to live in the newness of life.
Jesus’ disciples are blessed because they are able to see the things that many prophets and kings wanted to see and hear (v 24). The prophets of the Old Testament continuously prophesied of the coming Messiah promised by God to save his people from their sins. For example, Isaiah was one of those prophets who was used by God and given a spirit of wisdom and understanding (Isa. 11:1-2). Even though they were manifested truths from God, they only saw a shadow of what was to come that had been revealed fully to the saints when Jesus came down from heaven (Col. 1:26; 2:17; Mk. 1:14-15).
Without Jesus Christ, the prophets were limited in understanding what they themselves were prophesying on behalf of God about the coming Messiah. They wanted to see the things that the disciples saw and did not see them (v 24). The prophets had a strong desire to see the Messiah but they were not given the opportunity to see based on God’s dispensation. Therefore, disciples during Jesus’ time and Christians that followed were blessed based on the Holy Spirit’s will and revelation. When Christ is seen by God’s grace, repentance and faith are possible and the Christian’s life is never the same into eternity.
As Christians are able to see Christ as God, their sanctification and spiritual maturity grow as they depend on Christ more and more. Faith in Christ alone stems from the Christian’s understanding of the gospel and continued reminders of it through everyday life and circumstances. If eternal life is possible, the power of sin is removed, and knowing the value of walking with Christ, Christians must consider what kind of God dwells within them.
“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (Rom. 8:32-34).
May Christians worship this Lord Jesus Christ whom they have seen and heard, and evaluate their salvation and life by the gospel.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
Leave a comment