Lukas 24:41-45

24:41 And while they still could not believe it ¹  (because of their joy) and were amazed, ²  he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ³  24:42 So ⁴  they gave him a piece of broiled fish, 24:43 and he took it and ate it in front of them.

Jesus’ Final Commission

24:44 Then ⁵  he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me ⁶  in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms ⁷  must be fulfilled.” 24:45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures, ⁸ 

[24:41]  ¹ sn They still could not believe it. Is this a continued statement of unbelief? Or is it a rhetorical expression of their amazement? They are being moved to faith, so a rhetorical force is more likely here.

[24:41]  ² sn Amazement is the common response to unusual activity: 1:63; 2:18; 4:22; 7:9; 8:25; 9:43; 11:14; 20:26.

[24:41]  ³ sn Do you have anything here to eat? Eating would remove the idea that a phantom was present. Angelic spirits refused a meal in Jdt 13:16 and Tob 12:19, but accepted it in Gen 18:8; 19:3 and Tob 6:6.

[24:42]  ⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ request for food.

[24:44]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[24:44]  ⁶ sn Everything written about me. The divine plan, events, and scripture itself are seen here as being one.

[24:44]  ⁷ sn For a similar threefold division of the OT scriptures, see the prologue to Sirach, lines 8-10, and from Qumran, the epilogue to 4QMMT, line 10.

[24:45]  ⁸ sn Luke does not mention specific texts here, but it is likely that many of the scriptures he mentioned elsewhere in Luke-Acts would have been among those he had in mind.