From Resurrection to Bible Study : X-raying Jesus’ Priority
Jesus rose from the dead
There was no fun fair, No “angelic host party”
No special “Resurrection Celebration service”
No “Impartation Service”
No “welcome back from hades” dinner held in His honour.
If such a dinner had been held in His honour, we would have said it was worth it. In fact, if Jesus had lodged in a hotel (inn) for recuperation from the “stress” of this divine assignment He embarked on in the past few days, one would have said He was justified.
But what did He do after His resurrection? He showed up as two of His disciples were discussing the events of the last three days on their way to a village called Emmaus which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
And He immediately began a bible study class
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself”(Lk. 24:27).
It took a whole day to travel on foot from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Jesus had a bible study with these folks for a whole day as they were walking...The study covered Genesis to Malachi.
Oh mine, that must have been an indepth study for that length of time.
He continued when He showed up again, at this time there was a number of them gathered in one place,
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day” (Lk. 24:44-46).
This bible study continued for 40 days (Acts 1:3). It means these bible study classes were more important to Jesus than any other thing. Bible study was His priority. He wanted them to know and clearly understand the Scriptures. He wanted them to see the Message of the Scriptures. Nothing and I mean nothing should be more important to a believer than bible study. If it was that important to Jesus that this was the first assignment He undertook after His resurrection, then we have no reason to say ours is different today. We can’t afford to give any other thing more time than the study of the Word. Bible study is the lifeline of Christianity, take it out and you have an empty shell, it must be detail and exhaustive. We cannot afford to allow entertainment to take its place. Bible study began from His resurrection and must be sustained till the resurrection of the dead.
The early disciples never made light of this pattern, they gathered continually for this purpose: “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).
Paul taught in a School of Tyrannus. Acts chapters 19 and 20 help us to see how he taught there. He had a lengthy period of time teaching in Ephesus for 5 hours everyday for the space of 2 years. In Acts 20, it was mentioned that he preached for a long while. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed”(Acts 20:7,11). A believer who despises bible study both in a local church and his personal life is a believer who despises what was/is paramount to Jesus.
Whenever you hear someone complain about long hours of bible study, you doubt if such a person truly believes in Jesus.
When a Christian begins to say “It is not about Greek and Hebrew words, it’s about results”, you know that such a Christian is not to be taken serious.
If truly you love Jesus’ resurrection, you will also love what He did after He was raised from the dead. The depth of His death must be studied indepth.
There must be a yearning in our hearts like it was in the Apostle of old to “...know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Phil. 3:10).
This season calls for more devotion to the study of God’s Word in the light of Christ.
Say these words: I give myself more to the study of the Word. I avail myself of every opportunity in my local church to learn and grow spiritually. My mind is renewed, the light of the Word dawns on my soul and my life is a shining example of the Gospel of Christ" Amen.
Have a blessed day.
Revd Adedayo F. Ponnle