Jesus' 40 days with his disciples began in Galilee and ended near Jerusalem. Whereas Jesus'
commission to the disciples in Matthew 28:16-20 was in Galilee, further discipleship occurred
near Jerusalem. This passage in Luke's account was an appearance of Jesus to his disciples
following his encounter with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.
Jesus ‘opened their minds to understand the Scriptures' concerning himself. Part of the forty
days of discipleship was to illuminate the understanding of who Jesus was but also
understanding of the purpose of the gospel. True understanding of the Scriptures was granted
so that the disciples understood how all of redemptive history fit together. This was a gift of God
to the disciples.
Furthermore, that illumination seemed to be an act of Jesus while he was present. But Jesus
also taught his disciples that he would leave so that the Helper would come. This “Helper” would
be the source of illumination concerning Christ and the Scriptures. The “Helper” would also be
the source of illumination of the sinner about his sin when the faithful disciples proclaimed the
promise of salvation in the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught the important lesson of the proclamation of the gospel by citing some of the old
testament prophets. A key lesson Jesus taught in his discipleship of the eleven (and others ...
up to 500) was the understanding of the Scriptures. It is in this lesson in Jerusalem before his
ascension that the lesson from the prophets defined what the proclamation would be from these
disciples. They were witnesses to the gospel.
Here is the gospel according to Jesus and the common prophecies of Isaiah and other minor
prophets