24:39 my feet. It seems the Lord Himself answers modern liberals who interpret the resurrection as spiritual, rather than physical. His spirit never died so could not be resurrected. He also refutes those who argue that the “appearances” to His disciples were “spiritual appearances,” or even hallucinations. Even they at first thought He was a spirit, but He then showed them the scars of the spikes that had pierced His hands and feet, and then even ate part of a fish and a honeycomb before them (Luke 24:37,40,42). They could no longer doubt the reality of His bodily resurrection, nor did they ever doubt it thereafter.

24:39 flesh and bones. It is significant that Christ did not use the more common phrase, “flesh and blood.” His blood had been shed on the cross, as the price of our redemption (I Peter 1:18-19), and now “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (I Corinthians 15:50).

24:43 did eat before them. Although Jesus now was in His glorified spiritual body, it was clearly also a real physical body, capable of receiving and assimilating food. Since our resurrection bodies will be like His (Philippians 3:20-21), we also shall continue to eat food in the ages to come (Revelation 2:7; 19:9; 22:2).

24:44 must be fulfilled. Every promise of God concerning the person and work of Christ must be fulfilled, either at His first coming or His second coming. “The Scripture cannot be broken,” Jesus has assured us (John 10:35).

24:44 the psalms. This threefold division actually embraces the entire Old Testament canon. Another way of expressing this would be the historical writings, the poetical writings, and the prophetical writings. All are divinely inspired and inerrant in their very words.

24:45 their understanding. The Bible is not like any other book. While it is easy enough to be understood by the sincere and diligent believer, it is often incomprehensible foolishness to the unbeliever, for “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:…they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14). When Christ, by His indwelling Holy Spirit, opens our understanding, only then do we “understand the scriptures.”

24:47 repentance and remission of sins. The gospel of salvation which Christ has commanded us to preach involves “repentance” as a prerequisite to “forgiveness.” Repentance is not merely sorrow for past sins, but a complete change of mind toward God and toward sin, which is then proved real by a changed life. Note Acts 26:20. True saving faith is not what has been called “easy believism.” Note that “repentance” was to be preached along with “remission of sins,” both of them “in His name.” In Acts 10:43, Peter said that “through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” Thus, “repentance in His name” is essentially synonymous with “believing in Him.” Either (or both) receive remission of sins. Believing and repenting are thus like two sides of the same coin. Both are part of the real coin, but only one side is seen at a time.

24:49 promise of my Father. This promise was the promise of the Holy Spirit, a promise made to the disciples in the upper room before the crucifixion (John 14:16-17). Christ also had told them He was sending them out into the world (John 20:21), but first they must be cautioned to wait until the promised Spirit is sent to empower them for that service. These concluding verses of Luke’s gospel correlate with the first section of his continuing narrative in the book of Acts (see Acts 1:1-11).