“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 24:27 Mean?
Luke 24:27 describes what may be the greatest Bible study in history — and the only one taught by the Author of the text. The risen Jesus, walking unrecognized with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, opens the entire Old Testament and shows them Himself.
"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets" — the Greek arxamenos apo Mōuseōs kai apo pantōn tōn prophētōn (beginning from Moses and from all the prophets) encompasses the entire Hebrew Bible. "Moses" represents the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy). "All the prophets" includes the Former Prophets (Joshua through Kings) and Latter Prophets (Isaiah through Malachi), plus the Writings. Jesus covers everything.
"He expounded unto them" — the Greek diermēneusen autois (he interpreted/explained to them) uses the verb from which we get "hermeneutics" — the science of interpretation. Jesus isn't adding new revelation. He's interpreting existing Scripture. He's showing them what was always there but they couldn't see.
"In all the scriptures" — the Greek en pasais tais graphais (in all the scriptures) — the word "all" is emphatic. Not some scriptures. Not select passages. All of them. The entire Old Testament, from beginning to end, contains things concerning Jesus.
"The things concerning himself" — the Greek ta peri heautou (the things about himself) is the interpretive key. Jesus reads the entire Old Testament as a book about Himself. Not as analogy or illustration, but as direct reference. The sacrificial system, the exodus, the monarchy, the exile, the prophetic promises — all of it was pointing toward and preparing for Him.
The disciples' hearts "burned within them" (v. 32) during this conversation. The experience of having the Scriptures opened by Christ produced not just understanding but combustion — an interior fire that changed everything they thought they knew about the Bible.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Jesus found Himself in 'all the scriptures' — not select passages. How does reading the Old Testament as a book about Jesus change the way you engage with it?
- 2.The disciples' hearts 'burned within them' during this Bible study. When was the last time Scripture produced that kind of interior fire in you? What were you reading?
- 3.They knew the texts but hadn't seen what was in them until Jesus opened their eyes. What familiar passage has surprised you with new meaning when you saw Christ in it?
- 4.Jesus interprets existing Scripture rather than adding new revelation. How does that model shape the way you approach reading and studying the Bible?
Devotional
Jesus walks through the entire Old Testament and says: this is about me. All of it.
Moses — the law, the sacrifices, the tabernacle, the Passover lamb. About me. The prophets — Isaiah's suffering servant, Jeremiah's new covenant, Ezekiel's resurrection valley, Daniel's son of man. About me. All the scriptures. Every book. Every story. Every law and psalm and prophecy. About me.
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus had read these texts their whole lives. They knew the stories. They could probably recite large portions from memory. But they hadn't seen what was in them — not fully, not clearly — until the Author of the text explained it Himself.
That's the experience this verse describes: the moment when the Bible stops being a collection of ancient texts and becomes a single story with a single subject. When the threads you always knew were there suddenly pull together and you see the pattern for the first time. When your heart burns because you're not just learning information — you're encountering a Person inside the text.
The disciples didn't recognize Jesus visually on that road. Their eyes were "holden" (v. 16). But they recognized Him in the Word. It was the burning — the interior fire produced by hearing Scripture opened — that eventually led to the recognition at the table (v. 30-31). They found Jesus not by looking at Him but by hearing Him in the text.
If the Bible feels flat to you — informational but not combustible — this verse suggests the problem isn't the text. It's the interpreter. Ask Jesus to do for you what He did on the Emmaus road: walk you through all the scriptures and show you the things concerning Himself. When He does, your heart will know it. It'll burn.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But they constrained him,.... The Arabic version renders it, "they held him by force": but the meaning is not, that they…
Beginning at Moses - At the “writings” of Moses, or at the beginning of the Old Testament; or rather the word…
Beginning at Moses, etc. - What a sermon this must have been, where all the prophecies relative to the incarnation,…
This appearance of Christ to the two disciples going to Emmaus was mentioned, and but just mentioned, before (Mar…
beginning at Moses The promise to Eve (Gen 3:15); the promise to Abraham (Gen 22:18); the Paschal Lamb (Exodus 12); the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture