40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Whaaaat??? Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand Scriptures? Please understand what God is saying here. The apostles’ minds were not open and would never be open until God granted it to them, the opening of their minds.
Now why do you suppose He needed to do that? Is it possible that man can’t do ANYTHING unless God ordains or appoints it to take place? Would the answer to the question of why Jesus needed to open their minds be, “Because they didn’t have the ability to understand until He WANTED them to.” ?? YES!
OK, with that answered, we can move on. Why didn’t He open their minds when He first called them to be apostles? For that matter, why didn’t He open the mind of the young rich ruler, and the Pharisees, and Judas Iscariot, and Herod, and Pontius Pilate?
Because according to His perfect plan, they weren’t chosen, but 11 of the apostles were - and even then, it wasn’t until the end of His ministry here on earth before He enabled them to understand by opening their minds. The young rich ruler, and the Pharisees, and Judas Iscariot, and Herod, and Pontius Pilate were never ABLE to understand the Truth even when Jesus stood before them (2 Timothy 3:7). And they weren’t ABLE because Jesus didn’t open their minds... It puts John 6:65 in an entirely different kind of Light, doesn’t it? “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” (Bible Truth #36)
Now why do you suppose He needed to do that? Is it possible that man can’t do ANYTHING unless God ordains or appoints it to take place? Would the answer to the question of why Jesus needed to open their minds be, “Because they didn’t have the ability to understand until He WANTED them to.” ?? YES!
OK, with that answered, we can move on. Why didn’t He open their minds when He first called them to be apostles? For that matter, why didn’t He open the mind of the young rich ruler, and the Pharisees, and Judas Iscariot, and Herod, and Pontius Pilate?
Because according to His perfect plan, they weren’t chosen, but 11 of the apostles were - and even then, it wasn’t until the end of His ministry here on earth before He enabled them to understand by opening their minds. The young rich ruler, and the Pharisees, and Judas Iscariot, and Herod, and Pontius Pilate were never ABLE to understand the Truth even when Jesus stood before them (2 Timothy 3:7). And they weren’t ABLE because Jesus didn’t open their minds... It puts John 6:65 in an entirely different kind of Light, doesn’t it? “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” (Bible Truth #36)
He didn’t want the apostles, and others who were with them, including the two from Emmaus who saw Jesus earlier, to understand until that exact moment in time according to the plan of God who works out EVERYTHING in conformity with the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1:11). God is in control and is working out His plan despite the so-called, unbiblical, heretical, “free will” of man. The bottom line is that God decided to make some continue to think they had free will after He saved them, just as all the lost think they have free will. He makes some “think” that they are making free will decisions when He is the One making us all to think what He wants us to think, and to do what He wants us to do. (Philippians 2:13)
Our constant prayer for the lost around us should be to ask God to open their minds to understand the Scriptures, just as Christ opened the apostles’ minds in this passage.
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