How does Luke 9:31 connect to Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? Luke 9:31 in Focus “They appeared in glory and spoke about His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Why Moses and Elijah Appear • Moses represents the Law; Elijah represents the Prophets—the full testimony of Scripture (cf. Deuteronomy 18:15; Malachi 4:5–6). • Their presence signals that everything taught in the Law and Prophets points to Jesus as the promised Messiah. “Departure” (Greek exodos) — A New Exodus • Exodus 12:1-13 — Israel’s liberation through the Passover lamb foreshadows Christ, “our Passover lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7). • Isaiah 52:11-15; 53:4-12 — the Servant leads His people out of bondage to sin by bearing their iniquity. • Jeremiah 31:31-34 — promises a new covenant that Jesus inaugurates through His sacrificial “departure.” Jerusalem: The Prophesied Stage • Psalm 118:19-27 — the rejected Stone is blessed “from the house of the LORD” in Jerusalem. • Daniel 9:26 — the Anointed One is “cut off” after entering the city. • Zechariah 12:10; 13:1 — piercing and cleansing flow out of Jerusalem, fulfilled in the crucifixion and resurrection there. Suffering, Death, and Glory Foretold • Psalm 22:1-18 — graphic details of crucifixion. • Isaiah 53:12 — “numbered with the transgressors,” yet “He bore the sin of many.” • Psalm 16:10-11 — promise of resurrection glory echoed in Luke’s mention of “appeared in glory.” Key Connections Summarized • Luke 9:31 links Jesus’ impending passion to the Passover deliverance, fulfilling the Law (Moses). • It fulfills prophetic expectation of Elijah’s return and the Day of the LORD, anchoring His mission in the Prophets. • The word exodos ties Jesus’ death and resurrection to God’s pattern of redemption: bondage → sacrifice → freedom → glory. • Jerusalem stands as the geographical and prophetic pinpoint where the Messiah’s foretold work is “accomplished.” Takeaway Every element of Luke 9:31 threads directly back to Old Testament promises, showing that Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection were not tragic accidents but the long-anticipated fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan announced through Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms. |
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