What Old Testament prophecies connect to the hope expressed in Luke 24:21? Setting the Scene in Luke 24:21 “We had hoped that He was the One who was going to redeem Israel. And besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.” Old Testament Seeds of Redemption • Genesis 3:15 – promise of a head-crushing Seed who would undo the serpent’s curse. • Genesis 12:3; 22:18 – Abraham’s Seed bringing blessing “to all nations,” including Israel’s deliverance. • Exodus 6:6 – God pledges, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm,” establishing the pattern of rescue that later prophecies build on. • Psalm 130:7-8 – “He will redeem Israel from all iniquity,” blending national and spiritual rescue. The Promise of a Redeemer-King • 2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16 – an eternal Davidic throne. • Isaiah 9:6-7 – “The government will be upon His shoulders… of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” • Jeremiah 23:5-6 – “I will raise up for David a righteous Branch… This is the name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.” • Ezekiel 34:23-24 – a single Shepherd-King who feeds and saves His flock. • Zechariah 9:9-10 – the humble yet victorious King who brings peace “to the nations.” In every passage, Israel’s hope is tied to a literal, earthly rule that also brings spiritual righteousness. Redemption Through Suffering • Psalm 22:1-18 – detailed depiction of the crucifixion centuries in advance. • Isaiah 53:4-6 – “He was pierced for our transgressions… by His stripes we are healed.” • Daniel 9:26 – “the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing,” yet His death factors into the final “atonement for iniquity” (9:24). These prophecies show that the Messiah’s path to redemption includes suffering before glory—explaining why the cross did not cancel the promise but fulfilled it. The Third-Day Thread • Hosea 6:1-2 – “He will revive us after two days; on the third day He will raise us up.” • Jonah 1:17 – the prophet’s three days in the fish foreshadows the Messiah’s three days in the grave (cf. Matthew 12:40). • Psalm 16:10 – “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.” For the disciples, “the third day” language in Luke 24:21 echoes these passages, underscoring an expectation that God would act decisively on that timetable. Pulling the Threads Together 1. Covenant promises (Abrahamic, Davidic, New) declare a literal Redeemer for Israel. 2. Prophets combine royal triumph with sacrificial suffering, revealing how redemption is secured. 3. The third-day motif signals the timing of victory over death. 4. Luke 24:21 captures the disciples’ half-formed hope; the risen Jesus soon clarifies that “everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (24:44). Living in the Fulfillment Because those prophecies were accomplished in Jesus’ death and resurrection, believers today stand on the same promises—now proven true—and look forward to the full visible reign that the Redeemer-King will bring to Israel and the nations. |
    |