Thursday of the First Week of Easter
(Acts 3:11-26; Luke 24:35-48)
In today’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples that the
Scriptures speak of him. Of course, he
is referring to the Old Testament, the only “Scriptures” at that moment. The reference should be taken both in a
general and a specific sense. Certain
passages of the Old Testament foretell of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and
resurrection. But all the texts together
serve as background for a better understanding of who he is.
This gospel passage has been noted as a kind of outline of
the Old Testament. It names the three
major parts of the Jewish Bible: the law, the prophets, and the psalms, which
form the most read book of the third part, called “Writings”. More than a code of precepts, the law
describes human sin and God’s plan to rectify it. The prophets relate the ongoing struggle as
God prepares for the coming of His Son.
The writings, especially the psalms, provide a full picture of the
Jewish spirituality in which Jesus was formed.
It would be wrong to think that Jesus revolted against his
Jewish heritage and abandoned his people.
His death and resurrection serve as the impetus to bring a fuller
understanding of Israel’s faith to the whole world. We should read “the law, the prophets, and
the psalms” with a curiosity for what Jesus had in mind for this project.
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