Thursday, April 13, 2023

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.