Luke 24:21; what was the Israelites thinking about redeeming Israel?

Question

Luke 24:21; DRB;

21 But we hoped, that it was he that should have redeemed Israel: and now besides all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

What was the Israelites thinking about redeeming Israel?

Is redeeming, for example, by more knowledge, by more wisdom or by crucifixion of the redeemer? Or by what?

What is the Concept the Israelites think about redeeming?

What is the way by which the redeemer redeems Israel?

Answer 1

The redemption of Israel was a common expectation in Jesus' time as is seen from the following:

• Luke 1:68 - “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.
• Luke 2:38 - Coming forward at that moment, she [Anna] gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
• Luke 24:21 - But we were hoping He was the One who would redeem Israel. And besides all this, it is the third day since these things took place.

This was largely based on the common idea that Messiah would be political-warier king who would vindicate Israel based on a very narrow reading of a selected set of Messianic prophecies:

• Num 24:17 - I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. …
• 2 Sam 7:12, 13 - And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
• Isa 9:7 - Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore.
• Ps 2:6 - "I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain."
• Ps 45:6, 7 - Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you above your companions with the oil of joy.
• Jer 23:3-6 - Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any go missing, declares the LORD. Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
• Zech 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

All these prophecies about the promised Messiah as king ignore the many other prophecies about the Messiah also being:

• the shepherd, Zech 13:7
• Jesus being humble and dying a lonely martyr's death, Jonah 1:17 (see Matt 12:40), Isa 52:3-9, 12, Isa 42:1-4, Ps 22:1, etc
• Jesus would be betrayed, Zech 11:12, 13.
• Jesus would so be priest of the new covenant, Ps 110:4, etc
• Jesus would be the great prophet, Deut 18:15, 18-20 (see Acts 3:21-23)

This is precisely why so many ignored Jesus as He appeared to them as humble and loving, not strong and commanding as they had expected. Jesus establishing a new kingdom (Matt 1:1, 20, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30, 15, 21:9, 15, Mark 10:35, Luke 1:32, 33, 18:38, 39, John 1:49, Acts 13:32-37, Heb 1:8) but not the kind that most Jews were expecting.

Answer 2

The Emmaus road story. This was possibly the same Cleopas mentioned in John 19:25 (Cleophas). If so, this would be the husband of one of the Marys (Mark 15:40) that was present at the crucifixion and was also one of the women who came to the tomb early on the Resurrection morning. That would make this Cleopas the father of one of Jesus’ apostles, James the Less (Mark 1:19).

The Jews had been taught via the Rabbis to expect a Messiah, who would indeed take them out from foreign (at this time, Romans) rulership. (Oppression). A ‘King’ who would liberate them. The son of David, who would assume the throne - a conquering King. And indeed, this was clearly prophesied, but the Rabbis had left out (put to one side) other prophecies, those of a Messiah as a suffering servant - because this didn’t ‘suit’ their aspirations, in particular (but not only) those of the Pharisees.

So that was the common expectation - even to some extent of Jesus’s disciples, those outside of ‘the 12’ - which would have included Cleopas. (And his wife - assuming that she was the other ‘disciples’ walking down the Emmaus road).

So that’s what ‘the Israelites' was thinking.