Luke 10:24
For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easily missed is the staggering contrast Jesus draws between the disciples' present experience and the longing of the greatest spiritual leaders of the past. They, who sought God deeply and possessed prophetic insight, desired to witness and hear what Jesus' followers take for granted. This highlights that the "things" the disciples see and hear – Jesus Himself, His teachings, His miracles – are the very pinnacle of God's unfolding plan, a fulfillment that even the Old Testament giants could only glimpse.
Jesus has just heard from the seventy disciples about their amazing success in casting out demons in His name. In response, Jesus expresses profound joy, not just at their victories, but at the spiritual realities they are witnessing, which even prophets and kings of old longed to see and hear but could not. This verse emphasizes the unique privilege and immense spiritual significance of experiencing Jesus' ministry firsthand.
Imagine the greatest minds and most devout hearts of history straining to catch a glimpse of something they could only dimly perceive. This verse speaks of such a yearning.
Jesus is highlighting an incredible truth: the very people we look up to in faith – prophets and kings who sought God with all their might – longed for what the disciples were experiencing firsthand. These weren't just ordinary folks; they were spiritual giants like Abraham, David, and Moses. They saw glimpses of God's plan, they spoke His Word, and they ruled under His authority, but they didn't have the full picture.
A Dimly Lit Future
These revered figures yearned to see the fulfillment of God's promises. They prayed for the salvation of their people and for the coming of a Messiah. They received divine revelations, but the deeper mysteries of God's redemptive work, particularly through Jesus, remained veiled. They desired to witness the reality of what the disciples were now seeing and hearing: Jesus Himself, the incarnate Word of God, teaching, healing, and ushering in the Kingdom.
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You're living in the 'now' that countless faithful souls prayed to experience. What does that say about your spiritual privilege?
The crucial contrast Jesus draws is between the prophets' longing and the disciples' reality. What the disciples 'see' and 'hear' is Jesus Himself. They see His miracles, His compassion, His authority. They hear His teachings, which reveal the heart of God and the nature of His kingdom in a way never before fully understood.
The Fullness of Revelation
This isn't just about seeing and hearing Jesus during His earthly ministry. It extends to the unfolding of God's plan through His life, death, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The disciples, and by extension all who follow Jesus, have access to the complete story of redemption. This includes the insights found in the apostles' writings (the New Testament) that clarified what the prophets could only anticipate.
A Call to Gratitude and Responsibility
Jesus' words are a profound reminder of the immense spiritual privilege we have. We have the completed Word of God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the witness of the Church throughout history. This blessing isn't meant to make us complacent but to inspire awe, gratitude, and a deeper commitment to understanding and sharing the Good News that so many longed to comprehend.
Understand the original words
prophētēs · Greek Noun
Individuals chosen by God in the Old Testament to receive and communicate divine revelation. They often anticipated the coming Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s redemptive promises.
This verse highlights the incredible privilege and responsibility of Jesus' disciples. They lived in the very era that prophets and kings of old had eagerly anticipated, witnessing the unfolding of God's long-awaited plan through Jesus Himself.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham called by God
Abraham, a prominent figure in Israel's history, was called by God to leave his homeland and follow His promises. He possessed prophetic insight and leadership, yearning for the fulfillment of God's covenant.
c. 1000 BC
David's Reign as King and Prophet
King David, renowned for his faith and kingship, was also a prophet. He deeply desired to understand God's deeper plans and the coming Messiah, as expressed in his Psalms.
c. 950 BC
Solomon's Temple Completed
King Solomon, David's son, built the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem, a focal point of worship and prophecy for generations. Yet, even he, in his wisdom, could not fully grasp the Messiah's ultimate work.
c. 750 BC - 550 BC
Era of Major Prophets
Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel spoke God's word during times of covenant unfaithfulness and impending judgment. They foretold of a coming King and a new covenant, intensely curious about its full realization.
c. 4 BC - AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Earthly Ministry
Jesus, the promised Messiah, taught, healed, and performed miracles, revealing God's kingdom in unprecedented ways. His presence and teachings were the very 'things' the earlier prophets and kings longed to experience.
c. AD 30 - AD 33
Jesus' Death and Resurrection
The pivotal events of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection fulfilled ancient prophecies, offering salvation and a new covenant. This ultimate act of God's love was the deepest desire of many faithful Israelites.
This passage directly echoes Luke 10:24, with Jesus telling the Jews that Abraham rejoiced to see His day, and they have seen it. It highlights the contrast between those who longed to see Christ and those who had the opportunity but didn't fully grasp it.
Hebrews 11:13The 'hall of faith' in Hebrews describes many Old Testament figures who 'died without receiving what was promised but having seen it and welcomed it from a distance.' This powerfully illustrates the longing of prophets and kings mentioned in Luke's Gospel.
1 Peter 1:10Peter speaks of how the prophets diligently searched and inquired about salvation, seeking to know what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ indicated to them. This shows their deep desire to understand the very things the disciples were now experiencing.
Matthew 13:17Jesus makes a similar statement in Matthew's Gospel, telling His disciples that many righteous people longed to see the things they were seeing and hear the things they were hearing. This parallel emphasizes the profound privilege of the disciples' experience.
ellicottLuke 10:24: "For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."
(24) Many prophets and kings. . . . —There is a slight verbal difference here as compared with St. Matthew’s report, which gives “prophets and righteous men.”
bengelLuke 10:24: "For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."
Luke 10:24 . Προφῆται καὶ βασιλεῖς , prophets and kings ) who were otherwise highly blessed. An example of both is furnished in Abraham, who was at once a prophet and prince: Genesis 23:6 ; Genesis 20:7 : so also David, who was both a prophet and a king, and the father of so many kings.
What's easily missed is the staggering contrast Jesus draws between the disciples' present experience and the longing of the greatest spiritual leaders of the past. They, who sought God deeply and possessed prophetic insight, desired to witness and hear what Jesus' followers take for granted. This highlights that the "things" the disciples see and hear – Jesus Himself, His teachings, His miracles – are the very pinnacle of God's unfolding plan, a fulfillment that even the Old Testament giants could only glimpse.
Jesus has just heard from the seventy disciples about their amazing success in casting out demons in His name. In response, Jesus expresses profound joy, not just at their victories, but at the spiritual realities they are witnessing, which even prophets and kings of old longed to see and hear but could not. This verse emphasizes the unique privilege and immense spiritual significance of experiencing Jesus' ministry firsthand.
Jesus has just heard from the seventy disciples about their amazing success in casting out demons in His name. In response, Jesus expresses profound joy, not just at their victories, but at the spiritual realities they are witnessing, which even prophets and kings of old longed to see and hear but could not. This verse emphasizes the unique privilege and immense spiritual significance of experiencing Jesus' ministry firsthand.
"For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”" — What's easily missed is the staggering contrast Jesus draws between the disciples' present experience and the longing of the greatest spiritual leaders of the past. They, who sought God deeply and po…
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