Opening - διανοίγων dianoigōn. See Luke 24:32. The word means to explain or to unfold. It is usually applied to what is shut, as the eye, etc. Then it means to explain what is concealed or obscure. It means here that he explained the Scriptures in their true sense.
And alleging - παρατιθέμενος paratithemenos. Laying down the proposition; that is, maintaining that it must be so.
That Christ must needs have suffered - That there was a fitness and necessity in his dying, as Jesus of Nazareth had done. The sense of this will be better seen by retaining the word “Messiah.” “That there was a fitness or necessity that the Messiah expected by the Jews, and predicted in their Scriptures, should suffer.” This point the Jews were unwilling to admit; but it was essential to his argument in proving that Jesus was the Messiah to show that it was foretold that he should die for the sins of people. On the necessity of this, see the notes on Luke 24:26-27.
Have suffered - That he should die.
And that this Jesus - And that this Jesus of Nazareth, who has thus suffered and risen, whom, said he, I preach to you, is the Messiah.
The arguments by which Paul probably proved that Jesus was the Messiah were:
(1) That he corresponded with the prophecies respecting him in the following particulars:
- He was born at Bethlehem, Micah 5:2.
- He was of the tribe of Judah, Genesis 49:10.
- He was descended from Jesse, and of the royal line of David, Isaiah 11:1, Isaiah 11:10.
- He came at the time predicted, Daniel 9:24-27.
- His appearance, character, work, etc., corresponded with the predictions, Isaiah 53:1-12.
(2) His miracles proved that he was the Messiah, for he professed to be, and God would not work a miracle to confirm the claims of an impostor.
(3) For the same reason, his resurrection from the dead proved that he was the Messiah.