The Meaning of Luke 24:52 Explained

Luke 24:52

KJV: And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

YLT: and they, having bowed before him, did turn back to Jerusalem with great joy,

Darby: And they, having done him homage, returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

ASV: And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  they  worshipped  him,  and returned  to  Jerusalem  with  great  joy: 

What does Luke 24:52 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 24:44-53 - "witnesses Of These Things"
The risen Savior is the key to Scripture. The pages of Holy Writ need the illumination that falls from His face. Whenever you open the Old Testament, described here under its customary Hebrew threefold division, be sure to ask Him to open your understanding also!
Repentance is turning from sin. It is the act of the will. In remitting sin Christ not only forgives, but stands between the sinner and the consequences.
The "beginning" must be Jerusalem, because the Jew is first in the divine order, Romans 1:16. But the end is the uttermost part of the earth. We are not called to be defenders, but witnesses of the truth. We speak what we know and testify what we have seen. Our fellow-witness is the Holy Spirit, Acts 5:32.
Those outspread hands have never been withdrawn. They are still extended over us in benediction, and from heaven itself rain down perennial Messing. Let us rejoice in Him with great joy; may each lowly home be a temple full of praise!
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 24

1  Jesus' resurrection is declared by two angels to the women who come to the tomb
9  They report it to others
13  Jesus himself appears to the two disciples that went to Emmaus;
36  afterwards he appears to the apostles, and reproves their unbelief;
47  gives them a charge;
49  promises the Holy Spirit;
50  and so ascends into heaven

Greek Commentary for Luke 24:52

Worshipped him [προσκυνησαντες αυτον]
Here again we have one of Westcott and Hort‘s Western non-interpolations that may be genuine or not. [source]
With great joy [meta charas megale4s)]
(meta charas megale4s). Now that the Ascension has come they are no longer in despair. Joy becomes the note of victory as it is today. No other note can win victories for Christ. The bells rang in heaven to greet the return of Jesus there, but he set the carillon of joy to ringing on earth in human hearts in all lands and for all time. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 24:52 mean?

And they having worshiped Him returned to Jerusalem with joy great
καὶ αὐτοὶ προσκυνήσαντες αὐτὸν ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ μετὰ χαρᾶς μεγάλης

προσκυνήσαντες  having  worshiped 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: προσκυνέω  
Sense: to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence.
ὑπέστρεψαν  returned 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ὑποστρέφω  
Sense: to turn back.
Ἰερουσαλὴμ  Jerusalem 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἰερουσαλήμ  
Sense: denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants.
χαρᾶς  joy 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: χαρά  
Sense: joy, gladness.
μεγάλης  great 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: μέγας  
Sense: great.