Luke 24:1-12
Introduction
The final pericope of Luke 23 addresses how Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin who disagreed with the Council’s actions toward Jesus, boldly went to Pilate and asked for permission to take the body of Christ and bury him. Joseph was looking forward to the kingdom of God. He took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths and put him in a new tomb where no one had yet been placed. The unused tomb was cut into a rock and was worthy of a king. Joseph displayed his commitment to God by keeping the sabbath.
The women who had been at the cross, including Mary Magdalene, followed Joseph as he took the body to the tomb so they would know where Jesus was laid. They returned home to prepare spices and perfumes to anoint the body of the Lord for burial. The woman also rested on the sabbath day, keeping the Law.
Resurrection Morning
Early on the first day of the week, the women came to the tomb, intending to anoint the body of Christ. They were puzzled to find that the stone was rolled away. They went inside, but found the tomb empty. The stone was not rolled back so that Jesus could get out of the tomb. Remember that Jesus is God. He appeared and disappeared inside locked rooms after his resurrection. The stone was not moved so Jesus could get out, but so that the witnesses could see inside. The empty tomb perplexed the women. They did not know what to think.
Then suddenly two men (later identified as angels) appeared in dazzling apparel. The women were terrified. They bowed their faces to the ground. The common response to seeing angels throughout the Scriptures is fear. But the angels quickly dispel this reaction. They asked the women why they were looking for the living among the dead. Jesus was not there. He had risen from the dead. The women were shocked by this pronouncement. As they reflected on the angels’ declaration, they remembered that Jesus told them that he must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified. But he accurately prophesied that he would rise on the third day. These women were the first witnesses to the resurrection. They could hardly believe the good news. Jesus is alive.
The Testimony of the Resurrection
The women had to tell somebody the good news that Jesus had risen from the dead. A strong attestation to the authenticity of the resurrection accounts in the Bible is that the first witnesses to the resurrection were women. In Jewish culture at this time, women were not allowed to offer testimony in a court of law. If someone were to create a story about the resurrected Lord, the fabrication would have certainly made men the first witnesses to the resurrection, giving greater credibility to the culture of the day. The Scriptures are reliable and trustworthy. Jesus really did rise for the dead. The first witnesses to the resurrection according to Luke’s Gospel included Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women. They ran joyfully to tell the eleven and the rest what the angels had revealed to them.
The Disciples’ Skepticism
However, when the women found the disciples and told them the good news, they were skeptical, refusing to entertain the possibility that what the women told them was true. Surely, the witnesses were deeply disappointed in this reaction. While the skepticism is understandable from a human perspective, how could a man who had been crucified rise from the dead, the women would have been hurt by this reaction. If Jesus was just a man, then it would be easy to dismiss the women’s account as idle talk. However, Jesus was more than a man; he is the everlasting God. The Lord was fully human and fully divine.
Something in the women’s witness stirred Peter. Like the others, he found the news of the resurrection to be hard to believe, yet he rose and ran to the tomb to see for himself. When he stooped in and looked into the tomb, he saw the linen clothes that had been wrapped around the body of Jesus. But the body of the Lord was gone. We know from John’s Gospel that John also ran to the tomb with Peter. They marveled at what they saw. The body of Christ was gone. Could it be that the witness of the women was true?
We Serve a Risen Savior
The truth is that Jesus rose from the dead. It is also significant that Jesus rose in his body. The body and the soul are joined together, not separate as portrayed by several of the ancient Greek philosophers. The bodily resurrection of the Lord attests to this truth. When people encountered the risen Lord, they recognized his body.
Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death, hell, and the grave. He is alive and he is Lord. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Although Jesus was God, he humbled himself, taking the form of a servant, and was obedient, even unto death on the cross. Therefore, the Father exalted his Son (Phil 2:6-11). Jesus is the risen Savior and Lord that we serve. He is the only one worthy of our praise. Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed!
Application
- I am accountable to the risen Lord. Because Jesus has risen, he is actively involved in the lives of his followers.
- I need to accept his teachings as truth and submit to all that is revealed in the Bible.
- I need to tell others about the person and work of Christ, which is the gospel, calling them to repentance and faith.
- I need to worship Jesus as Lord.