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“If you’re able, please stand.” Reading Luke 24:1–12. “Thanks be to God.”
There are a lot of things I don’t understand, and it’s basically okay. Cars: “Pressure-release valve.” “Pistons aren’t firing.” “Heating coil.” Hmm, right.
Some things it’s a pain, but it’s still basically okay. Taxes. “Multiply line 25 by .125.” “Take the greater of line 26 and line 14 and write it on 1040 line 30.” Uh, ok.
Spend money you shouldn’t. Maybe audited. But okay.
What we’re talking about today isn’t one of these.
This morning we’re talking about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s something we need to understand—in part, if not in whole.
This morning we will look at the gospel of Luke. Luke was not a Jew. He converted to Christianity and traveled with the apostle Paul. He wrote this gospel using eyewitness accounts. Probably in the two years Paul spent in house arrest in Rome in Acts 28.
In his history of the resurrection he wants to communicate something specific. He makes the point that the resurrection didn’t just happen, but it had to happen. Essential part of God’s plan. It was God’s plan from the beginning. No Plan B because things weren’t working out for Jesus. It was the plan from before the foundation of the earth.
The Christ had to suffer and die and rise three days later: It’s what Christ taught, it’s what the Scriptures speak, and it’s what we proclaim.
And in response: BELIEVE, UNDERSTAND, and GO!
Prayer
Verse 1 – “At early dawn” on Sunday (“the first day of the week”) they go to the tomb.
Verse 3 – “They did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” Emphatic: the Lord Jesus (Garland, ZECNT).
Verse 4 – “Two men stood by them in dazzling apparel” – “Dazzling” a word also used of lightning “flashing” in Luke 17:24.
Verse 5 – Women afraid and fall to the ground.
Verses 5–7 – Words of the angels. Rebuke + Reminder.
Rebuke: “Why do you seek The Living One among dead ones?” (v. 5b). Why would you come to a cemetery to find someone who is alive?
Verse 6 – Utterly matter-of-fact: “He is not here, but has risen.” Yep. The historical fact that divides all of history into BC and AD—it happened.
Verse 6–8 – Reminder: “Remember how he told you...” “The Son of Man MUST be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” Jesus gave multiple prophecies in almost these exact words (Luke 9:22, 44). Jesus told us what MUST happen. These women were there when he said it.
On the night before he died, Jesus said again what MUST happen. Quoting Isaiah:
For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” (Luke 22:37)
“This Scripture” is Isaiah 53:12. One of the most vivid prophecies about the cross of Christ. It must be fulfilled for two reasons. First because it’s God’s plan. And second it’s what must be done to save us. Being “numbered with the transgressors” means our sin imputed to him, so his righteousness imputed to us. He died like a criminal. But also died bearing the sins of his people.
Verse 8 – “And they remembered his words.” These women were there. They remembered.
Verses 9–10 – Here Luke includes a name not found in the other gospels, JOANNA. He uses a literary device that seems to elevate her name. A reasonable guess is that Luke is using Joanna’s own account here. She first appears in Luke 8:3 and is with Jesus for the rest of the gospel.[1]
When we get to the next section, we’ll see something similar. Cleopas is mentioned but not the one he’s walking with. Reasonable to think Cleopas is the one giving us this eyewitness account.
Luke writes his gospel using eyewitness accounts and then assembling it into his gospel (see Luke 1:1–4).
Verses 11–12 - The response: “Seemed to them an idle tale.” The crowd saying, “You’re delusional.” But Peter ran to the tomb and “stooping” (eyewitness detail) he “saw the linen clothes by themselves” (eyewitness detail) and “went home marveling.”
Read Luke 24:13–18.
“Two of them” walking and joined by the Stranger. The irony is rich. “The only visitor” who doesn’t know what happened?
And then is another retelling of Jesus’ ministry and crucifixion by Cleopas—read Luke 24:19–24.
Verse 19 – A faith in Jesus that did not rise high enough: “Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.” That’s true but it falls short. Doesn’t rise high enough. He’s more!
Verse 20 – His crucifixion by “our chief priests and rulers.”
Verse 21 – “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” Like their view of Jesus, their view of redemption was wrong. His redemption was different than they expected, so they didn’t see the redemption he accomplished.
It was a redemption from sin—not from the Romans.
Once again the One who knows will rebuke characters for their slowness to believe. Just like the angels rebuked the women. Here the Stranger rebukes them.
The rebuke is about their understanding of the Old Testament—Read Luke 24:25. They are "slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”
If they understood and believed the prophets, they would understand what the empty tomb means. But they didn’t get the prophets, and so the message of the empty tomb was lost on them.
See that divine “MUST” again – The message of the prophets is that “Was it not necessary (Greek dei) that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
Verses 26–27 – They need an Old Testament lesson, so Jesus teaches one. One of the most famous Bible studies in all the Bible. Read Luke 24:26–27.
“Moses and all the Prophets” – He did a Bible survey looking at all those places where Christ is talked about.
Christianity is not some later evolution of Judaism—like smartphones evolving from vaccumm tube televisions, horse-and-carriage into the automobile.
Christ is the central theme of the Scriptures of Judaism. He was there the whole time.
The Old Testament without the New Testament is like watching a show that ends with the main character in some jam. And then the screen displays, “To be continued.” You’re thinking, “What!”
J.C. Ryle:
Let it be a settled principle in our minds, in reading the Bible, that Christ is the central sun of the whole book. So long as we keep Him in view, we shall never greatly err, in our search for spiritual knowledge. Once losing sight of Christ, we shall find the whole Bible dark and full of difficulty. The key of Bible knowledge is Jesus Christ.
J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke[2]
Now we read of the Big Reveal.
Read Luke 24:28–32.
Verse 31 – “Their eyes were opened” – Leon Morris wonders when Jesus raised the bread to bless it and break it, if “perhaps they saw the nail-marks in Jesus’ hands for the first time” (TNTC, 371).
Read Luke 24:33–49.
Verse 37 – Once again there is seeing but not seeing – They see Jesus but “thought they saw a spirit.”
Verse 38 – Again a rebuke: “Why do doubts arise in your hearts?”
Verse 39–43 – Two finalevidences: “touch me, and see” (v. 39), ate “a piece of broiled fish” (v. 42).
Now their doubts are settled. Now there is faith in their hearts.
Verses 44–45 – Again is a Bible lesson from Christ to his people. This time it’s from “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44).
The Psalms don’t just contain edifying prayers and motivations to worship. They also testify of Christ. The heart of the Jewish prayer book is also a steady refrain of prophecies about Christ.
Once again we see the Divine Necessity, the OT telling us what Christ “MUST” fulfill, what he “MUST” accomplish.
Some of what we read here happens over a span of weeks.[3] The end of Jesus’ words here take place in Jerusalem just before his ascension. But first he’ll go to Galilee, where Matthew’s Great Commission takes place.
Jesus was with his disciples for 40 days after his resurrection (Acts 1:3). In that time, many Bible studies like the one recorded in Luke 24.
Many sessions of Jesus explaining their mission. For God’s people, the application of the resurrection is not just BELIEVE and UNDERSTAND. But it’s BELIEVE, UNDERSTAND, and GO!
Verses 47–49 – Now Jesus moves from explanation to mission. Equipped with faith and understanding, they are called to GO AND PROCLAIM. The message?
The tomb is empty and Christ is risen: Now there is a remedy for our sins. There is “forgiveness of sins in his name”—and only in his name! The Old Testament brought an awareness of sins but no remedy. It held out the promise of a remedy for sins. Now that the tomb is empty and Christ is risen, we can live in the good of God’s forgiveness. It’s no longer a promise waiting to be fulfilled, in Christ it’s a possession that can be enjoyed.
If you turn away from your sins and your life to Christ, you’ll find forgiveness in his name!
That’s the proclamation!
But Luke 24 shows us that having the right message isn’t enough. Knowing the tomb is empty isn’t enough. We can have those truths and yet people will think we’re giving them nothing but “idle tales” (Luke 24:11). People might be “amazed” (Luke 24:22)—but still not believe.
For there to be success in this mission, we need to be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49), clothed with the Holy Spirit! The “promise of the Father.”
This first outpouring will take place at Pentecost. That’s when these disciples will be clothed with power from on high.
But we need that same power. We need that same Pentecostal outpouring to see souls changed. May God bring it!
The giving of the Spirit doesn’t happen without Christ going to the Father’s right hand—because it’s Christ who will pour out the Spirit at Pentecost.
Christ is the one who baptizes in the Spirit.
Luke finishes his gospel with Christ going to the Father’s right hand. Read Luke 24:50–53.
Worship – joy – “continually in the temple blessing God” – that’s how Luke end’s his gospel.
Luke’s gospel began with Zechariah in the temple offering incense – who will disbelieve the angel telling him about his son John the Baptist. He will be unable to speak for the entire pregnancy of his wife Elizabeth.
But here at the end the Christ has come and lived among us. He accomplished the Father’s plan. Ascending to his right hand. And in just a few days he will pour out the Holy Spirit. The church will be “clothed with power from on high,” and then go and proclaim forgiveness in Christ’s name to all the nations.
So, in his own way, Luke’s gospel ends with a message on the screen: “To be continued.” That’s the book of Acts.
There are a lot of things in life you don’t understand and it’s okay. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ isn’t one of them. Take the time to understand it. Glory in the empty tomb. Glory in God’s plan.
The Christ had to suffer and die and rise three days later: It’s what Christ taught, it’s what the Scriptures speak, and it’s what we proclaim.
And in response: BELIEVE, UNDERSTAND, and GO!
A right understanding leads to worship, joy, and mission.
Understanding the Scriptures that everything written about Christ MUST be fulfilled leads to worship, joy, and mission.
Don’t be like those who heard the report of the women, “seemed to them like an idle tale.” When it was completely true.
Don’t be like the two on the road to Emmaus, who missed the Christ in the Scriptures.
Don’t be like those first disciples, who didn’t understand that the Scriptures speak of a forgiveness for sins available in Christ’s name.
Be like those first disciples who “worshiped...with great joy...continually blessing God” (Luke 24:52–53).
Prayer: Father, clothe us with power from on high! Send the Holy Spirit of promise!
[1] In verses 9–10 he used a device called a chiasm with Joanna’s name at the center of it: “these things (tauta)...and to all the rest (tois loipois)...Mary Magdalene...JOANNA...Mary the mother of James...and the other women (hai loipai)... these things (tauta).” On this view of Joanna see David Garland’s Luke commentary (ZECNT), 942–943; and Richard Bauckham’s Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels (Eerdmans, 2002), 192–193.
[2] J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke, 2:501.
[3] On this, see Köstenberger and Taylor, The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived (Crossway, 2014), 192–193.
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