Sunday School Lesson
April 1
He Has Risen
Devotional Reading: Luke 24:36-49
Background Scripture: Luke 24:1-35
Luke 24:1-12, 30-35
1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
8 And they remembered his words,
9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
Key Verse
The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.—Luke 24:34
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
- Restate the mystery of Jesus’ missing body and the resolution of that mystery.
- Explain why the women’s preparation was unnecessary.
- Offer a prayer of thanksgiving that God keeps His promises.
Introduction
- An Enduring Proverb
How do we find the strength to go on during the most difficult of times? We might wish we were the victim of a mere April Fool’s Day joke, only to realize our problems are quite real!
Many find encouragement from a proverb of English theologian and historian Thomas Fuller (1608-1661). In his A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine and the Confines Thereof, Fuller wrote, “It is always darkest just before the Day dawneth.” Two centuries later, Irish songwriter Samuel Lover remarked that this saying had become proverbial “amongst the Irish peasantry to inspire hope under adverse circumstances.” Today the same words are used by therapists, self-help gurus, and motivational speakers. “Don’t give up,” is their message. “Better times are ahead!”
We all have experienced dark times that we thought would never end—yet they did end! The crucifixion of Jesus was such a dark time, but it was dispelled by the brightness of the resurrection.
- Lesson Background
Luke 23:54 is clear that Jesus was crucified and buried on the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath (see also Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; John 19:14, 31, 42). Luke 23:56 further indicates that the women prepared “spices and ointments” on the day of preparation so as not to violate the Sabbath. Mark 16:1 states the spices were for anointing Jesus’ body, and John 19:39, 40 demonstrates the Jews’ burial custom of wrapping a body in linen clothes and spices. This was not an easy task, at least in the case of Jesus, as John 19:39 reveals use of about 100 Roman pounds (about 75 modern pounds) of myrrh and aloes.
- Witness of the Women
(Luke 24:1-12)
The focus in Luke 24 on the witness of certain women has Luke 23:50-56 as its point of departure. What follows presupposes that the women knew the location of the sepulchre; indeed they did, because they had watched Joseph of Arimathaea place Jesus’ body there (compare Matthew 27:61). The same is not said of any of the remaining eleven apostles, although at least two of them seem to know exactly where the sepulchre is (John 20:3, 4).
- Prepared with Spices (v. 1)
- Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
The first day of the week is Sunday; the day of preparation (Friday) and the Sabbath (Saturday) are past. They refers to the women from Luke 23:55, 56. Combining the observation that it is now very early in the morning with a sunset-to-sunset understanding of transition from one day to the next (Luke 23:54) leaves no doubt that this is the third day (compare Matthew 16:21; 17:22, 23; 20:17-19). Regarding the spices which they had prepared, see the Lesson Background.
- Unprepared for the Scene (vv. 2, 3)
- And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
Archaeologists have uncovered hundreds of tombs within three miles of Jerusalem. Many have stones that can be rolled away like the one mentioned here. Mark 16:4 records that the stone over Jesus’ sepulchre was “very great.” And since limestone weighs about 170 pounds per cubic foot, even a stone of moderate size means substantial weight. If the stone is three feet in diameter and one foot thick, then the resulting volume of seven cubic feet computes to a weight of about 1,200 pounds. A stone four feet across would weigh over a ton.
- And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
Jesus’ missing body is the central, dramatic element of Luke 24. Luke stresses this as he builds to the climax of his Gospel in order to establish that Jesus’ body is missing for a reason.
- Angelic Explanation (vv. 4-8)
4, 5. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
The women’s confusion about the missing body doesn’t last long as it gives way to fear. The two men who elicit the fear are expressly identified as angels in Luke 24:23 (see also John 20:12). Matthew 28:2 and Mark 16:5 mention just one angel, likely because the focus is on the speaker only.
Fear at the appearance of an angel is apparent in the writings of Luke (Luke 1:11, 12, 29; 2:9; Acts 10:3, 4). In other appearances, angels tell people not to fear. But here there is no such admonition. The women’s response of bowing appears to be instinctual. Abraham reacted the same way to the three men in Genesis 18:2, as did Lot regarding the two angels in Genesis 19:1. Bowing also seems to be a common act of respect for authority in the ancient Near East, as seen in Genesis 33:3; 42:6; and Ruth 2:10.
The angel’s concluding question is valid but incomprehensible to the women. The women have not yet seen Jesus alive, and they do not expect to. Even so, a hint to the mystery of the missing body is embedded in the angel’s question.
What Do You Think?
How can we ensure we relate to Jesus as living Lord and not as a long-dead historical figure?
Points for Your Discussion
In the form and content of our prayers
In how we talk about Him
Considering the degree to which we keep His commandments (John 14:15, 21)
Other
- He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee.
The angels state the most important fact in all of history when they declare the reason for the absence of Jesus’ body—that He is risen. Then the angels give the women a command: to remember the words of Jesus while He was still with them in Galilee. These verses form the beginning of a poetic sandwich using the word remember.
We can note in passing the curious fact that Jesus’ enemies remember His prediction of rising from the dead (Matthew 27:62, 63) but His followers do not!
Because I Promised
A friend and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary not long ago. The husband admitted in a touching tribute that their years together had not been without struggle. “Marriage has been hard sometimes—much harder than we expected,” he said. Despite the difficulties they experienced, they stayed together. “After one extended difficult patch, I asked my wife why she stayed. I didn’t like her answer: ‘Because I promised.’ I thought she’d say something about my charm or my being a good guy under it all. But it was nothing about me—it was about the promise. On our wedding day she said she would.”
Reading this, I thought about the times in my own marriage when things have been less than what I thought they’d be. During those times, I often remembered the day I stood before all my family and friends, before God, and before my husband and promised to love him even when it was hard. That promise we made holds us together. It trickles down to our children, who live under the umbrella of that bond. As my friend so aptly put it, “Keeping a promise requires more of us—it makes us better. And receiving a promise is a gift. It brings a priceless sense of security.”
God promised that a Savior would come, and God kept that promise. Then Jesus promised that He would rise again, and He did. Is it not glorious to serve a promise-keeping God?
—L. M. W.
How to Say It
ArimathaeaAir-uh-muh-thee-uh (th as in thin).
EmmausEm-may-us.
GalileeGal-uh-lee.
MagdaleneMag-duh-leen or Mag-duh-lee-nee.
PhariseeFair-ih-see.
sepulchresep-ul-kur.
- Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
This verse is the center of the verbal sandwich begun in verse 6. The angels remind the women of the words of Jesus that they should not have forgotten in the first place. These, the most critical of Jesus’ words, have been lost to conscious thought—possibly because Jesus’ followers did not wish to believe them (compare Matthew 16:21, 22).
- And they remembered his words.
This is the conclusion of the verbal sandwich begun in verse 6. The sequence says something. The first encounter on this the third day is not between the risen Jesus and the women. Rather, the first encounter is with angels who bear an imperative to remember his words. We do well to apply this imperative to our lives daily!
What Do You Think?
How do lives focused on the resurrection differ from those that are not?
Points for Your Discussion
Regarding outlook on sin
Regarding outlook on suffering
Regarding outlook on salvation
Other
- Apostolic Disbelief (vv. 9-12)
- And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
The return of the women to Jerusalem echoes their previous return in Luke 23:56, but this time the reason is quite the opposite! Instead of preparing spices to anoint the dead body of Jesus, they return with the message of the live body of Jesus. Mention of the eleven highlights the fact that these are “the twelve” of Luke 22:47 minus Judas the betrayer.
10, 11. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
Luke indicates there are at least five women involved, with three being named. Mary Magdalene is recorded by the Gospels as being present at the crucifixion of Jesus, at His burial, and at the empty tomb early Sunday morning. She was delivered from demon possession by Jesus, which helps us understand her devotion to Him (Luke 8:2). Joanna is the wife of an official in the household of Herod, the king of Galilee (8:3).
Mary the mother of James is further defined as being “the mother of James and Joses” in Matthew 27:56. This may be Matthew’s way of referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus, for she had sons named James and Joses (Mark 6:3). It would be odd, however, that Jesus’ mother would not be identified as such at this point rather than by the names of two of Jesus’ half-brothers (compare Acts 1:14). So it is more likely that the Mary in view here is a different woman from Galilee.
In any case, these women are followers of Jesus. But that is not enough to make their account of the empty tomb credible to the rest. Instead, those gathered (including the apostles) dismiss their story as idle tales (compare Acts 12:14, 15). We can imagine the disappointment and hurt these faithful women must feel at not being believed.
What Do You Think?
How can we prepare to respond to those who struggle to believe in the resurrection?
Points for Your Discussion
Regarding awareness of presuppostions (Acts 17:31, 32; 23:6-8; 26:8; etc.)
Regarding context of the interaction (Acts 2:22-36; 10:34-43; 13:14-41; etc.)
Regarding our demeanor when challenged
Other
- Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
This section of the account began with the women returning to the eleven apostles, but it ends with a focus on only one of them: Peter. The biblical record is clear that he is a key figure among the apostles, and especially in the resurrection accounts. In Mark 16:7 the angel specifically instructs the women to tell Peter that Jesus is going to Galilee and the apostles will see Him there. The fact that he is wondering in himself at that which was come to pass indicates that he needs a reminder of Jesus’ words just as much as the women did.
- Epiphany at Emmaus
(Luke 24:30-35)
Luke 24:13-29 sets the stage for the next segment. Jesus has appeared unrecognized to two disciples on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The nature of the conversation and the fading of daylight impels the two to invite the incognito Jesus to remain with them. But before everyone turns in for the night, a meal is shared.
- Instant Awareness (vv. 30-32)
- And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
Contexts of meals, eating, and drinking are important vehicles for portraying kingdom truths in Luke’s Gospel (examples: Luke 5:27-39; 7:36-50). Mealtimes in this Gospel are dramatic and suspenseful. Concerning the case at hand, the drama has been building since 24:13, with the climax now unfolding.
The similarity between Jesus’ actions in this verse and His earlier actions in Luke 22:19 are intriguing. There Jesus “took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them” in instituting the Lord’s Supper. Does Jesus intend the current situation to be a reminder of the previous?
Three factors suggest the answer is no. First, Jesus has said that He “will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16). Second, no cup is mentioned (compare 22:17, 20). Third, the blessing and breaking of bread was not something unique to the last supper (see Matthew 14:19).
- And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
On the other hand, some students say that a certain link with the Lord’s Supper is suggested by the fact that Jesus’ dining companions are able to recognize Him as soon as Jesus gives them bread, recalling that Luke 22:19 has Jesus distributing bread as He says, “This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” Up to this point in Luke 24, Jesus’ body has been missing or otherwise kept from being recognized. This is the point in Luke’s resurrection account where that changes.
An interplay of physical and spiritual blindness may also be intended by Luke. Jesus’ two hosts for the meal are men whose eyes have been “holden that they should not know him” (Luke 24:16); concurrently, they had received a tongue lashing from Jesus, who called them “fools, and slow of heart to believe” (24:25). The suggested connection is that the lifting of their spiritual blindness (see 24:32, next) had to happen before they were able to recognize Jesus physically.
The gospel message includes Jesus’ proclaiming “recovering of sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18). This is not limited to those who are physically unable to see. It also (and more importantly) addresses the need of those who lack spiritual awareness.
- And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
The expression of heart burn here does not refer to indigestion, but rather to a sense of longing or excitement that comes while learning truth. We should notice the sequence: (1) the correcting of deficient understanding of the Scripture while on the road to Emmaus was accompanied by burning hearts; (2) that correction in turn has led to the ability to recognize Jesus; and now (3) the two disciples comprehend the connection between (1) and (2).
What Do You Think?
How can we maintain hunger for God’s Word?
Talking Points for Your Discussion
Regarding positive thoughts and behaviors to reinforce
Regarding negative thoughts and behaviors to eliminate
- Return to Jerusalem (v. 33)
- And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them.
The general designation “two of them” in Luke 24:13 leaves open the possibility that the one who is unnamed (see 24:18) is an apostle if 24:13 is read as a direct continuation of 24:9-12. That possibility is negated by the fact that these two men find the eleven gathered together in Jerusalem.
The action of and reporting by the two men bears similarities to those of the women in Luke 24:9. Although “the day is far spent” (24:29), they have the light of the nearly full moon by which to walk, since the Feast of Passover, recently completed, occurs during full moon. They cannot wait until morning to share their experience. So they scurry the seven miles (24:13) back to Jerusalem.
- Resurrection Confirmed (vv. 34, 35)
- Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
The men return to Jerusalem only to hear from the eleven and the others what they now already believe and have experienced, that the Lord is risen indeed. This is the focus of all accounts in Luke 24 and the central idea of what is commonly called Easter today. Statement parallels in Luke 24 form a certain long-standing Easter tradition in churches. In 24:9, the women pass along the angelic claim that the Jesus is risen; now some or all those in Jerusalem affirm the Lord is risen indeed. In many services today, a worship leader will declare, “He is risen,” to which the congregation responds, “He is risen indeed!”
Those gathered also confirm that the Lord has appeared to Simon. This is Peter’s other name (see Luke 5:8; 6:14); he also is known as Cephas (John 1:42). But wait—why isn’t this described here? When Peter last appears in Luke 24:12, the Lord has not appeared to him. Now we read that He has. Is something missing?
The short answer is no. Like all careful historians, Luke chooses what to include and what not to (compare John 21:25). Each Gospel makes its unique contribution of detail.
What Do You Think?
How can we encourage each other in our faith in the risen Lord?
Points for Your Discussion
When nonbelievers mock our faith
When the pressures of life seem heaviest
Other
Disappearance
In the early days of the United States, rugged settlers braved the unknown to explore beyond the Appalachian Mountains. One such was James Harrod, who trapped and traded in what would later become Kentucky. Eventually, he helped found a settlement in 1774 that became known as Harrodsburg.
Over the years, Harrod married and had a family. He became involved in politics and farming and grew wealthy. He also used his skills to help the military periodically.
But Harrod became increasingly solitary, sometimes taking long trips into the wilderness alone. He disappeared on one such trip, leaving behind a wife, daughter, and stepson. His family searched for him, and many theories regarding his disappearance evolved.
Some people said they saw him alive and that he even told them he planned to return home eventually. Some said he went back to a secret wife and family in the wilderness. Others said he had been killed by Indians. His daughter claimed a fellow hunter had murdered him and hidden the body. But no body was ever discovered, and all trails eventually went cold.
James Harrod lived a life of distinction, but when he disappeared, he did not return. The life Jesus lived was more distinctive by far, He did return from the grave, and He promised to return again from Heaven. His resurrection proves Him to be more than just a unique leader—far more.
—L. M. W.
- And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
This verse serves as a transition to Jesus’ appearance in verse 36. It also is a summary statement of all that has happened to the two men from Luke 24:13 until now. Jesus’ body was missing from the tomb, but found when he was known of them in breaking of bread, with bread perhaps serving to represent Jesus’ body—the main focus of the drama of Luke 24. He is risen!
Conclusion
- Remembering the Risen Lord
Although many Christians say “He is risen” to one another only at Easter, there are some churches where Christians greet each other regularly with “He is risen!” This practice reminds them that the body of Jesus is missing from the tomb for a reason: because He is risen now and forever. This should be remembered daily, not just at Easter. The resurrection of Christ has daily implications, consisting of both blessings and responsibilities, for all believers.
- Prayer
Father, thank You for keeping Your promises by raising Jesus from the dead! Help us to trust You more because You are trustworthy. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
- Thought to Remember
No darkness can overshadow the Son.
Kids
Perfect Predictions with Perfect Timing
Luke 24:1-12
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Luke 24:1-12 & 30-35
(Luke 24:1) But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
Because of the Passover and the coming Sabbath, Jesus was hastily buried in a cave-like tomb and a huge stone was rolled in front of the door to seal it. Spices had been given to prepare the body for burial, but Jesus’ body was not embalmed and the spices had not been left in His tomb. The spices were taken to the tomb early Sunday morning by the women. Even though His body was not prepared for burial, His body did not see decay or any decomposition before God raised Him from the dead in fulfillment of the Scriptures. Peter preached, “Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, ‘He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption’” (Acts 2:31). As Hosea indicated, “his appearing is a sure as the dawn,” and the women found the tomb empty “at early dawn” (Hosea 6:3).
(Luke 24:2) And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
Though two Roman guards had been stationed to guard the tomb because the religious leaders had feared that His disciples would steal Jesus’ body, the women found the tomb abandoned by the guards and the stone rolled away from the tomb door.
(Luke 24:3) but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
They entered the cave or tomb (which would have been similar to the tomb in which Lazarus was buried before Jesus raised him from the dead — see John 11). They found the tomb no longer contained Jesus’ body. As yet, they did not know that Jesus was raised from the dead.
(Luke 24:4) While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;
The women did not understand the meaning of the empty tomb. Grieving, having come prepared to anoint the body of the one they loved, they did not know what to think. Suddenly two men dressed in dazzling white appeared to them. To fulfill the Scriptures regarding the number of eyewitnesses that are needed to be accepted as legal testimony two witnesses had to speak to the women (see Deuteronomy 17:6, Matthew 18:16, John 8:17, 2 Corinthians 13:1, and Revelation 11:3). Luke did not identify them as angels; rather, he recorded exactly what the women said they saw without drawing any additional conclusions. We know from the women’s response to these men and other gospel accounts and descriptions that these men were angels.
(Luke 24:5) and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?
These witnesses appeared suddenly in the appearance of holiness, so the women were terrified and humbly bowed their heads. The angels asked them why they were among the dead, for Jesus had risen from the dead. The empty tomb was evidence that Jesus had risen from the dead. Additional evidence of His resurrection included what Jesus had prophetically told them earlier and Jesus had fulfilled His prophecy; therefore, the tomb was empty: “Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life’” (Luke 9:21-22). See also, Luke 13:32, when Jesus spoke to the Pharisees about King Herod wanting to kill Him: “He replied, ‘Go tell that fox, I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’” Presumably, if they had understood and believed Jesus’ prophetic words, the women (and later Peter and John) would not have gone to the tomb, but would have waited for Jesus to come to them (which He did when He appeared in the upper room and other places to overcome their lack of belief and give understanding to His disciples).
(Luke 24:6) “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,
The angels went on to explain the empty tomb based on the words of Jesus, the Word of God. Before they ever travelled to Jerusalem, Jesus had told them in Galilee what would happen to Him in Jerusalem. Jesus did not need to go to the city to get a sense of how He would be accepted or not. He knew exactly how He would be accepted before Palm Sunday. He knew He would be praised by the crowds. He knew how He would die at the hands of sinners, and He knew He would rise from the dead. Jesus was a prophet. What Jesus foretold happened, so He was a true prophet of God as well as the Son of God, Lord, and Savior.
(Luke 24:7) saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”
The women and the disciples of Jesus hardly understood or believed Jesus’ prophecy in Galilee. Jesus called himself “the Son of Man.” Based upon all that Jesus had done as the Son of Man, they would not believe that Jesus “would not” or “could not” save himself from crucifixion and death. They knew that Jesus could save himself from sinners, because He had done it before (see Luke 4:28-30). Jesus, the Son of God, preferred to use the title “Son of Man” when speaking of himself, because that was His way of claiming to be the long-expected Messiah. As Son of God, Jesus is fully God; as Son of Man, Jesus is fully human. Jesus foretold exactly how many days He would be in the tomb, and His rising on the third day also proved to be correct.
(Luke 24:8) And they remembered His words,
When they were reminded, they remembered. Reading the Bible repeatedly helps us remember and see connections between one verse and another verse in different Bible books (for example, compare Luke 24:1 and Hosea 6:3). Reading the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit and teachers (these two angels were teachers) will deepen our faith. Up to this point, the women now had three reasons to believe Jesus was alive: the tomb was empty: two angels had told them He was alive; Jesus had told them what to expect “He would rise on the third day,” and He fulfilled His prophecy.
(Luke 24:9) and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
The women went immediately to tell the disciples and the others gathered with them what they had witnessed. These fearful followers of Jesus had gathered to grieve. They feared the authorities, who might try to arrest and kill them too, because they believed that with Jesus’ death they were unprotected.
(Luke 24:10) Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
The women gave eyewitness accounts and quoted the words of Jesus (the Bible) to Jesus’ followers. More than one witness told what they had seen and heard, and Luke named the primary eyewitnesses. The apostles had (and we have) good and sufficient evidence and reasons to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day. What Jesus prophesied and what these women experienced and reported was and is today good enough evidence for anyone to believe that Jesus was crucified, dead, buried and rose on the third day.
(Luke 24:11) But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.
Jesus chose His disciples to represent Him before the world and to build His Church, and His disciples were the first to hear the women’s testimony, but they had been crushed with disappointment and sadness when Jesus was crucified and did not save himself, so they would not believe the women. They wanted more evidence than the women’s testimony to believe. The fact that these apostles found it difficult to believe, but eventually believed after Jesus appeared to them too is additional evidence that Jesus actually rose from the dead; and by doing so, He overcame all their fears of the political and religious authorities in Judea and elsewhere.
(Luke 24:12) But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.
Along with the women, Peter knew exactly where Jesus had been buried. Perhaps because Peter was the Rock upon whom Jesus chose to build His Church, Peter immediately ran to the tomb. He found the tomb exactly as the women had described; other gospel writers give more details of Peter’s visit to the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying by themselves, which may mean that Peter saw them collapsed where the body of Jesus had been laid because Jesus had passed through the cloths when He was resurrected from the dead. [Jesus could also pass through the stone door to the tomb, since He could pass through locked doors and walls to appear to His disciples in the upper room. The stone was rolled away to allow the women to enter the tomb, not to let Jesus out of the tomb.] Peter might have seen the cloths carefully folded and set to one side. In any event, no one would have stolen Jesus’ body without taking the shroud that covered Him with them still wrapped around His body. So, the linen cloths in the otherwise empty tomb are additional evidence for the resurrection of Jesus and that Peter had gone to the right tomb. Peter left the tomb amazed, and he would later meet Jesus himself according to Jesus’ perfect timing.
(Luke 24:30) When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
Later that day, Jesus met two of His followers on the road to Emmaus and explained the Scriptures about himself to them. When they arrived at Emmaus, they invited Jesus to eat with them (not knowing at the time that it was Jesus who had been walking with them). When we read this verse, we naturally think of Jesus’ Last Supper. These two may or may not have been at Jesus’ Last Supper (which we think of as exclusively for the 12 disciples, because of many paintings of the Last Supper). As their teacher on the road, Jesus would have naturally offered a prayer and broken and distributed the bread at their meal. They would have seen Jesus do this on other occasions when He fed His disciples or fed the crowds. They would have recognized His hands as His hands, just as we recognize the hands or mannerisms of a loved one when we have seen them used often. Luke does not tell us if they saw the marks of crucifixion on His hands or not, but perhaps they did.
(Luke 24:31) Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
God opened their eyes and the eyes of their understanding in Jesus’ manner of breaking the bread and praying. The very moment they recognized Jesus, they would have tried to detain Him and talk more to Him, but His time of visitation was complete, and He had taught them all they needed to know at that time; so, He vanished from their sight. As God, He could stay with them invisibly and be with others at the same time wherever people were. As God, He could give them the strength to walk the 7 miles back to Jerusalem that very night, which they did.
(Luke 24:32) They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”
Studying the Scriptures with the light the Holy Spirit gives to our understanding and our comprehending new truths from the Bible that are life-changing at that very moment can create a feeling within us that can be described as “our hearts burning within us.” Jesus gave these two on the road to Emmaus what the Holy Spirit sometimes gives believers today when they study the Bible. The Holy Spirit through Bible teachers and preachers can open the meaning of the Bible to us in ways that help us come to believe in the truth of the Bible and trust Jesus in an instant.
(Luke 24:33) And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,
In addition to the testimony of the women in the morning, later that night or very early the next morning, the disciples and some other followers of Jesus received the testimony of the two men who had met Jesus at night on the road to Emmaus. The angels had referred to the words of Jesus (the Bible) when they spoke to the women. Luke reported that Jesus also pointed these two on the road back to what the Bible taught: “Jesus said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:25-27). When talking to them, in a subtle and gentle way, Jesus implied that all who had heard the women’s testimony should have believed He had risen because of what the Bible taught about Him and what He would do.
(Luke 24:34) saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.”
Luke did not describe the details of the Lord’s appearance to Simon Peter. When teaching about Jesus’ resurrection, the Apostle Paul wrote, “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve” (1 Corinthians 15:4-5). The disciples apparently came to believe the truth only after Jesus had appeared to Peter (what Jesus told him at this first appearance to Peter we do not know), which substantiated what the women had told them earlier as well as confirmed what the Bible taught about the Messiah.
(Luke 24:35) They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
After the two men learned about the Lord’s appearance to Simon and before the Lord appeared to all the other disciples, they reported their experience. They described how they had recognized Jesus in breaking the bread, perhaps relating something very distinctive about the way the Lord Jesus prayed and broke bread before supper. No doubt, with the help of the Holy Spirit, they told the disciples all that Jesus had taught them about the Bible and how the Bible taught about His coming, dying, and rising from the dead to save us from sin. After this, the Eleven were ready to see and receive the resurrected Jesus personally and come to believe in Him as their Messiah, Lord, and Savior; for Luke reported, “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (Luke 24:36).
Perfect Predictions with Perfect Timing
Luke 24:1-12
Sunday, April 1, 2018
. “He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:6-7—KJV).
“Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again” (Luke 24:6-7—NRSV). When the angels met the women at Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning, they gave them good reasons to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. Unlike what everyone expected of the Messiah, everything Jesus had foretold about His going to Jerusalem and His suffering, death, and resurrection had come true exactly as He had prophesied when they were still in Galilee. First, when Judas betrayed Jesus and led the guards to arrest Him, Jesus was handed over to sinners. Second, instead of being stoned to death as was the custom of the Jews according to the Law of Moses, Jesus said He must be condemned to a cross, which was the Roman way of executing criminals. Later, the Apostle Paul explained how Jesus not only foretold His way of death, but Jesus died according to the Scriptures: “For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). To qualify as God’s promised Messiah, Jesus had to fulfill many difficult prophecies; including, execution on a cross and being sealed in a tomb, rising in a human body and appearing to many witnesses. Not only did Jesus need to rise from the dead perfectly, but His arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection had to be timed perfectly during a three day period according to the Old Testament and Jesus’ predictions.
Thinking Further
Perfect Predictions with Perfect Timing
Luke 24:1-12
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Name __________________________________________
- What is one fact about Jesus’ resurrection that you remember from other books of the Bible that Luke does not include in these verses or in his book?
- Why do you think the apostles would not believe the women?
- Why do you believe in Jesus’ resurrection?
- In addition to the eyewitness accounts they had heard about Jesus having risen from the dead, what other important evidence did Jesus give these two people in His efforts to convince them that He was alive?
- Why do you think Jesus did not appear to all the disciples until after the women and the two who saw Jesus on the road to Emmaus reminded them of what the Bible taught and what Jesus had taught them earlier?
Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further
- What is one fact about Jesus’ resurrection that you remember from other books of the Bible that Luke does not include in these verses or in his book? After His resurrection, Jesus helped seven of His disciples catch some fish; then, He fed them fish and talked personally to Peter and John (John 21).
- Why do you think the apostles would not believe the women? They were in too much disappointment and shock. They may not have given the women credit for reporting their experience rightly.
- Why do you believe in Jesus’ resurrection? The Bible tells me so, and I have a personal relationship with Jesus.
- In addition to the eyewitness accounts they had heard about Jesus having risen from the dead, what other important evidence did Jesus give these two people in His efforts to convince them that He was alive? He taught them what the Bible (the Old Testament) taught about Him and what He would do. He performed a familiar act when He broke the bread before their eyes, and then He disappeared.
- Why do you think Jesus did not appear to all the disciples until after the women and the two who saw Jesus on the road to Emmaus reminded them of what the Bible taught and what Jesus had taught them earlier? Jesus wanted their faith to be built on what the Bible taught, not upon magic, miracles, or appearances. Magicians can perform at least some “miracles”; such as the magicians in Egypt before the eyes of Moses and Pharaoh, but they could not duplicate the LORD’s mighty miracles through Moses. Magicians can make people disappear and appear again, but not in the many ways that Jesus appeared prior to His ascension into heaven. Therefore, it was important for them and equally important for us to base our faith on what the Bible teaches and the eye witness accounts in the Bible so we will not be misled by deceivers: “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist” (2 John 1:7).
Word Search
Perfect Predictions with Perfect Timing
Luke 24:1-12
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Name ___________________________
Q O L D Y H I X O M X Y D O Y
J U X W B W O M E N G N E U M
S D R S T O N E B M F Y M N A
G E O H N K M C D J P B A L G
M N C F G I N R F C U Z E Q D
V D I I A O D H Y R G O L J A
G L E V P L E B I J K D G V L
B R Q S I S A E N Y E W S T E
A E X J I L D W L I B O D Y N
W B P D R A X A F O A W N P E
O M O M U Z R I B M I X K R A
A E N W Q E C M J E S U S O B
Z M A P T U O P U H A P R A G
L E Y O R T Z Y Z P Y Z N L T
I R F C J L O R D X B I S K D
Women
Spices
Tomb
Stone
Body
Lord
Remember
Two
Gleamed
Living
Dead
Crucified
Buried
Raised
Magdalen
True and False Test
Perfect Predictions with Perfect Timing
Luke 24:1-12
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Name ___________________________
Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.
- Peter and John carried the heavy spices for the women who went to the
tomb of Jesus. True or False
- Peter and John helped roll the stone away with the help of two angels.
True or False
- When the women entered the tomb, the body of the Lord Jesus was
missing. True or False
- When the women saw that the tomb was empty, they believed that Jesus had risen from the dead as He had told them He would. True or False
- The angels asked the women why they were looking for the living among the dead. True or False
- The angels told the women to remember what Jesus had told them when they were in Galilee. True or False
- Jesus had to be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. True or False
- Only Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James went to the tomb. True or False
- The apostles believed the women because they knew the teachings of Jesus. True or False
- Jesus appeared to Simon before He appeared to the other apostles. True or False
True and False Test Answers
Luke 24:1-12 & 30-35
- False
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- False
10.True
Prayer
Father, thank You for keeping Your promises by raising Jesus from the dead! Help us to trust You more because You are trustworthy. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.