Luke 24: 1-32, He is Risen!

Jesus has been buried at the beginning of the Sabbath, just before Friday evening.  The women who had followed Jesus continued to do so, following his body to the tomb and observing where he had been buried.

Luke 24: 1-8, Visit to the tomb
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: `The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" Then they remembered his words.

What are the thoughts of the women as they enter the tomb? What do you think is their reaction afterwards?

Luke 24: 9-12, Peter also
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

As yet we do not have just anyone seeing Jesus. Matthew 28 has the women seeing Jesus before they visit the Eleven. (It also says they saw one angel.) Apparently we have two visits to the empty tomb. First the women (Matt 28: 1-10). Salome and the two Marys are mentioned by Mark.

According to John, Mary Magdalene saw the empty tomb (with stone rolled away). She tells Peter and John. They go to the tomb, John first, but John does not go in. Peter does. No angels. John believes. They leave. Then Jesus appears to Mary (after she tells the disciples the tomb is empty) and Mary sees two angels, one at the foot and one at the head of the tomb. Then that evening he appears to a number of disciples. A week later he appears when Thomas is there. This seems to be all in Judea. Then later (John 21) he appears in Galilee.

Later he appears to them in Galilee (Matt 28: 16 - 20), maybe twice.

Luke 24: 13-24, Emmaus Road
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast.

One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

"What things?" he asked.

"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

The phrase translated "seven miles" in verse 13 is, in Greek, "sixty stadia", that is, about 11 kilometers.

The two men summarize all the recent events, admitting their consternation and despair at the Messiah's death.  No explanation is given for why they do not recognize him here.

Luke 24: 25-32, Emmaus Road

He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ 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.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.

They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

I have always found this event puzzling. Why does Jesus choose these two men to show himself to?And why/how is Jesus' identity kept from these two men? (If the resurrected body is similar, but different to the original, was there something about his appearance that was different? Or had these two men followed him from afar and not really been close to him previously?)

When Jesus breaks the loaf of bread, he is signaling something. At that point they know who he is. (Why do they suddenly recognize him when they eat? Why does he disappear?) This incident is mentioned in Mark 16.

We will finish the Gospel of Luke tomorrow.