Read or listen The Gospel of Luke, chapter 24 online (ESV, Bible Gateway)

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Accompanied by the Risen Christ - Luke 24

The oldest description of the resurrection is 1 Corinthians 15:3-5. All four evangelists also tell about the events of Easter morning (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark, 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10).

On the morning of the third day – Luke 24:1-12

The first day after the Sabbath (verse 1) corresponds to our Sunday. The Sabbath ended on "Saturday evening" at about 6:00 p.m. The women went out in the evening to buy spices to anoint Jesus' body (Mark 16:1), but they did not go to the tomb until the next morning, at sunrise (Mark 16:2).

The heavy stone at the entrance to Jesus’ tomb had been rolled away, and the tomb was empty (verses 2-3). Angels (verse 24) announced that Jesus had risen from the dead (verses 4-6). In Greek, it is literally said: Jesus "was raised." So it was about God's work, which is often expressed in the passive voice in the Bible (see also Romans 4:24-25, 8:11, 10:9, 1 Peter 1:21).

The empty tomb was the first evidence of Jesus' resurrection. There have been attempts to explain it in a "rational way", i.e. in such a way that the resurrection did not actually happen, e.g.:

1. The women went to the wrong tomb.

- This is contradicted by the fact that the women saw where Jesus' body was laid ("They saw how Jesus' body was laid in the tomb." Luke 23:55).
- Would Peter and John (John 20:3-10) have also gone to the same wrong tomb?
- At the latest, Joseph of Arimathea would have found the right tomb (Luke 23:50-53).

2. The disciples, or someone else, had stolen Jesus' body (compare Matt 28:13).

- This is contradicted by the fact that the tomb was guarded (Matt 27:62-66).
- Would the disciples have been willing to die for a lie?

3. The body had been moved to another tomb.

- If Jesus' body had been somewhere else, the Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders would have brought it out immediately to prove the resurrection claims false.

4. Jesus was only believed to be dead, but woke up in the coolness of the grave.

- How would he have been able to move the heavy stone from the mouth of the grave in that condition?
- Where would Jesus have gone?

The final proof that the women went to the right tomb was the linen cloths that were left in the tomb (verse 12). John says that after going to Jesus’ tomb, he followed Peter into the tomb, “saw the linen cloths and believed”:

"He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed".
(John 20:7-8)

What did John see? The quick anointing had turned the linen cloths into a “case” from which Jesus’ body had disappeared. If the body had been stolen, the linen cloths would have been taken with the body or would have had to be torn.

The appearances of the risen Jesus also prove that the Gospel accounts of Easter morning are true. Women were not considered reliable witnesses at that time ("...but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them" verse 11). If the story were a fabricated legend, more reliable witnesses would certainly have been presented as witnesses to the resurrection.

Joanna (verse 10) is probably the Salome mentioned by Mark (Mark 16:1, see also Luke 8:2-3, 23:55). "Mary the mother of James" could mean the mother of Jesus, since Jesus had a brother named James (Mark 6:3). On the other hand, she could be "the other Mary" (Matthew 28:1). If these two Marys are different from Jesus' mother Mary, she would not have visited the empty tomb on Easter morning.

The third day (verse 7) was foretold in Hosea 6:2:

"After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him."

The chronology of that time was different from ours. Incomplete days were counted as "full." Jesus died on Friday at the ninth hour (about 3:00 p.m.), just before the Sabbath began (Luke 23:44-46). That was the first day. The Sabbath - from Friday evening to Saturday evening - was the second day. After the Sabbath ended, the third day began.

Some Bible scholars have been troubled by the fact that Luke speaks of two angels (verse 4), but Matthew and Mark speak of only one (Matthew 28:5, Mark 16:5). The question seems to be that Matthew and Mark mention only the angel who spoke. Note the similar question in Luke: verse 12 tells us that Peter went to the tomb, but verse 24 speaks of "some" (compare John 20:3-10). The Gospel writer could focus on only one, even if there were others present.

There were only eleven disciples left (verse 9). Luke tells about the death of Judas Iscariot only at the beginning of Acts (Acts 1:16-19).

Christian faith is based on the events of salvation history and the teachings of Jesus (verses 6-8). Jesus had foretold his suffering, death, and resurrection (Luke 9:20, 18:31-33).

On the road to Emmaus – Luke 24:13-35

It is Easter Sunday afternoon (verses 13 and 29). There are several "alternatives" for Emmaus, but the correct place is probably a village called Kubele, which is 60 stadia, or about 11 kilometers/7 miles, west of Jerusalem. The conversation apparently lasted a couple of hours. Jesus joined the disciples already near Jerusalem (verse 18).

Verse 17, "they stood still, looking sad," reveals that the crucifixion had been a huge disappointment to Jesus' disciples (see also verse 21: "But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel"). It is not likely that they expected to see Jesus resurrected, and that the accounts of the resurrection were merely the result of those hopes - as some liberal biblical scholars claim today.

Cleopas (verse 18) was a shortened form of Cleopatros. The Clopas mentioned in John 19:25 may be the same person. His wife's name was Mary, and she stood at the foot of Jesus' cross.

Who was the other traveler? The Church Father Eusebius says in his "Church History" that Cleopas was Joseph's brother and his son Simon - Jesus' cousin - was another traveler. Simon became bishop of Jerusalem after the Jews killed James, the Lord's brother, in the early 60s. Others think that the other traveler was James, because 1 Corinthians 15:7 says that Jesus also appeared to him.

We just do not know who the other traveler was, and where and when the resurrected Jesus first appeared to James and Peter (verse 34: “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”).

Cleopas thought Jesus was a pilgrim who had come to Jerusalem at Easter (v. 18), who was on his way to his place to spend the night. Jesus’ appearance had therefore changed after the resurrection (compare 1 Cor 15:40-44).

In verses 19-21, the "gospel according to Cleopas" is told, that is, the confession of faith about Jesus by the natural human reason: "Jesus was a great man of God, but no more." Islam's understanding of Jesus is the same: a prophet of God, but not God.

Notice in verse 21: "we had hoped..." Two disciples who had lost hope were walking on the road to Emmaus. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, his work would be history, the past. But because Jesus rose from the dead, he still works today. Even the empty tomb had not produced faith (verses 22-24). Faith can only be born from an encounter with the risen Jesus.

Jesus explained the Old Testament to the travelers. He spoke about the entire Old Testament. Verses 27 (and 44) ​​mention all three parts of the Jewish Old Testament:
1. The Law
2. The Prophets
3. The Writings

No individual Bible passages are mentioned, for example Isaiah chapter 53, because the point is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament.

Jesus did not pass by, but came to the place where travelers stayed. In verse 29, "they urged him strongly" is the same Greek word as in Matt 11:12, where it is translated "take it by force." You can enter the kingdom of God if you "strongly urge" Jesus into your life.

How did the disciples finally recognize Jesus? Three explanations have been given:

1. It was about God's work. First Jesus was hidden (verse 16: "But their eyes were kept from recognizing him", where "were kept from recognizing" is the passive voice that describes God's work in the Bible). Then he was revealed: "And their eyes were opened" (verse 31).

2. When Jesus sat down to eat, the roles of guest and host were reversed. The disciples were familiar with Jesus’ mealtime habits. Many supporters of this explanation think that there is a reference to the Lord's Supper, but these two disciples were hardly present when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper (Luke 22:14-23, compare Luke 9:16).

3. The crucifixion wounds on Jesus' wrists were covered by long sleeves as he walked, but when he broke the bread, the sleeves fell down and revealed the nail marks. The crucified were nailed by the wrists, not the palms, as is usually shown in Christian art.
   There is nothing in the palm of the hand that would support the weight of a person, but instead a nail driven between the wrist bones did. This was confirmed when the skeleton of a crucified man was found: nail marks were found in the wrists. The wounds of the crucifixion are the hallmarks of the real, biblical Jesus (verse 40, John 20:27).

It was only by knowing Jesus that the Old Testament scriptures were opened (verse 32: "...while he opened to us the Scriptures"). Previously, they had read the Old Testament in the light of their own preconceptions (verse 25). Jesus was not the expected Messiah of glory but the Suffering Servant of God.

Encountering Jesus also created a sense of urgency and a desire to witness. Others must hear about this too (verses 33-35)! This is true today as well.

Jesus’ appearance to Peter (verse 34) is not recorded in any of the Gospels. Paul refers to it in 1 Corinthians 15:5: "...and that he appeared to Cephas..."

In the evening in the upper hall – Luke 24:36-43

It is very likely that Jesus appeared to his disciples in the "upper room," where Jesus' followers were also gathered before Pentecost (Acts 1:13). The place may have been the home of John Mark (Acts 12:12). It is thought that the institution of the Lord's Supper also took place in the same place (Luke 22:12). The "Upper Hall" shown to tourists in Jerusalem today cannot be the same room, since the Romans destroyed all of Jerusalem in AD 66-72 and AD 132-135. in connection with rebellions. John tells about the same evening in John 20:19-23. Thomas was away, so there were ten disciples present.

In verse 37 the Greek word is “spirit,” not “ghost.” Jesus refuted such a misconception in an irrefutable way: spirits do not eat (verse 43). Christians believe in the “resurrection of the body,” not just some vague “life after death.”

Jesus' appearance appears to have changed: the disciples did not immediately recognize him (verses 37-38, Mark 16:12, Luke 24:16, John 20:13-16, 21:4-8). Paul taught that the resurrection body is different from this earthly, temporal body, but they are still related to each other in the same way as a grain of wheat and the grain plant itself (1 Cor 15:35-58: "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?...What you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body..."; See also Matt 22:29-30).

Some have experienced a contradiction between verse 39 ("a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have") and 1 Corinthians 15:50, where Paul writes: "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." It is worth remembering what Paul writes a couple of verses later: "...the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed" (verse 52). Paul does not teach a "non-bodily" resurrection, but he emphasizes that the future life is not a direct continuation of this life, but is preceded by a change.

Verse 39 tells us the marks of the Christ of the Bible: the wounds of the crucifixion in his hands and feet (see also Rev. 5:6). Christs who lack these hallmarks are fake.

The second appearance of the Risen One also ended with a meal (compare verses 30-31). "Peace to you!" (verse 36) was a common greeting (shalom) among the Jews. Jesus' death and resurrection revealed that Jesus can give us eternal peace, even peace that conquers death (Ephesians 2:17-22).

The purpose of the Gospel book – Luke 24:44-49

These verses are a summary of the entire Gospel of Luke: everything that happened to Jesus was foretold in the Old Testament and happened according to God's will (verse 44). Again, the entire Old Testament testimony about the Messiah is emphasized (verse 44). Psalms was the most important book in the "writings" collection (compare verse 27). It contains many important Messianic prophecies.

Verse 47 is the Great Commission (instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples to spread the gospel to all the nations of the world) in Luke's Gospel (compare Matt 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15). The disciples were told that the atonement for sins on the cross applied to all nations, not just Jews (verse 47).

The Acts of the Apostles tells us that going to the Gentiles did not happen without problems, only the persecution that broke out in Jerusalem forced the apostles to go to non-Jews. First the Samaritans heard the gospel (Acts 8:5-25), then a Gentile convert to Judaism (Acts 8:26-40), and finally "the Gentiles" (Acts 10).

Apostolic preaching included a call for repentance and conversion (verse 47: "repentance for the forgiveness of sins"; Acts 2:38, 5:31; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). In our time, a call for repentance is not fashionable, but we should not speak what is hoped for, but what God wills.

In verse 49 there is a promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the fulfillment of which Luke tells at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:8, see also John 16:7 and Acts 2:16: "But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel...").

This was already foretold in the Old Testament:

"I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit."
(Joel 2:28-29)

Luke focuses on the activities of the resurrected Jesus in Jerusalem. Matthew also tells of events in Galilee (Matt. 28:16-20), as does John (John 20:19-21:19).

John stated the purpose of his Gospel in John 20:30-31. Its goal is to generate faith. Luke ends his book with a "four-point program" for the church.

1. Biblical theology ("It is written" verse 46)

- God has revealed himself in the Bible

2. The gospel belongs to all people ("to all nations" verse 47)

- missionary work is an essential part of the work of the church

3. The Church is built on the testimony of the apostles

- they were eyewitnesses: it is not primarily a matter of doctrine, etc., but of God's activity in history

4. The proclamation of the Gospel can only be done in the power of the Holy Spirit

- it is not a matter of the Church's work in the world, but of God's work in the world, which He does through His Church.

Ascension to Heaven – Luke 24:50-53

Bethany (verse 50) is on the slope of the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12). In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke gives a more precise date: 40 days after Easter. Maundy Thursday is the day of Christ's ascension into heaven.

This time Jesus did not disappear unexpectedly (verse 31). Jesus blessed his disciples as he ascended into heaven (verse 52). The wounds of the crucifixion were visible in his uplifted hands as a reminder of the depth of his love. So the disciples did not grieve but rejoiced (verse 52): they knew that they would not be alone, but that Jesus would be with them every day (Matthew 28:20). See you again in heaven!

Luke’s Gospel began with a thanksgiving offering in the temple (Luke 1:5-8) and ends with the same (verse 53). For Christians, the temple was no longer a place of sacrifice but a place of gathering and proclamation of the gospel (Acts 2:46, 3:1, 5:21,42).

The temple was to be a place where God would meet man. Jesus gave people the opportunity to meet God without sacrifices (Hebrews 9:23-28). Thus, the time of the temple began to come to an end (Luke 21:5-6). The New Testament teaches that every Christian is a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:5).

The encounter with the risen Jesus had made the fearful disciples (John 20:19) bolder: they dared to go among the Jews. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit (verse 49) made them fearless preachers of the gospel (Acts 5:17-21).