Luke 24

The women who travelled to the tomb where Jesus was buried very early on Sunday morning did not find there what they expected to find. They came with burial spices hoping to show their respect for Jesus by caring for His dead body. There is no indication that they were expecting the resurrection. They did believe in the resurrection of the dead, but they understood that this would happen in connection with a final judgment that would come at the culmination of all things. An earlier resurrection of the Messiah, only three days after His death, was very unexpected, despite our Lord’s Word guaranteeing that this very thing would take place.

Even from the outset of His ministry (John 2:19), Jesus had predicted it with these subtle words, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He had clearly instructed his disciples about this in Luke 18:33 saying of the Son of Man after His coming death, “On the third day he will rise.” Yet the disciples were not waiting there that morning, and the women were bringing burial spices. In fact, there is no indication that anyone believed that He would rise from the dead that Sunday morning. There were some who were concerned, and their words prove that his prediction of a speedy resurrection was not a closely held secret. We read of the words of His enemies after His death in Matthew 27:63, “We remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’” It was based on this information that Pilate agreed to a guard of soldiers who were to make the tomb as secure as they could. Despite their efforts, it remains a fact of history that on that first day of the week, Jesus rose from the dead.

On that Sunday morning a stone had been rolled away. On that day the tomb did not contain the body of Jesus. On that day angels announced that Jesus was alive. On that day, Peter saw linen grave cloths lying by themselves. On that day, they heard reports that seemed like idle tales, and they all remembered what He had told them about the third day, and they still found it very hard to believe what admitted of no other explanation.

On that day, a follower of Jesus named Cleopas and his companion had heard a report about an empty tomb, and an angel message, but they did not believe. We know they did not believe because as they were walking along the road their hearts were dejected. They thought that all hope was lost, and that Jesus could not have really been the Redeemer. They also knew about the Word that Jesus had spoken earlier concerning the third day, but they were unable to be happy, because their eyes were closed to the truth of the resurrection.

Their travelling Companion along the road somehow remained unknown to them, even though He corrected them in their foolishness, and told them that they were “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” This Companion taught them from the Old Testament, showing them the truth of the Messiah from the Scriptures, the truth that the Christ needed to suffer and enter into His glory. It was only later, in the breaking of the bread, that the risen Christ was revealed to them. The one who opened up the Scriptures to them was the very One who was spoken of in those Scriptures. But then, He was gone. Still they knew then that He was alive, not only because of their newly opened eyes, but because their hearts had burned within them while He talked to them on the road.

As they returned with great enthusiasm to the larger group of disciples, suddenly things were happening. Peter had seen the Lord, and then Christ Himself was suddenly standing among them, announcing the peace of God upon them all. Still they were afraid, and it was hard for them to believe what had to be true. He had to draw attention to His hands and feet, which bore the emblems of His crucifixion, and invited them to touch Him, to look at Him, and He ate food.

Once again, now with the apostles present, He directed their attention especially to the Scriptures, teaching them from the entire Hebrew Bible the truths that were written about Him there, using the three categories of Law, Prophets, and Writings or Psalms. It was from an illuminated understanding of the existing Scriptures that the church and her leaders could know that the Messiah had to suffer and die, that He had to rise from the dead on the third day, and that they had to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

In order for this mission to move forward, one more major event would soon take place, an event that the Lord told them to wait for, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon them after His ascension to heavenly realms. By this pouring out of the Spirit of God, they would be clothed with heavenly power to do kingdom of God work. With the giving of the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father, and with the benediction of the Son of God, now ascending on high, the Word of the Scriptures would be proclaimed throughout the earth, and the worshipers of God would be gathered from every tribe and tongue and nation. Now they did understand, and they waited for the promise, worshiping Jesus continually with great joy and expectation.