Luke 24:1-12
He Is Risen
(Matt. 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; John 20:1–10)
1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still 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 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Jesus not only suffered for our sin and was crucified and buried, but He did the impossible for a mere man afterwards by raising Himself from death to life! He arose from the grave to live and breathe again! When the women who knew Jesus came after the Sabbath weekend to bring spices (Luke 23:55-56)to His grave early in the morning, they discovered that the massive round stone door weighing weighed from one to three tons to the tomb had been somehow rolled back from the opening. It had been sealed by the Romans to keep His dis from stealing the body to claim He arose as promised and it would take many men to kill the guards, unseal it, and then roll the door away to get to Him. According to Matthew 28:2-4, an angel had come down from heaven to move the enormous rock away and shake the earth at the same time to demonstrate the power of God there. By Matthew’s account the Lord was already gone from the tomb before the door was even opened! Then the women saw the angels who looked like men with bright shining clothes as angels often did before and would again before Jesus rose the second time from earth to heaven in Acts 1:10-11 and they spoke hope to the disciples of His return. These angels asked why they were looking for a dead Jesus when He was among the living. They exclaimed, “He is not here, but is risen!” Then they reminded the onlooking women who were in shock and awe how the Lord had told them before that He would be delivered to suffer and die, be crucified, but then rise again on the third day which was that first day of the week at that time they had come to the tomb. Only then did they recall what He had told them when it was brought up to their attention. They ran back to tell His disciples that Jesus Christ was no longer dead, but the apostles did not believe them since they were women probably spinning yarns to them in imagination. Peter, however, took it to heart and ran to the tomb to see for himself and found the burial clothes neatly folded up as if someone awoke and changed into new clothing. Jesus did put on a new incorruptible body as a forerunner (1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 42-44, 49, 51-52) of the ones we will also have in our resurrection because of and in like manner as His. This was then the new clothes He put on and why He was able to leave the old to be seen by the women and Peter. Just as Peter left that sight with these and other thoughts filling his mind with awe and wonder, so we also are left breathless at the thought of Jesus suffering for us, dying on a cursed tree (Deuteronomy 21:22-23, Galatians 3:13) to take the punishment for our sin due to us, being buried as if all hope was lost, but then rising again to give us all eternal hope in the promises of His word of salvation and eternal life after death in Him! He has promised us the same and proved it. We will rise once more after death to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27-28) and of we are found in Him we will be with Him forever forgiven. This is the certain hope of the good news of the life, suffering, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection from death to life (John 5:24) which we have through repentance and faith in God’s work for us which we are incapable of achieving ourselves. On His glorious appearance at His return we shall all find this same awe and wonder of the women and Peter at the empty tomb which will never end! We will behold Him face to face at last!
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