Read the Passage: Luke 24

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: Luke 24

Resurrection of Christ (24:1–12)

Luke 23:55 reported that “certain women” observed where Jesus’ body had been buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Mark 15:47 identifies these women as Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Less. These two women are the “they” (Luke 24:1a) who went to Christ’s tomb on Sunday morning. The “certain other women with them” (Luke 24:1b) are Salome (cf. Mark 16:1), Joanna (cf. Luke 23:10), and perhaps others. Note that these women were not anticipating the resurrection; rather they intended to further anoint Jesus’ body. Yet, upon arriving at the tomb, they found the heavy stone rolled away and “two men . . . in shining garments” (Luke 24:4). These men were angels who informed the women that Jesus was alive. Furthermore, the angels reminded the women that Christ had earlier told them about His coming resurrection.

During His three-year ministry, Jesus repeatedly told His followers about His coming death, burial, and resurrection (cf. Luke 9:22, 44; 12:50; 13:32–33; 17:25; 18:31–33). Yet, despite Christ’s clear teachings, His followers, including the women who came to the tomb, were not expecting His resurrection. This is surprising, for even the religious leaders were aware enough of Jesus’ teachings about His coming resurrection to request a Roman guard for the tomb (cf. Matt. 27:62–64). When the angels’ spoke to the women about Jesus’ prophecies of resurrection, “They remembered His words” (Luke 24:8). Consequently, the women went and told the gathered apostles about what they’d seen. The apostles, however, perhaps being blinded by grief, “did not believe them” (Luke 24:12). To his credit, Peter did go and check the tomb and found it to be empty, as did John (cf. John 20:8).

Road to Emmaus (24:13–32)

Luke 24:13–32 narrates the account of two men, one of whom was named Cleopas, traveling on Sunday from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It is possible that Cleopas was the father of the apostle known as James the Less (cf. Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25). This explains why Cleopas was named, as well as his references to the women at the tomb as being “of our company” (Luke 24:22) and Peter and John being “with us” (Luke 24:24). While traveling, these men met the risen Christ, however they were kept from recognizing Him (cf. Mark 16:12; Luke 24:16; John 20:14). In the narrative, as the two men were discussing Jesus’ trial and death, they were surprised to learn that the stranger apparently was unaware of these events; thus, they summarized the previous three days for the unknown traveler. Given their account of the empty tomb, it invites the question of what these two men were doing leaving Jerusalem.

Beginning in Luke 24:25, Jesus mildly rebuked the men for their unbelief and started to “expound to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). When they arrived at Emmaus, the men “constrained” (Luke 24:29) Christ to stay with them. This must have been on account of Jesus’ teaching, as the two men later reflected together, saying, “Did not our heart burn within us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). Given that Jesus had earlier feigned ignorance about the events in Jerusalem (cf. Luke 24:19), during His exposition on the road, perhaps it should have occurred to the two men that they were in the presence of Christ. Yet, since “their eyes were restrained” (Luke 24:16) and they were “slow of heart” (Luke 24:25), they did not recognize Jesus until He took bread and broke it. Christ then vanished from them.

Appearances of Jesus (24:33–53)

Luke 24:33–53 narrates several appearances of Jesus after His resurrection. In this passage we see Christ appearing to the apostles (cf. Luke 24:33–43), His giving of the Great Commission (cf. Luke 24:44–48), and His ascension (cf. Luke 24:49–53). While Luke presents these as a continuous narrative, from the other Gospels we know that these events actually took place over a forty-day period. Scripture reveals ten separate appearances of Jesus after His resurrection; however, no Gospel writer records them all. Observe that when Christ gave the Great Commission, as He had done for the men on the road to Emmaus, so with all the gathered disciples, “He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). While we might wish to have listened to this teaching, remember that the Holy Spirit still guides believers in the truth of Scripture (cf. John 16:13; 17:17).

Application Questions:

1. Can someone deny the resurrection of Jesus and still be a Christian? What doctrines are essential for salvation?
2. If Joseph and Nicodemus had already anointed Jesus’ body for burial, why did these women intend on anointing Christ further?
3. Did Jesus’ followers not expect His resurrection due to a lack of faith, ignorance, divine blinding, or for some other reason?
4. Since the two men on the road to Emmaus were aware of the empty tomb, how can we explain them leaving Jerusalem?
5. Why was it in the breaking of bread that the two men on the road to Emmaus finally recognized Jesus?