The Risen Jesus (3)

[Luke 24:1-12]

We have already reflected twice on “The Risen Jesus” [focused on John 20:1-10 for “The Risen Jesus (1)” and Matthew 28:1-15 for “The Risen Jesus (2)”]. Today, under the title “The Risen Jesus (3),” we want to receive grace by meditating on the third message centered on Luke 24:1-12.

In today’s text, Luke 24:1-2 says that on “the first day after the Sabbath,” these women went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. Here, “the first day after the Sabbath” means Sunday, the day after the Sabbath which is Saturday, also known as the Lord’s Day. Also, “these women” refers to “Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them” (verse 10). When these women went to Jesus’ tomb early on Sunday morning with the spices they had prepared, they saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. Matthew 28:2 gives a more detailed account: “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled the stone away and sat on it.” Since the Lord’s angel came down from heaven and rolled away the stone that was sealing Jesus’ tomb (verse 28), “these women” saw that the stone had been rolled away (Luke 24:1-2).

Why did the angel come down from heaven and roll away the stone from the tomb? It was not so that the risen Jesus could come out of the tomb. Jesus, having risen and received a glorious body, could easily have come out of the tomb even if the stone was still blocking it. For example, on the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered behind locked doors out of fear of Jewish leaders, the risen Jesus suddenly appeared among them and said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, Contemporary English Version). The reason the angel came down from heaven and rolled away the stone sealing Jesus’ tomb was to testify that Jesus had risen (had come back to life).

In John chapter 11, we read about Jesus raising Lazarus, whom He loved, back to life. Here, it is important to distinguish that Lazarus’s revival was not a “resurrection” but a ‘restoration to life.’ This is because Lazarus’s body after revival was not glorious. Jesus told them to “take away the stone” blocking Lazarus’s tomb (John 11:38-40) so that when Jesus raised Lazarus, he could come out of the cave tomb. Jesus looked up to heaven and said to God the Father, “I know that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” Then He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (verses 41-42). Then Lazarus, still wrapped hand and foot with burial cloths, came out of the tomb (verse 44). However, Jesus’ case is not like Lazarus’s. The angel rolled away the stone not to enable Jesus to come out, but to prove His resurrection.

Because the angel rolled the stone away from the tomb (Matthew 28:2), “these women” (Luke 24:1,10) saw the stone moved and entered Jesus’ tomb (Luke 24:2-3). But when they entered, they did not see Jesus’ body and were “troubled” (verse 4). These women had come with the spices prepared to anoint Jesus’ body (verse 1), but seeing no body, they were troubled. The word “troubled” in the original Greek means ‘perplexed’ or ‘confused.’ The Contemporary English Version translates verse 4 as “They were wondering what had happened.” The reason the women were perplexed on entering the tomb and not finding Jesus’ body was that they had clearly seen Jesus’ body laid in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb (Luke 23:55): “The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.” That is why they returned home to prepare spices and ointments (verse 56, Contemporary English Version). Then on the first day after the Sabbath, early in the morning, they went back to Jesus’ tomb with the spices they had prepared (24:1), saw that the stone had been rolled away, entered, but when they did not find Jesus’ body (verses 2-3), they were perplexed not knowing what had happened (verse 4, Contemporary English Version).

While they were perplexed, “two men” — two angels — in dazzling clothes stood beside them (verse 4). The women were afraid and bowed their faces to the ground (verse 5). The Bible records many people afraid upon seeing angels. One example is Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. While serving as a priest in the temple, offering incense according to his division, an angel of the Lord appeared to him standing at the right side of the altar. Zechariah was startled and terrified when he saw the angel (Luke 1:8-12, Contemporary English Version). Since even the high priest Zechariah was afraid upon seeing an angel, it is understandable that the women were afraid when they saw two angels at Jesus’ tomb (Luke 24:4-5). Then the angels 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” (verses 5-6). Here, “remember” means to recall what Jesus said when He was alive. What did Jesus say while He was alive? Matthew 16:21, 17:23, and 20:19 tell us: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21), “He would be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (17:23), “He will be delivered over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; but on the third day He will be raised to life!” (20:19). Jesus told His disciples three times that He would suffer, be crucified, die, and rise again after three days. The angels told these women to remember Jesus’ words (Luke 24:6).

Jesus took upon Himself my sins and our sins and was crucified on the cross in our place. Jesus died on the cross to save us from the punishment of sin and the punishment of hell, and He rose again on the third day. This is the gospel of the gospel. In other words, the death and resurrection of Jesus are the core of the gospel. The gospel is about “His Son,” that is, Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Romans 1:2). Jesus was put to death because of our sins and was raised to life to justify us (Romans 4:25). The only way to save us from sin is through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The only way to justify us (the way of justification) is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The women who came to Jesus’ tomb (Luke 24:1, 10) remembered the words of the angels, “Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee” (verse 6), and thus remembered Jesus’ three statements (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19) [(Luke 24:8) “They remembered His words”]. In other words, they remembered the words about Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection. That is, they remembered Jesus’ gospel. We also must remember Jesus’ gospel. We must remember Jesus’ death and resurrection. That is, we must remember that Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin and rose again to justify us.

They remembered and returned from the tomb to tell all this to the eleven apostles and others (Luke 24:9), but the apostles who heard their words thought it was nonsense and did not believe them (verse 11, Contemporary Bible). However, Peter got up and ran to Jesus’ tomb; stooping down, he saw the linen cloths inside. Peter was perplexed and went back home (verse 12, Contemporary Bible). John 20 describes this in more detail. Simon Peter went into the tomb and saw the linen cloths and the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The apostle John, who had arrived first, also went in, saw, and believed (John 20:3–8). Thus, Peter and John believed after seeing the linen cloths inside the tomb, but they did not believe because they remembered the words Jesus had said while He was alive. How do we know this? John 20:9 says, “They did not yet understand the Scripture that He must rise from the dead.” On the other hand, the women who came to the tomb remembered the three statements Jesus made while alive (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19) as the angels had said, and believed in Jesus’ resurrection. We should believe in Jesus’ resurrection by remembering His words (the gospel) like these women, rather than only believing after seeing evidence like apostles Peter and John. We must not be like Thomas who said, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). Rather, as Jesus said, we must be those who believe without seeing. John 20:29 says, “Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” And like these women, we must carry the joy of Jesus’ resurrection and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose from the tomb.