1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet 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 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. (Luke 24:1-12 KJV)
The Resurrection
The manner in which Christ’s soul and body were reunited in his resurrection is a mystery—one of those secret things that belong to God. But the undeniable evidence of his resurrection, proving that he truly rose from the dead and is the Son of God, has been revealed and is meant for us and our children. Some of that proof is given here, which recounts the same essential events recorded in Matthew and Mark.
We see the affection and devotion of the women who had followed Christ (Luke 24:1). As soon as the Sabbath ended, they came to the tomb to anoint his body—not to remove it from the linen Joseph had wrapped it in, but to anoint the head, face, and perhaps the wounded hands and feet, and to scatter spices around the body. This was much like how we scatter flowers on the bodies or graves of loved ones—not to change the reality of death, but to express love and make the scene less painful.
The zeal of these women endured. The spices they had prepared before the Sabbath, at great cost, were not reconsidered or redirected the next day; instead, they brought them to the tomb early in the morning. As Scripture says, “Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give” (2 Corinthians 9:7). What is prepared for Christ should be used for him.
Luke 24:1 and 24:10 name Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, along with others. These women may not have helped prepare the spices, but they still joined in the journey to the tomb. It seems that even after Jesus’ death, more people were drawn to him (John 12:24, 32). The zeal of some inspires others. As in Song of Songs 6:1, when the daughters of Jerusalem saw the bride’s longing for her beloved, they desired to seek him with her—just like these women.
They were surprised to find the stone rolled away and the grave empty (Luke 24:2-3). This perplexed them (Luke 24:4), though it should have brought joy. The rolled-away stone showed that Christ had been legally released, and the empty tomb showed he had indeed left. Believers often trouble themselves over things that should actually bring comfort and hope.
Two angels appeared to them in shining clothes—not just white, but radiant. One angel was first seen outside the tomb and then joined the other inside, sitting where Jesus’ body had been—one at the head, one at the feet. This harmonizes the gospel accounts. The women, seeing the angels, were frightened. Instead of asking them questions, they bowed their faces to the ground, searching for their Lord in the grave. They would rather see him in burial clothes than angels in brilliant garments. A dying Savior is more beautiful in a believer’s eyes than angels themselves.
The angels spoke to them: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5). This testifies that Christ lives (Hebrews 7:8), and it’s the comfort of all believers: “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Seeking him among the dead is a mistake—whether it’s comparing him to dead heroes, searching for him in statues or relics, or looking for spiritual fulfillment in human traditions and dead religion. Anyone hoping for ultimate joy in the things of this world is essentially seeking the living among the dead.
They continued, “He is not here; he is risen” (Luke 24:6). He rose by his own power and left the grave for good. These angels were faithful messengers, sent directly from heaven with instructions. We can trust their testimony—they would not lie.
They also reminded the women of what Jesus had told them while still in Galilee. If they had believed and remembered his words, the resurrection would not have come as such a shock. So the angels quoted Jesus: “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.” This had happened according to God’s plan and foreknowledge, though those who carried it out were still guilty of sin. The angels did not announce a new gospel but called the women to remember what Jesus had already said and to understand its fulfillment.
The women were satisfied with this message (Luke 24:8). When reminded of his words, they remembered and understood that the resurrection was exactly what he had promised. They were now ashamed of having prepared burial spices for someone who had clearly told them he would rise on the third day. A timely remembrance of Christ’s words gives clarity to his works in our lives.
They returned from the tomb and told all of this to the eleven and the rest of the disciples (Luke 24:9). They may not have been gathered in one place; perhaps they were scattered, each in his own space. The women went to some, who then went to others, and soon all had heard the news. But Luke 24:11 tells us how their report was received: their words seemed like nonsense, and the apostles didn’t believe them.
They assumed it was the imagination of the women, forgetting what Jesus had said—not only in Galilee, but more recently, even on the night he was betrayed: “A little while, and you will see me” and “I will see you again.” It is astonishing that the very men who had professed belief in him as the Son of God, who had heard him speak of his death and resurrection, and who had seen him raise the dead, were so slow to believe he had risen himself. Later, they would lament the world’s unbelief—but they themselves were once just as guilty: “Who has believed our message?”
Peter decided to investigate (Luke 24:12). According to John 20:1-2, it was Mary Magdalene who told him. Peter ran to the tomb, possibly ashamed that Mary had gone before him. Perhaps he was emboldened by hearing that the guards had fled. Those who are quick to act when there’s no danger are sometimes hesitant when there is. Peter, who had recently run from Jesus, now ran to his tomb.
He looked inside and saw the linen cloths lying by themselves, neatly folded, with no body. He studied the scene carefully, perhaps choosing to trust his own eyes more than the angels’ words.
Still, he left the tomb puzzled. He marveled at what had happened, but he did not understand it. If he had remembered Jesus’ words, the empty tomb would have been enough to convince him. But because he had forgotten, he was only confused. Many things that trouble us would be clear and encouraging if only we remembered and understood Christ’s words.