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. {cp. v.10}
These women came to finish wrapping the Lord's body for burial (a process begun, in haste, on the day of His death, Luk 23:50-56). But they were too late. Only Mary of Bethany had understood that His burial would be temporary (Mat 26:6-7,12-13; Joh 12:1-3,7).
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. {cp. Mat 27:59,60}
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 {ie., he that lives} among the dead? {cp. Rev 1:18}
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. {eg., Luk 9:22; 18:31-33}
8 And they remembered his words, {cp. Joh 2:19-22}
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. {v.25; Mark 16:11}
12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; {Joh 20:3-7} and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
For the order of events, early in the resurrection morning, see the Book Notes at Joh 20:1-18.
For the order of the Lord's appearances after His resurrection, see the Book Notes at Mat 28:8-9.
The ministry of the risen Christ:
A. to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
(Except for a brief mention in Mark 16:12,13, this incident is unique to Luke's Gospel.)
13. And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem [about] threescore furlongs {GK=stadion};
(One 'furlong' was one-eighth Roman mile. Total distance: roughly 7 miles.)
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed [together] and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. {cp. Joh 20:13,14; 21:4}
17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications [are] these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, {cp. Joh 19:25} answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: {cp. Mat 21:10,11; Acts 2:22}
20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted {GK=elpizo, expected, hoped} that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: {cp. Luk 1:68-75; 2:25-32,38; Isa 59:20} and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. {v.9-11}
24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found [it] even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. {v.12}
25 Then he said unto them, O fools {GK=anoetos, without understanding, unperceptive}, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
How is it that we also are dull and slow to believe? (Heb 5:11,12) We have "a more sure word of prophecy" (than those early disciples), because we can observe that the prophecies concerning the Lord's first coming have been literally fulfilled, in the historic past. Therefore, we have no excuse for our failure to attend to His Word, and to watch for His return. 2Pet 1:19-21
26 Ought not {ie., Was it not necessary for} Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? {Heb 2:9,10; 1Pet 1:10-12}
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. {cp. Rev 19:10c}
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed [it], and brake, and gave to them. {cp. Luk 9:16; 22:19}
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight {lit., he became invisible to them}.
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? {cp. Jer 15:16; Joh 6:63; Heb 4:12; Rev 3:20}
33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. {cp. 1Cor 15:5}
35 And they told what things [were done] in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. {cp. Mark 16:12-14}
36. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you. {cp. Joh 14:27-29; 16:33; Rev 1:4,5}
37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. {cp. Mat 14:26,27}
38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: {Joh 20:20,24-28} handle me, and see; {1Joh 1:1-3} for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Following His death in our sins, Jesus' resurrection body has "flesh and bones" (not 'flesh and blood', cp. Lev 17:11; 2Cor 5:21). Likewise, believers have died with Him to the sinful human nature, and have been raised to new life, in Him, for God's glory (Rom 6:6; Gal 2:20; 5:24; 6:14).
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them [his] hands and [his] feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy,
{cp. Gen 45:26-28} and wondered {marveled}, {cp. word in Luk 8:25} he said unto them, Have ye here any meat {ie., anything to eat}?
42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
43 And he took [it], and did eat before them. {cp. Acts 10:40-42}
44 And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me. {cp. v.27,46}
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, {Joh 16:12-15}
[For a chart showing many of the prophecies which were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, see Understanding central Bible themes - Chapter 5, Bible Themes: Messiah. (This study is accessed through the Resource Menu.)]
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: {See note at v.44.}
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, {Acts 2:38; 5:29-32; 13:38,39} beginning at Jerusalem. {Acts 1:8}
48 And ye are witnesses of these things. {Acts 1:21,22; 2:32; 1Cor 15:1-9}
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. {Joh 14:16,17; 16:7-11; Acts 1:8}
50. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. {Acts 2:46,47; 5:42}
May the Lord find us faithfully and joyfully serving Him, at His return. 1Pet 1:3-9
The closing verses of Luke's Gospel correspond with the opening verses of the book of Acts (which was also written by Luke).
This concludes the study in the Gospel of Luke.
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