Luke 24

[Image by Phillip De Vere]

Angels tell women that Jesus has awoken

Bright and early on the first day of the week they brought the spices they had prepared to the tomb. When they got there, they found that the stone had been rolled away, and when they entered Leader Jesus’s body was nowhere to be found. That left them feeling confused, but then two men suddenly stood near them wearing radiant clothes. Terrified, the women lowered their faces to the ground, and the men said,

“Why are you looking for the Living One among the dead? He isn’t here; he has awakened. Remember how he told you in Galilee that the Culmination of Humanity must be handed over to corrupt men, and be crucified, and reappear on the third day?”

They recalled his words, and returned from the tomb reporting everything to the eleven, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary (James’s mom). The other women who were with them confirmed their reports.

But everyone thought their reports were nonsense and wouldn’t believe them. But Peter got up, ran to the tomb, and stooped to look inside it. The only thing he saw was the linen wrappings, so he went back home marveling at what had happened.

Jesus appears to 2 travelers near Emmaus

That same day, as two of them were traveling to the village of Emmaus (which was about 7 miles from Jerusalem), they talked about everything that had taken place. While they were discussing, Jesus himself approached and began walking with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. So Jesus asked them,

“What are you guys talking about?”

They stopped dead in their tracks, with sadness on their faces. One of them (Cleopas) answered,

“Are you the only person in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what happened here these past few days?”

When Jesus asked them what had happened, they said,

“Jesus the Nazazrene was a prophet, and both God and man agree that his work and teachings were powerful. But the lead priests and rulers sentenced him to death and crucified him. We were hoping that he was gonna be the one to pay Israel’s ransom and set us free. That happened three days ago, but now some women are giving some astonishing reports. When they were at the tomb early this morning, they didn’t find his body. They claim to have envisioned angels who told them he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found it exactly like the women described, but they he wasn’t anywhere to be found.”

Then Jesus said,

“You guys just don’t get it. Your hearts are so hesitant to entrust in everything the prophets said! Wasn’t it necessary for the Chosen One to suffer these things and to enter his fame?”

Then starting with Moses, he went through all the prophets explaining how their scriptures related to him.

As they approached their destination, he acted like he was traveling further, but they urged him saying,

“You should stay with us! it’s getting late, and the day is almost over.”

So he agreed and went inside to stay with them. When he sat at the table, he blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. They looked at each other and said,

“Weren’t our hearts burning inside of us while he was talking to us and exposing the scriptures to us?”

Jesus appears in Jerusalem

That very hour they got up and went back to Jerusalem where they found the 11 gathered together with others saying,

“The Leader really has awakened and has appeared to Simon!”

The two men shared their experiences on the road and how they weren’t able to recognize him until he broke the bread.

While they were telling each other these things, He himself stood in their midst and said,

“Experience peace”

That terrified them, and they thought they were seeing a spirit. He told them,

“Why are you disturbed? And why do questions spring up in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet: it’s me! Touch me and see, because a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones like I do as you clearly see.”

As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. They were so happy and amazed that they couldn’t refute it. Jesus asked them,

“Do you have any food I can eat?”

They gave him a piece of cooked fish, and he took it and ate it right in front of them.

Then he said,

“This is what I was telling you while I was still with you. Everything written about me in Moses’s law, the prophets, and the Psalms needs to be fulfilled.”

Then he opened their minds so that they could understand the scriptures, telling them,

“That’s why it says that the Chosen One would suffer and reappear from the dead the third day. That’s why it also says that starting with Jerusalem, every country will hear this message proclaimed of his behalf: having a change of heart will dismiss your failures. You have witnessed these things. Now look: I’m giving you my Father’s promise, but you need to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from above.”

He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he detached from them and became separated up into heaven. Everyone there revered him and then went back to Jerusalem where they were absolutely delighted and continually praised God in the temple.