During the revolt Jerusalem made against the Romans in the period of AD 66-70, Simon, son of Giora led the Jews against the Romans. Many Jews thought that he could be the Messiah. After all, here was one who was finally standing up against Rome and seeking to free the Jews from Roman rule. However, Jerusalem was crushed in AD 70, Vespasian was the victorious emperor, and Titus (his son) had played the key role in destroying the rebellion and Jerusalem itself.
This victory was celebrated with a triumphal procession through the streets. The Roman victors came riding through the streets in this great pageant only to stop for a moment in front of a temple. It was custom to pause there and wait for the enemy general to be killed. So true to form, as they paused, Simon was dragged to the spot where he would be killed. As they led him there, the people scourged him, and then he was killed. Shouts cried out; Rome had clearly been victorious, and this would-be Messiah had been publicly shamed and murdered.
N. T. Wright, in his book The Resurrection of the Son of God, makes the point that it would have been absurd a few days later for some Jewish captives, sitting there in the dark, awaiting any torture that might come, with their leader having been murdered in the battle to say, “You know, I think Simon really was the Messiah.”1
Were we to hear a Jew that had survived the rebellion say that we would probably say, “Are you crazy? Did you not hear what happened to Simon? He was publicly scourged, beaten, and killed by Roman authorities. He cannot be the Messiah. This is hardly the picture of a conquering king redeeming his people and crushing God’s enemies.”
So, Wright asks, “Why then did the early Christians acclaim Jesus as Messiah, when he obviously wasn’t? He too had been scourged, dragged through the streets and executed. Indeed, his execution was in public, increasing the shame and sense of utter and devastating victory for the pagans. Faced with his death, why would any of his followers have dreamed of saying that he was Messiah …?” 2
The obvious and only answer is the declaration that we read in Luke 24 – Jesus was raised from the dead. Nothing else answers the question before us. Therefore, as Luke writes this chapter it appears that there are two truths that he wants to make absolutely clear to his reader. First, he wants us to see that Jesus undoubtedly rose from the dead. As we walk through the story, the clear evidence of this reality builds. Second, he wants us to know that these events of Jesus suffering and resurrections as well as what follows were always predicted in the Old Testament.
Interestingly, just as Luke began his gospel by piling pieces of evidence on top of one another to show that Jesus is the Christ so he ends his gospel piling up the evidence to show that Jesus rose from the dead and that this had been prophesied in the Scripture. As we walk through the chapter, you’ll notice these two themes coming up again and again as Luke intensifies each point. Therefore, I want us to walk through the text, seeing each of these elements, and then I want to try to ask and answer a few questions.
It is an exciting note on which Luke’s gospel ends. But interestingly, this chapter begins just as we would expect, with a confused and demoralized people, crushed because the one whom they had hoped was finally God’s Messiah had died.
Luke begins this chapter focusing on a few women. Early on that Sunday morning after Jesus’ crucifixion, some ladies gather at Jesus’ tomb. They doubtlessly approach the tomb with grieving hearts, having witnessed the terrible murder of the one they had hoped was the Messiah.
However, when they arrive things are not as they expected. The stone is rolled away from the tomb, and as they enter Jesus’ body is missing. They’re confused, no doubt having a multitude of thoughts and questions running through their minds. Then, in the midst of their thoughts and questions, two men show up, but it obvious these aren’t normal men. They’re dressed in “dazzling apparel” (v. 4) and are so glorious that the women are scared and bow down to them.
But what follows next is not what you would anticipate. The men do not judge them or do some glorious act to fill the women with greater awe. They begin questioning and teaching them regarding the Lord Jesus. They declare, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise” (vv. 5-7).
Hearing the men speak of these things, the women remember Jesus’ words and leave the tomb to tell the eleven and the other disciples what has happened. They no doubt are excited at the angels’ report that Jesus has been raised from the dead, but when the others hear it they do not believe them and treat it as a tale. It appears to them as hopeful dreaming. But, as is typical with Peter, he reacts in a different and very bold manner and runs to the tomb, looking into it to see what was there. All he sees are the cloths that once were wrapped around Jesus’ body, which is odd, since anyone stealing the body would no doubt not leave those cloths behind. Does Peter at this point fully believe? We don’t know; we simply know that he goes back home, marveling at what he had seen.
But already in this first episode Luke is making clear to his readers that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that it had been predicted.
Interestingly the Lord sends two angels (confirmed in verse 23) to instruct Jesus’ followers as to what happened. They did not need to doubt that Jesus was the promised Messiah and that his death had been an unexpected and tragic ending. He was alive. The angels knew it. And more than that, Jesus had told his followers while he was still in Galilee that this was going to happen. Jesus’ resurrection is a fulfillment of Jesus’ own prediction as we taught them this while he was still in Galilee (he predicted that he “must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise” (v. 7)). This was all part of his plan of fulfilling exactly what God had sent him to earth to do as his Messiah.
Luke now picks up our story focusing on two of the disciples who were there to hear the women’s announcement. They are now on their way home to Jerusalem and disappointedly discussing the events of the past few days. This is the conversation we would expect disciples of a would-be Messiah having after that one had been shamefully disgraced and killed.
You can imagine how they would want to retrace and review the events of the last few days. Jesus had proved himself mighty in word and deed. He had confounded all the religious teachers of the day, had performed amazing miracles (even raising the dead), and had allowed himself to appear invincible to any onlooker. In fact, his prestige had grown so much that Luke tells us in the last chapter that Herod was glad when Jesus appeared before him because Herod had heard of him and longed to see him perform one of his miracles. Yet Jesus had died in a brutal and disgraceful way. He had been betrayed by his own. It was a horrible and pitiful sight. Now it had been three days and the ladies at the tomb this morning were reporting that his body was no longer in the tomb where it had been laid. Doubtless, these are the elements of their conversation.
Then, just when it appeared as if things could get no worse, a stranger appears to them, asking what they’re talking about. Luke tells us, the reader, that this is Jesus. But the men do not recognize him. To them, he is simply a stranger who wants to know what they’re talking about. This most likely exacerbates the situation as the men now have to recount all of the details again. They actually stop walking, stand still, and look sad as they ready themselves to answer him (v. 17). Then one of them named Cleopas begins, possibly expressing a bit of frustration as he asks, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (v. 18). How could anyone have missed such public events?
The stranger (the resurrected Jesus) says, “What things?” (v. 19). And so begins they’re retelling of the events concerning Jesus – how he was a mighty prophet in word and deed, how he was condemned to death and crucified, how they had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel, that it had been three days since this happened, how the women had reported the empty tomb and seeing a vision of angels saying Jesus was alive, and finally some disciples going to the tomb but not seeing Jesus. Ironically, that which appears to seal their skepticism is that those disciples who went back to the tomb didn’t see Jesus. The last statement of verse 24 is, “But him [i.e., Jesus] they did not see.” Surely if he had been alive he would have shown himself to his disciples, but he hasn’t – at least to these two men’s knowledge.
So now, Jesus begins to speak. But the roles are quickly reversed. Whereas Jesus was the one who was on the receiving end of surprising conversation, he now answers their statement with a rebuke. Quickly the two disciples will see they are not simply dealing with some ignorant stranger.
Jesus declares, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (vv. 25-26). If they had read the Scriptures with eyes of faith that would have seen that the Messiah would suffer and enter into his glory. Their problem was that they were simply slow to believe what the Scripture plainly said. Therefore, Jesus begins walking them through the Scriptures. Luke writes, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (v. 27).
As they continuing walking they finally draw near to their village, and Jesus appears to be going on farther, so the men urge him to stay with them. It had become dark, the day was almost over, and he had obviously proved to be a rich blessing to them, so they long for him to stay the night. Jesus agrees, but as he sits down at the table with them to eat something happens which the men once again do not anticipate. Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. Most likely this one who is a stranger to these two disciples is serving in this role because they recognize him to be a great teacher. But they realize that he is more than that as he distributes the bread. In that moment, Luke tells us “their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (v.31).
But just as soon as they recognized him, he vanished. They had recognized him just in time to see him leave their presence. They cannot converse with him any longer, so they begin to talk to each others, saying, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (v. 32). In hindsight they begin to see that when he was speaking to them, they knew this was a special moment. They knew someone great was talking to them, and now they understand fully who it was.
The only thing left to do is to get back to Jerusalem as soon as they can. The others need to know that the women’s report was entirely true. And though Jesus had not been seen by anyone to their knowledge, he had now appeared to them. So they set off for Jerusalem. But as they arrive and find the eleven and the other disciples, they cannot get their report out before the others declare, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon” (v. 34). Apparently sometime after the women’s report and before these two disciples made it back to Jerusalem, Jesus appeared to Peter. So the two men simply add their testimony of another appearance of Jesus. Now, they all know that Jesus is indeed alive, that he had been raised from the dead.
If we are tempted to doubt the resurrection, Luke reminds us that Jesus actually appeared after his resurrection to Peter and to these two men on their way to Emmaus. There was no doubt in the disciples’ minds that Jesus had been raised. But he also teaches us through Jesus’ conversation with the men on their way to Emmaus that the prophets had prophesied these things, and that the Law and the Prophets spoke of him. Again, the events of the past few days should have hardly been surprising if they had read the Scriptures with faith.
As each of the disciples is interrupting the other so that they might joyfully share their reports of Jesus appearing and confirming that he is alive, Jesus himself appears in their midst saying, “Peace to you” (v. 36).
But, as you can imagine, they are startled and scared. After all, I’m pretty confident that Ray Van Neste is alive this morning, preaching at a church in a neighboring town. But if he suddenly appeared in our midst saying, “Peace to you” it would startle and scare us. Add to this situation, however, all of the crazy events of the past few days, and the disciples were doubtless on edge. They thought he must be some kind of Spirit.
So Jesus instantly deals with their struggles. First, he asks them why they are troubled and doubting. He tells them to look at his hands and feet. There they would have seen evidence that this is the very one they saw crucified a few days earlier. Jesus makes clear that it is he. There’s no need to be afraid and no need to doubt; he is in their midst and isn’t running away. Second, he shows them that he is no spirit. He invites them to touch him and see, noting that a spirit does not have flesh and bones. Then again, he shows them his hands and feet.
As you can imagine, the disciples were so full of joy in this moment that they could hardly believe it. Verse 41 is not a reference to the fact that they still didn’t believe his words, for then they wouldn’t have been full of joy. Rather, they are so excited, it’s hard to believe. It seems too good to be true, like when a man looks at his wife and says, “I can’t believe I get to be with you in life.” Then, just to make them see even more clearly that this was the physical Jesus with them, he asks them for something to eat and then eats a piece of fish in front of them.
After he eats, he returns to a theme that fills this chapter, namely, the fact that these events were spoken of in the Scriptures. Jesus declares, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (v. 44). Luke continues, “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are to witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of the Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (vv. 45-49).
Finally, he leads them out to Bethany, where he blesses them and ascends into heaven right before their eyes. Thus, they worship him and return to Jerusalem with great joy where they continually gathered in the temple and blessed God (vv. 50-53).
Lest the reader think, “Well, Jesus has only appeared to Peter and two other disciples” Jesus now appears to all the disciples who had been gathered in Jerusalem. He invites them to touch him and watch him eat. Clearly Jesus’ body is nothing less than physical. He can be felt and can eat, but it is more than ours. He is able to appear and vanish. He has a glorified body and many have witnessed him alive after his resurrection.
So, let’s then ask some questions.
First, why does Luke go to such length to show that Jesus was raised from the dead?
The obvious answer to this is the same concerning why all the gospel writers show this. They are evangelists, wanting individuals to believe the good news of the gospel. Luke goes to great lengths so that readers today might see that Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead in history so that we might have life. Therefore, for those who do not know Christ this morning, your only fitting response is to repent and believe in this gospel that you might be saved.
Second, how is it that the Old Testament prophesies in detail about the work of Christ?
Now I’m not asking this question for us because I assume you’re response to this text is, “I think Jesus is wrong about the Old Testament saying these things would happen.” Of course I think all of us would say that what Jesus says here is absolutely true. What I fear, though, is that you might not be able to find one place in the Old Testament that says these things.
Obviously we could all turn to Isaiah 53 and show that God’s Servant (the Messiah) would suffer and die for the sins of many. That, among many other texts, could be used to show the Lord’s suffering. And we might even be able to point to a number of texts that show Jesus would rise from the dead. Even Isaiah 53 speaks of him being exalted after his suffering.
But note the details of Jesus’ words. He says, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead” (v. 46). Where in the world does it say that Jesus would raise from the dead on the third day?
The key to answering this question is to realize that the Old Testament is not simply made up of verbally-predictive prophecy. Now, yes, there are such prophecies, as Micah 5:2, for example, predicts that the ruler in Israel will be born in Bethlehem. But if we are to read the Old Testament as it is meant to be read, then we need to realize the truth that Jesus taught to the two disciples years ago, namely that the Old Testament concerns Jesus.
That is to say, Jesus fulfills every hope the Old Testament looks for. And Luke has set us up for this. Remember how Luke began Jesus ministry with this theme of Jesus as the “son of God.” At his baptism, Luke notes that the Father declares, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” Then, Jesus’ genealogy is given, traced all the way back to Adam who is called, “the son of God” (Luke 3:38). Why?
It’s because Luke is trying to show what Jesus is fulfilling. He’s fulfilling the role of Adam. He’s going to succeed where Adam failed. As God put Adam on the earth, he had made him in his image to resemble and represent him in the earth. A son was to mimic his father, and that’s what Adam, God’s son, was to do. He was to be a light to the rest of creation, but Adam failed as temptation arose.
So then eventually God called a nation to himself, Israel. And when God sent Moses into Egypt he told Moses that he was to declare to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, ‘Let my son go that he may serve me.’ If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son’” (Exodus 4:22-23). Israel was to be a light to the nations, resembling and reflecting God, and from Jerusalem drawing all nations to him. But we all know of their failures.
Even David, who would have been God’s son in a unique way – the king of Israel. He, more than others should have resembled and reflected God and led the people to him. But before David dies he’s committed murder and adultery.
So the entire Old Testament looks for God’s obedient Son, one who would come and rightly resemble, reflect, and obey him. God having such a son in the Old Testament seemed hopeless on occasion as Israel was unrepentant and the Lord had to judge his son. However, in Hosea 6:1-2, we read of hope. Hosea writes, “Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.”
Hosea was declaring that God would raise up his son on the third day. He will declare to the world that he would provide an obedient Son and raise him up to be vindicated before all. He would do everything that Adam, Israel, and David failed to do. This is why in Luke begins chapter 4 (right after noting that Adam was the son of God) with the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. We cannot read that without thinking of Adam and Israel – God’s sons. But here is an obedient Son. Here is the one who would fulfill the roles in which they failed. Here is the one whom he would raise up on the third day. And that’s exactly what he did according to Luke 24.
So, as we read the Bible, we need to read it seeing understanding that Jesus fulfills every hope of the Old Testament. In fact, we need to study the New Testament well so that we see what the New Testament authors say about Jesus. As we do, we will see them saying that he is the last Adam, that he is the true Israel, that he is God’s shepherd David. Then, we need to read the Old Testament in light of these truths, putting the Bible together.
It sounds, no doubt, like a difficult task, but this is the task that falls to us if we are to read our Bibles correctly. There is no place for biblical illiteracy in the church. We must labor to study, know, and read the Word of God correctly, for it all testifies of our great Lord.
Third, why does Luke so clearly show that Jesus’ death and resurrection were prophesied?
Luke wants us to know that these events were prophesied because he wants us to see that each event was a part of God’s plan of redemption. Had Jesus simply marched into Jerusalem, sat down, and said that he is the king and his people were free we would still be in trouble. We would be in bondage because our problem is not Roman oppression but our sin. Therefore, if Jesus is going to be our King, we need him to ascend to such a position via the cross. Jesus dies on the cross because our great problem was that the penalty for our sin needed to be saved.
However, many of us seem to stop there as if salvation is merely having one’s sins forgiven. But it is not. Jesus also had to be raised from the dead, vindicated before all because our ultimate hope is not only that we are justified but that our bodies are raised. When we lay the body of a believer in the ground at a funeral we do not rejoice through our sorrows merely because his or her sins are forgiven but because this very body will be raised from the grave and transformed into a glorified body to live with Christ forever. This is the hope of our salvation, and Luke wants us to know that this was God’s plan for his people from the beginning.
Connecting the two themes of Christ as the obedient son (last Adam) and our resurrection bodies as our great hope, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:42-49, “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”
May we then long for that day when Christ will return to rule over the world and we will be raised to reign alongside him.
Finally, what does the announcement that the disciples were to be Jesus’ witnesses to all the nations have to do with us?
Jesus declares that the disciples were witnesses of what had taken place and that they were to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins to all the nations, beginning with Jerusalem. But, we might say, “We really have nothing to do with this. We weren’t witnesses of the resurrection. We can’t speak with their authority on these events. And, we live years after they did.”
Well, first of all, it is true that we weren’t witnesses to the resurrected Christ after he had been raised. But we don’t have to be. The apostles were, and they recorded it. This is why Luke writes his gospel, so that we might know that these things happened, that we might believe, and that we might point others to these truths.
See, the disciples’ authoritative witness has been preserved for us in the writing of Scripture. Therefore, we have the key to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. In addition, the Holy Spirit whom they were waiting for now indwells everyone who believes the apostolic testimony, the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, finally, there are many in all the nations who have not heard the gospel and/or do not believe that Jesus is the Christ. Therefore, we must tell them.
And I know you hear that a lot, so let me challenge you in a very practical way. As we leave today and as you begin your work-week tomorrow, look for opportunities to share the gospel and begin the day praying that God would give you opportunities to do so. After all, we have the privilege of sharing the good news. Jesus is risen. He is both Lord and Christ. And if men will repent of their sins and believe in him they can know forgiveness of sins.
Let us then come to the table, asking for God’s continued grace so that we might obey him as we should. Amen.