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Luke 24

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The Resurrection 1–12

1
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came unto the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. ​
2
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
3
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4
And it came to pass, while they were perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel: ​
5
and as they were affrighted 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 that the Son of man must be delivered up 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 tomb, and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.
10
Now they were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James: and the other women with them told these things unto the apostles.
11
And these words appeared in their sight as idle talk; and they disbelieved them. ​
12
But Peter arose, and ran unto the tomb; and stooping and looking in, he seeth the linen cloths by themselves; and he departed to his home, wondering at that which was come to pass. ​

The Road to Emmaus 13–35

13
And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was threescore furlongs from Jerusalem. ​
14
And they communed with each other of all these things which had happened.
15
And it came to pass, while they communed and questioned together, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. ​
17
And he said unto them, What communications are these that ye have one with another, as ye walk? And they stood still, looking sad.
18
And one of them, named Cleopas, answering said unto him, Dost thou alone sojourn in Jerusalem and not know the things which are come to pass there in these days? ​
19
And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
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and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
21
But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel. Yea and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came to pass. ​
22
Moreover certain women of our company amazed us, having been early at the tomb;
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and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.
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And certain of them that were with us went to the tomb, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
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And he said unto them, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ​
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Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory? ​
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And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. ​
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And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they were going: and he made as though he would go further.
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And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in to abide with them.
30
And it came to pass, when he had sat down with them to meat, he took the bread and blessed; and breaking it he gave to them. ​
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And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. ​
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And they said one to another, Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures?
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And they rose up that very hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
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saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. ​
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And they rehearsed the things that happened in the way, and how he was known of them in the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples 36–49

36
And as they spake these things, he himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. ​
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But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they beheld a spirit.
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And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and wherefore do questionings arise in your heart?
39
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye behold me having. ​
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And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
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And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here anything to eat? ​
42
And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish.
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And he took it, and ate before them.
44
And he said unto them, These are my words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me. ​
45
Then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures; ​
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and he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day;
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and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ​
48
Ye are witnesses of these things.
49
And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high. ​

The Ascension and Return to Jerusalem 50–53

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And he led them out untilthey were over against Bethany: and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. ​
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And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. ​
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And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
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and were continually in the temple, blessing God. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Luke 24

Verse 1

the first day of the week — 'Week' is sabbaton, the word for the Sabbath, so the day is counted from the Sabbath just past, during which the women 'rested… according to the commandment' (Luke 23:56). 'Very early' joins orthros, dawn, and bathys, deep. John 20:1 and Matt 28:1 date the finding of the tomb to the same day.

Verse 4

two men… in shining garments — 'Shining' is astrapto, to flash as lightning; the only other place is Luke 17:24, 'as the lightning, that lighteneth'. Luke calls them 'men', as at the Ascension, 'two men… in white apparel' (Acts 1:10); John says 'two angels in white' (John 20:12). Their number recalls the witnesses of Deut 19:15.

Verse 5

Why seek ye the living among the dead? — 'Seek' is zeteo, and 'the living' is the participle of zao, to live; the same verb is the 'alive' of v.23, where the angels 'said that he was alive'. The Lord later says of himself, 'I am he that liveth, and was dead' (Rev 1:18).

Verse 6

remember how he spake — 'Remember' is mimnesko; v.8 answers, 'And they remembered his words'. The words are those of Luke 9:22, 'The Son of man must suffer many things… and be raised the third day', and of Matt 17:22–23, spoken 'while they abode in Galilee'. Verse 7 repeats them in the angel's mouth.

Verse 11

idle tales — Leros, nonsense, an incredible story; the only place the word stands in the New Testament. The report came from 'Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women' (v.10). 'Believed… not' is apisteo, the verb of v.41 and of Mark 16:11, 'believed not'.

Verse 12

linen clothes laid by themselves — Othonia, strips of linen, the 'linen clothes' of John 19:40 and John 20:5–7, where the napkin was 'wrapped together in a place by itself'. 'Stooping down' is the posture of John 20:5. 'Wondering' is thaumazo, the verb of v.41, 'and wondered'.

Verse 13

Emmaus — Emmaus is named nowhere else in the New Testament. It lay 'threescore furlongs' from Jerusalem, sixty stadia. The two walked 'that same day', the day of v.1; Cleopas is named in v.18, but his companion is not.

Verse 16

eyes were holden — Krateo, to hold fast: something kept their eyes from knowing. 'Know' is epiginosko, the verb of v.31, 'their eyes were opened, and they knew him'. Mark 16:12 says he 'appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked'.

Verse 18

Cleopas — The name Kleopas stands only here. It is a different Greek name from 'Cleophas' (Klopas), whose wife Mary stood by the cross in John 19:25. 'Stranger' is paroikeo, to live as a foreigner: the question is whether he alone has not known 'the things which are come to pass'.

Verse 21

should have redeemed Israel — 'Redeemed' is lutroo, to ransom, found elsewhere only in Titus 2:14 and 1 Pet 1:18. 'Trusted' is elpizo, to hope; that hope is the redemption of Luke 1:68, 'visited and redeemed his people'. 'The third day' is the day Christ had named (vv.7, 46).

Verse 25

fools, and slow of heart — 'Fools' is anoetos, without understanding; 'slow' is bradys, found elsewhere only in Jas 1:19, 'slow to speak, slow to wrath'. The fault is believing too little, because they did not believe 'all that the prophets have spoken'. The next verse names the part they had left out.

Verse 26

Ought not Christ to have suffered — 'Ought' is dei, it is necessary, the word of v.7 ('must be delivered'), v.44 ('must be fulfilled') and v.46 ('behoved'). The order, suffering and then glory, is the one the prophets searched out: 'the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow' (1 Pet 1:11).

Verse 27

beginning at Moses and all the prophets — 'Expounded' is diermeneuo, to explain thoroughly. 'Beginning' is the verb that opens v.47, 'beginning at Jerusalem'. In v.44 he names the Scriptures again, 'the law of Moses, and… the prophets, and… the psalms', and says all of it concerns him.

Verse 30

took bread, and blessed it, and brake — The acts of Luke 22:19, 'took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave', and of the feeding in Luke 9:16, 'he blessed them, and brake, and gave'. 'Sat at meat' is kataklino, to recline at table. The meal is named in v.35: 'known of them in breaking of bread'.

Verse 31

their eyes were opened — Dianoigo, to open fully, the verb of v.32, 'he opened to us the scriptures', and of v.45, 'opened he their understanding'. 'Vanished' is aphantos, invisible, a word found only here. He was known at the table and unseen as soon as he was known.

Verse 34

hath appeared to Simon — The words are the eleven's, spoken in Jerusalem (v.33). Paul puts this sighting first in his list: 'seen of Cephas, then of the twelve' (1 Cor 15:5). Luke gives no account of it; it follows the hour when Peter 'went out, and wept bitterly' (Luke 22:62).

Verse 36

Peace be unto you — Eirene, peace. The same words open Christ's coming to the disciples on the evening of that day in John 20:19, when 'the doors were shut', and again in John 20:21: 'Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.' He 'stood in the midst of them'.

Verse 39

handle me, and see — 'Handle' is psalaphao, to feel by touch, the verb of 1 John 1:1, 'our hands have handled, of the Word of life'. 'Flesh and bones' answers the 'spirit' the disciples supposed in v.37. The proof is to be seen and felt.

Verse 41

believed not for joy — 'Believed not' is apisteo, the verb of v.11; the hindrance is now joy, where before it was a report. 'Meat' is brosimos, something to eat, a word found only here. They gave him 'a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb', and 'he took it, and did eat before them' (vv.42–43).

Verse 44

the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms — The Scriptures he had opened from 'Moses and all the prophets' (v.27), now with the psalms named; Luke 20:42 has 'David himself saith in the book of Psalms'. 'Must' is dei again (vv.7, 26, 46): what was written is what had to be.

Verse 45

opened he their understanding — Dianoigo, the verb of vv.31–32; the opening of eyes, scriptures and mind is one work. 'Understanding' is nous, the mind. It is the verb of Acts 16:14, 'whose heart the Lord opened'; the Psalmist asks for it: 'Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law' (Ps 119:18).

Verse 47

repentance and remission of sins — Metanoia, a change of mind, and aphesis, release, the word of Luke 4:18, 'to preach deliverance to the captives'. Peter preaches them together in Acts 2:38. 'Beginning at Jerusalem' answers Isa 2:3, 'out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem'.

Verse 49

the promise of my Father — Acts 1:4–5 names it: 'wait for the promise of the Father', and 'ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost'. 'Tarry' is kathizo, to sit down; 'endued' is enduo, to be clothed. Joel 2:28 speaks of the LORD pouring out his spirit 'upon all flesh'.

Verse 50

as far as to Bethany — Bethany stood by 'the mount called the mount of Olives' (Luke 19:29), and in Acts 1:12 the disciples return 'from the mount called Olivet… a sabbath day's journey'. 'Lifted up his hands, and blessed them' is the gesture of Aaron: 'lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them' (Lev 9:22).

Verse 51

carried up into heaven — Anaphero, to carry up; the same verb is 'offered up' of Christ's sacrifice in Heb 7:27. 'Parted' is diistemi. It happened 'while he blessed them', and Acts 1:9 tells it again: 'he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight'.

Verse 53

continually in the temple — Diapantos, through all time. 'Blessing' is eulogeo, the verb of vv.50–51: he blessed them, and they bless God. The Gospel that opened with the priest going into 'the temple of the Lord' (Luke 1:9) closes there; Acts 2:46 has them 'continuing daily with one accord in the temple'.