Luke 24:1-4 But very early on Sunday morning they took the ointments to the tomb—and found that the huge stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. So they went in—but the Lord Jesus’ body was gone.
They stood there puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly two men appeared before them, clothed in shining robes so bright their eyes were dazzled. The women were terrified and bowed low before them.
5-12 Then the men asked, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He has come back to life again! Don’t you remember what he told you back in Galilee—that the Messiah must be betrayed into the power of evil men and be crucified and that he would rise again the third day?”
Then they remembered and rushed back to Jerusalem to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. (The women who went to the tomb were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, and several others.) But the story sounded like a fairy tale to the men—they didn’t believe it. However, Peter ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; and then he went back home again, wondering what had happened.
13-18 That same day, Sunday, two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles out of Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking of Jesus’ death, when suddenly Jesus himself came along and joined them and began walking beside them. But they didn’t recognize him, for God kept them from it.
“You seem to be in a deep discussion about something,” he said. “What are you so concerned about?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. And one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about the terrible things that happened there last week.”
19-24 “What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the Man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a Prophet who did incredible miracles and was a mighty Teacher, highly regarded by both God and man. But the chief priests and our religious leaders arrested him and handed him over to the Roman government to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had thought he was the glorious Messiah and that he had come to rescue Israel.
“And now, besides all this—which happened three days ago— 22-23 some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning and came back with an amazing report that his body was missing, and that they had seen some angels there who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, Jesus’ body was gone, just as the women had said.”
25-27 Then Jesus said to them, “You are such foolish, foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures! Wasn’t it clearly predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his time of glory?”
Then Jesus quoted them passage after passage from the writings of the prophets, beginning with the book of Genesis and going right on through the Scriptures, explaining what the passages meant and what they said about himself.
28-35 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus would have gone on, but they begged him to stay the night with them, as it was getting late. So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he asked God’s blessing on the food and then took a small loaf of bread and broke it and was passing it over to them, when suddenly—it was as though their eyes were opened—they recognized him! And at that moment he disappeared!
They began telling each other how their hearts had felt strangely warm as he talked with them and explained the Scriptures during the walk down the road. Within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem, where the eleven disciples and the other followers of Jesus greeted them with these words, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter!”
Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.
Hope was dead, and the disciples were in despair. But the women went to the tomb, for Jesus’ body still needed to be prepared with spices before being completely consigned to the earth. But the tomb was empty, the soldiers had fled, and now angels were announcing Jesus’ resurrection. The ladies rushed back to Jerusalem with the news, thrilled beyond all telling. Then Peter and John rushed to the tomb. (Luke doesn’t mention John, but John identifies himself as “the other disciple” in his account in John 20.
Then Jesus joined two believers on the road to Emmaus, explaining himself during the journey. But it was only during the blessing of the bread that the men realized who Jesus was. The two men immediately rushed back to Jerusalem to share their news, joining the others in celebration.
Years ago, the Gaithers wrote a song about Easter that vividly expresses the hopelessness of Good Friday followed by the joy of Easter.
They all walked away, nothing to say,
They just lost their dearest Friend;
All that He said, now He was dead,
So this was the way it would end!
The dreams they had dreamed,
Were not what they seemed,
Now that He was dead and gone;
The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail,
How could a night be so long?
Then came the morning, night turned into day:
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn!
Then came the morning,
Shadows vanished before the sun;
Death had lost and life had won,
For morning had come!
The angel, the star, the kings from afar,
The wedding, the water, the wine,
Now it was done, they’d taken her Son,
Wasted before His time!
She knew it was true, she’d watched Him die too,
She’d heard them call Him just a man;
But deep in her heart she knew from the start,
Somehow her Son would live again.
Then came the morning, night turned into day:
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn!
Then came the morning,
Shadows vanished before the sun;
Death had lost and life had won,
For morning had come!
The old men will dream, the young men will seem
To know what they never have learned.
Your daughters and sons will see what’s to come
Before the Messiah’s return.
Wonders and signs, plans and designs,
Will play out their final day.
Rumors and war will threaten no more,
The waiting bride is caught away!
Here comes the morning, night has turned to day;
The clouds have rolled away, Eternal dawn!
Then comes the morning,
Shadows vanished before the sun.
Death has lost! and life has won,
For morning has come!
Death has lost! and life has won,
For morning has come!
Morning has come!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we celebrate the miracle of Easter and praise You for Jesus’ victory over death and the grave. We thank You that because Jesus lives, we can live also, if we will believe in Jesus and the work he has done for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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