Luke 24

Jesus’ Resurrection, Post-Resurrection Appearances, and Ascension

The final section of Luke’s Gospel includes his account of the activities of Jesus and His followers from the morning of His resurrection until His ascension forty days later.  From all of the Gospel records, we know that, during this time, Jesus’ made multiple appearances to His followers, teaching them from the scriptures, eating meals with them, and preparing the apostles for a ministry to the nations. 

Luke’s account of the events following Jesus’ resurrection stresses the reality of that event and the reactions of the witnesses to it. All these people felt depressed because of Jesus’ death, but when they learned of His resurrection they became joyful and praised God. Thus the book concludes as it began with joy and rejoicing because of a miracle involving the salvation of humankind.           - Thomas Constable

Jesus’ Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-11; John 20:1-18)

It is not surprising that there are differences in the accounts of what people saw on the Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. One writer records what he heard from some, another what he heard from others. But there is no variation in the basic facts: the tomb was empty and Jesus had risen.   - Don Fleming

One thing is certain--if Jesus had not risen from the dead, we would never have heard of him. The attitude of the women was that they had come to pay the last tribute to a dead body. The attitude of the disciples was that everything had finished in tragedy. By far, the best proof of the Resurrection is the existence of the Christian church. Nothing else could have changed sad and despairing men and women into people radiant with joy and flaming with courage. The Resurrection is the central fact of the whole Christian faith.   - William Barclay

The First Day of The Week

Vs. 1 - On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared.

All four Gospel writers recorded different aspects of the events surrounding Jesus’ resurrection.  Don Fleming’s commentary provides a compilation and brief description of the various tomb visits and angel encounters. 

At the first sign of dawn two groups of women set out from separate places to take spices to anoint the body of Jesus (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1-3; Luke 24:1,Luke 24:10).

The group of three women arrived at the tomb first and found the stone rolled away. Mary Magdalene panicked and, without seeing the angel or hearing the voice, ran to tell Peter and John that the body had been stolen (John 20:1-2). But the other Mary and Salome remained. They met one angel sitting on the stone outside the tomb, and another sitting inside the tomb (Matthew 28:2-7; Mark 16:4-8).

Meanwhile the Roman guards fled the tomb and hurried across the city to tell the chief priests what had happened. The same priests bribed the guards to spread the story that Jesus’ followers stole the body while the guards slept (Matthew 28:11-15).

Soon after the women left the tomb, Peter and John arrived, went inside and saw the linen cloth lying neatly folded (John 20:3-10; Luke 24:12).

Mary Magdalene, who followed Peter and John back to the tomb, arrived after they had left. She remained there alone, weeping. Then she saw the two angels inside the tomb and, on turning round, saw a man whom she did not immediately recognize (Mark 16:9; John 20:11-15). When she discovered that the man was Jesus, she took hold of him as if not wanting to let him go.

Shortly after appearing to Mary Magdalene, Jesus appeared to the other women of her group (the other Mary and Salome) as they were on their way to tell the apostles of their discovery (Matthew 28:8-10).

The two groups of women reached the house of the apostles about the same time, followed soon after by Mary Magdalene. They told the apostles of what they had seen at the tomb and of their separate meetings with the risen Jesus, but the apostles believed neither Mary nor the other women (Mark 16:10-11; Luke 24:9-11; John 20:18).

The Stone Rolled Away

Vs. 2-3 - They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

All four Gospel writers mentioned the large stone that sealed the tomb’s entrance.  Mark noted (Mark 16:1-4) that the women questioned if they could find someone to help them roll it back so that they could enter Jesus’ tomb and finish his burial preparations.  

Apparently, the stone was moved, not so that Jesus could exit the tomb, but so that both the women and the apostles could enter.  They needed to see for themselves that Jesus' body was no longer there, only his burial garments. 

Two Angels

Vs. 4-6 - While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.

“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. “He is not here, but he has risen!

The details vary, but all four Gospel writers described an angelic announcement that Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb because He was alive again.  The angels noted that a cemetery of tombs was no longer the place to look for the risen Messiah. 

Vs. 6-8 - Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” And they remembered his words.

Luke recorded several occasions that Jesus warned His followers of exactly what would happen on their final trip to Jerusalem, but they had failed to completely understand what He meant. 

Luke 9:21-22 - But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one, saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.”

Luke 18:31-33 - Then he took the Twelve aside and told them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spit on; and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.”

The Eleven

Vs. 9 - Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest.

Vs. 11 - But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.

The women returned with their story to the rest of the disciples but they refused to believe them. They called it an idle tale.        - William Barclay

The cross, we note, already had a symbolic meaning throughout the Roman world, long before it had a new one for the Christians. It meant: we Romans run this place, and if you get in our way we’ll obliterate you—and do it pretty nastily too. Crucifixion meant that the kingdom hadn’t come, not that it had. Crucifixion of a would-be Messiah meant that he wasn’t the Messiah, not that he was. When Jesus was crucified, every single disciple knew what it meant: we backed the wrong horse. The game is over. Whatever their expectations, and however Jesus had been trying to redefine those expectations, as far as they were concerned hope had crumbled into ashes. They knew they were lucky to escape with their own lives.                      - from Surprised By Hope by N.T. Wright

The disciples were not men poised on the brink of belief and needing only the shadow of an excuse before launching forth into a proclamation of resurrection. They were utterly skeptical.         - Morris

Many Jews looked for a resurrection of all men at the end of all time, on the day of the Lord (Isaiah 26:19-20, Daniel 12:2-3, John 11:24), but they had no framework, despite all Jesus warnings (Luke 9:2-22, Luke 18:31-33), for the individual resurrection of one man, especially one who had died such a violent and shameful death (Deuteronomy 21:23 - cursed is anyone hanged on a tree).

So after watching their Teacher die at the hands of their oppressors, how could Jesus’ followers reach any other conclusion than that they had likely wasted years of their lives following a false messiah? Surely, they had been duped and any talk of resurrection was “nonsense.” 

Jesus’ Appearance in Emmaus (Mark 16:12-13)

Two of Them

Vs. 13 - Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.

Only Luke recorded the details of this post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to two of “them” (Cleopas and another unnamed follower of Jesus) as they returned home from their Passover visit to Jerusalem. 

Mark briefly referenced the encounter. 

Mark 16:12-13 - He appeared in a different form to two of them walking on their way into the country. And they went and reported it to the rest, who did not believe them either.

Jesus Came Near

Vs. 15-16 - Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they were prevented from recognizing him.

We do not completely understand why Jesus was initially unrecognizable to multiple of his followers in His resurrected form.  Luke commented only that they were temporarily “prevented” from knowing him until a specific time.  When Mary of Magdala first encountered Jesus after His resurrection, she also failed to immediately recognize Him (John 20:14-15).  She assumed she was speaking with a gardener until Jesus spoke her name. 

Vs. 21 - But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel.

The travelers, in contrast to Israel’s leaders, hoped that Jesus would prove to be their nation’s deliverer, namely, the Messiah whom they evidently saw as a political liberator. Of course, Jesus did redeem Israel by His death on the cross, but they were speaking of physical deliverance from Rome and the establishment of the kingdom.               - Thomas Constable

In the mind of the first century Jew, the true Messiah would rescue Israel from political oppression.  He would be a conquering leader, not a suffering servant.  So these men were understandably confused and disillusioned, gradually releasing what little hope that had survived the weekend. 

Vs. 27 - Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.

Jesus gave these privileged disciples a unique short course in Old Testament Christology. He evidently pointed out the passages that spoke of Messiah’s sufferings particularly, beginning in the Law and the Prophets sections of the Hebrew Bible.          - Thomas Constable

Their Eyes Were Opened

Vs. 32 - They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?”

In a moment during a simple meal together, Luke said that the “eyes” of these men were opened to see that it was Jesus Himself Who had been teaching them from the scriptures.  

It was in no sense a sacramental meal, as we use that word sacrament in our theology. It was a frugal supper in a village home of two tired travellers, and another. Yet it was then – in the breaking of bread, and not in any vision of resurrection splendor – that they knew that their companion was the Lord.               - Morrison

Jesus’ Appearance in Jerusalem (Mark 16:14; John 20:19-23)

Found The Eleven

Vs. 33 - That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together.

Luke noted that, after their seven-mile walk to Emmaus, Cleopas and his friend went straight back to Jerusalem and found the Eleven and other disciples gathered behind closed doors.  We have very little details of their conversation in this room, the ways they were probably trying to make sense of the last few days.  What we do know is that Jesus chose to meet them in their desperation and doubt and to speak peace to their fears. 

Suddenly Standing There

Vs. 36 (NLT) - And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them.

Luke and John (20:19-29) recorded that the disciples were gathered together in a secure place in Jerusalem trying to make sense of all the news they were hearing.  Understandably, Luke said they were “startled and terrified” when Jesus suddenly appeared in the room. 

John noted that Thomas was not present with the others for this encounter with Jesus on Sunday night.  He had to wait until the following week to see and to believe.  

John 20:24-27 - But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”

A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”

Everything Written

Vs. 44-45 - He told them, “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, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

Just as He had done with Cleopas and his travel companion, Jesus carefully explained how all of scripture had patterned, predicted, and pointed to His arrival.  In the book of Acts, Luke recorded multiple examples of the apostles communicating this same teaching in the synagogues. 

Acts 17:2-3 - As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”

Acts 18:24-25, 28 - Now a Jew named Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord;

For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

All The Nations

Vs. 47 - repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Next Jesus proceeded to show them how the Old Testament also predicted that the gospel should go to everyone, all the nations or Gentiles, beginning from Jerusalem (e.g., Isaiah 2:2-3; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 60:3; Joel 2:28-29; Joel 2:32; Micah 4:1-2). This was also teaching that the Jews of Jesus’ day resisted strongly. The theme of Gentile evangelism is strong in Luke, and it carries over into Acts. Likewise Luke featured Jerusalem as Jesus’ city of destiny throughout his Gospel. Now it was to become the hub from which the gospel would go out into all the world.         - Thomas Constable

Witnesses

Vs. 48 - You are witnesses of these things.

Luke did not include a lengthy account of Jesus’ commission to the apostles but rather a summary of the apostolic call to preach repentance and forgiveness to the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

What My Father Promised

Vs. 49 - And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.

John recorded multiple earlier instances of Jesus’ promise of a coming Counselor or Comforter (John 14:16-17, 26, 15:26, and 16:7-15) Who would guide and teach His followers after His ascension.  

John 14:25-26 - I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Luke recorded Jesus’ instruction to wait in Jerusalem for the arrival of God’s Spirit.  His followers would likely have been familiar with prophecies of a coming Spirit baptism and to have associated them with the arrival of Jesus as King. 

Acts 1:4-5 - While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”

The promise of the Father refers to the Holy Spirit that God promised in the Old Testament to pour out on His people (Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28-29; cf. John 14:16-17). These Old Testament prophecies are of an outpouring of the Spirit in the kingdom, as the contexts indicate, but a similar outpouring of the same Spirit came on Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5; Acts 2:16). It was perhaps this promise of the Spirit’s outpouring that led the disciples to view it as inaugurating the kingdom (Acts 1:6). Jesus corrected their misunderstanding (Acts 1:7).              - Thomas Constable

Jesus’ Ascension (Mark 16:19-20)

Blessing in Bethany

Vs. 50 - Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

From near Bethany, the village on the slopes of Mount Olivet just outside Jerusalem, Jesus left his disciples, with the promise that one day he would return.  

From Jesus’ resurrection to his ascension was about six weeks, and during that time he gave his disciples further teaching on the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). The overall content of that teaching is probably represented by the summary attached to the story of his first Sunday night appearance to the disciples. He showed them how his ministry on earth was the climax of God’s Old Testament purposes and the starting point for worldwide expansion through his followers. A clear understanding of God’s purposes, together with their own eye witness accounts of Jesus’ death and resurrection, would give them confidence in taking the gospel to others.                   - Don Fleming

Carried Up into Heaven

Vs. 51 - And while he was blessing them, he left them and was carried up into heaven.

Luke alone included a record of Jesus’ ascension, and he added more description in the opening section of the book of Acts. 

Acts 1:9-11 - After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”

It is remarkable how little stress is laid in the Gospels on the fact which has always been so prominent in the creeds of Christendom. Neither St. John nor St. Matthew record it. It is barely mentioned with utmost brevity in the verses which close the Gospel of St. Mark, and in which many critics see, indeed, a fragment of apostolic teaching, but not part of the original Gospel.

When we seek, however, to realise the process of the Ascension, we find ourselves in a region of thought in which it is not easy to move freely. With our thoughts of the relations of the earth to space and the surrounding orbs, we find it hard to follow that upward motion, and to ask what was its direction and where it terminated. We cannot get beyond the cloud; but that cloud was the token of the glory of the Eternal Presence, as the Shechinah that of old filled the Temple (1Kings 8:10-11; Isaiah 6:1-4), and it is enough for us to know that where God is there also is Christ, in the glory of the Father, retaining still, though under new conditions and laws, the human nature which made Him like unto His brethren.         - Charles Ellicott

The ascension must always remain a mystery, for it attempts to put into words what is beyond words and to describe what is beyond description. But that something such should happen was essential. It was unthinkable that the appearances of Jesus should grow fewer and fewer until finally they petered out. That would have effectively wrecked the faith of men. There had to come a day of dividing when the Jesus of earth finally became the Christ of heaven.          - William Barclay

It was important for Jesus to leave His disciples in this manner. In theory, He certainly could have simply vanished to heaven and the Father’s presence in a secret sort of way. But by ascending in this manner, Jesus wanted His followers to know that He was gone for good, as opposed to the way He appeared and reappeared during the 40 days after His resurrection.       - David Guzik

It is evident in the apostolic epistles that these men were not left to wonder where Jesus had gone from them on this day.  He told them exactly where He was going and why.  

Luke 22:69 - But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God. 

1 Peter 3:22 - Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. 

Hebrews 12:2 - He endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Colossians 3:1 - Seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Worshiping Him

Vs. 52-53 - After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple praising God.

This is Luke’s first reference to the disciples worshipping Jesus. The Resurrection and Jesus’ subsequent instruction made His deity beyond doubt for them.

The disciples returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem joyful because they finally understood and accepted God’s program for Messiah and for them. Jerusalem would shortly become the birthplace of Christianity. Their constant praise in the temple, the place of prayer, was undoubtedly for the gospel, the good news that God has provided salvation for humankind through His Son. Peter preached his sermon on the day of Pentecost 10 days later (Acts 2:1).             - Thomas Constable