LUKE 24
BIG IDEA: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE EMPTY TOMB?
INTRODUCTION
Spring in Jerusalem is a fleeting two to three-week period. It’s the time when almond trees blossom pink on every corner, and blood-red poppies punctuate the landscape.
It’s often a mixed meteorological bag, with the occasional shower followed by brilliant sunshine. The air smells sweet, and the weather’s warm one day and chilly the next. It’s as if nature is stuck between the seasons, a brief repose before the oppressive heat of summer locks its grip upon the land.
On this day, a thin crescent moon still hung in the sky, its first appearance since the New Moon a few days before. The sun peaked her glowing face over the eastern horizon chasing away the wisps of morning mist. But it neither warmed their hearts nor chased away the clouds of doubt. Hope was dead. He was dead. But duty called. They had walked this way on Friday, shuffling along, shattered by the inexplicable events of the day. The sundown requirements and the Sabbath’s start had sent them scurrying home.
Now they trudge slowly along the same way again. There was a task to finish. It was Sunday now, the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, Joanna, Salome, and other women are worried. Like everything else recently, would their journey end in frustration and defeat? Joseph of Arimathea had rolled a great stone in front of the tomb. They had already received reports that Pilate had placed guards at the grave’s entrance to prevent the corpse’s robbery. “Who will roll away the stone from us from the entrance of the tomb?” they wondered worriedly as they walked. But they walked on. They came into the garden, even though Hope was dead. He was dead.
“AND THEY FOUND THE STONE ROLLED AWAY FROM THE TOMB.” (LUKE 24:1)
Mary Magdalene, panic-stricken, parted from the group,
SO SHE RAN AND WENT TO SIMON PETER AND THE OTHER DISCIPLE, THE ONE WHOM JESUS LOVED, AND SAID TO THEM, “THEY HAVE TAKEN THE LORD OUT OF THE TOMB, AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE THEY HAVE LAID HIM.” (JOHN 20:2)
Hope was dead. He was dead. And now, the corpse was missing. At that moment, the women were faced with a decision about what to believe. It’s a decision that every man/woman/child must make: what do you do with the empty tomb?
EXPLANATION
1. SOME DID NOT SEE AND WOULD NOT BELIEVE
BUT WHEN THEY WENT IN THEY DID NOT FIND THE BODY OF THE LORD JESUS. WHILE THEY WERE PERPLEXED ABOUT THIS, BEHOLD, TWO MEN STOOD BY THEM IN DAZZLING APPAREL. AND AS THEY WERE FRIGHTENED AND BOWED THEIR FACES TO THE GROUND… (LUKE 24:4)
A few months ago, I was able to visit the place where my Father was laid to rest. It’s a serene and secluded place towards the back of a lovely cemetery. It was a grey winter day, crisp and damp, yet my heart was warmed as I parked the car and started towards the resting place. I was prepared for the flood of emotions, reminding myself there was a small stone bench to rest on as the inevitable waves of memories billowed against me. It was a sweet and wonderful time of reflection, calming and cathartic.
But can you imagine if approaching the place, I found disturbed dirt and an empty vault? Can you imagine the horror of uncertainty, the impact of unimaginable violation, and uncontrollable panic? That is precisely what these women experienced.
Already victimized by the terror of the preceding days, dazed by the monstrosity of His murder, the One they thought was the Messiah, their heads would have been in a tailspin of dread, doubt, and dismay. What is going on? Hope is dead, and now the body is missing. Perplexed. The world can hardly describe the depths of their despair. As with any injection of adrenaline, their vision narrowed, hearts raced, breathing quickened, and there was an uncontrollable urge to run.
On the verge of panic, two men appeared out of thin air. Not just any men; they dazzled. Fighting off a full-blown panic attack, they fell to the ground! And then the dazzling men spoke:
THE MEN SAID TO THEM, “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 THIR DAY RISE?” AND THEY REMEMBERED HIS WORDS, AND RETURNING FROM THE TOMB THEY TOLD ALL THESE THINGS TO THE ELEVEN AND TO ALL THE REST. (LUKE 24:4-9)
What a question! “Why are you looking for the Living Christ in a cemetery? He’s not here but has risen like He told you He would. And with that, they ran. They returned to the disciples. They retold what they had seen and heard.
I imagine their short, stuttering sentences as they tried to catch their breath. “Jesus’ body…gone…Angels…He has Risen!” With their cluttered minds, the disciples struggled to comprehend and decipher what the women had told them. What do you do with an empty tomb? Instead of believing and receiving, the disciples rejected what they could not inspect. They rejected what they heard because they had not seen Jesus.
BUT THESE WORDS SEEMED TO THEM AN IDLE TALE, AND THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THEM. (LUKE 24:11)
One translation says, “These words seemed like nonsense.” Taking in all the events of the preceding days, the disciples thought the women were speaking delirious crazy talk. Remember, these were the original disciples minus Judas the Betrayer! They had seen every miracle, listened to every sermon, and heard every prediction Jesus made regarding the resurrection, yet they rejected the message.
Hope was dead. He was dead. And though they could not explain the empty tomb, they did not believe Hope was alive. They saw the image of His broken body etched in their minds. He was dead. Really dead. They would only believe what they had seen and could not believe what they did not see.
Is this like you, friend? Does the story of Jesus seem like an idle tale, nonsense, or delirious crazy talk? Some do not see and, therefore, do not believe. Two other disciples fell into the same snare as the eleven.
THAT VERY DAY TWO OF THEM WERE GOING TO A VILLAGE NAMED EMMAUS, ABOUT SEVEN MILES FROM JERUSALEM, AND THEY WERE TALKING WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS THAT HAD HAPPENED. WHILE THEY WERE TALKING AND DISCUSSING TOGETHER, JESUS DREW HIMSELF NEAR AND WENT WITH THEM. BUT THEIR EYES WERE KEPT FROM RECOGNIZING HIM.
It was going to be the longest 7 miles they had ever walked! How could they process all that they had seen? They had come to the city for Passover. They had seen Christ riding majestically upon a humble donkey. The sight of the road littered with palm fronds and the sound of the throng shouting, “Hosanna!” seemed like a distant memory. Had it only been a week?
Hope was dead. He was dead. How did this happen so quickly? They spoke about the things that had happened. The adoring crowd had become a scorning mob. The Messiah had been murdered. The One who had brought them so much life had been buried, but now they had received word that the body was missing. Suddenly a stranger joined them, but they did not recognize that it was Him for they had no hope.
AND HE SAID TO THEM, “WHAT IS THIS CONVERSATION YOU ARE HOLDING WITH EACH OTHER AS YOU WALK?” AND THEY STOOD STILL, LOOKING SAD. THEN ONE OF THEM, NAMED CLEOPAS, ANSWERED HIM, “ARE YOU THE ONLY VISITOR IN JERUSALEM WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THERE IN THESE DAYS?” AND HE SAID TO THEM, “WHAT THINGS?” AND THEY SAID TO HIM, “CONCERNING JESUS OF NAZARENTH, A MAN WHO WAS A PROPHET MIGHTY IN DEED AND WORD BEFORE GOD AND ALL THE PEOPLES…” (LUKE 24:17-19).
They were sad because Hope had died. He had died. They thought Jesus was a man, a prophet who worked for God, but they did not understand that Jesus was God. They were sad because they could not see that the answer to everything they hoped for, everything they needed, everything they longed for, was standing right before them.
OUR CHIEF PRIESTS AND RULERS DELIVERED HIM UP TO BE CONDEMNED TO DEATH, AND CRUCIFIED HIM. BUT WE HAD HOPED THAT HE WAS THE ONE TO REDEEM ISRAEL. YES, AND BESIDES ALL THIS, IT IS NOW THE THIRD DAY SINCE THESE THINGS HAPPENED. MOREOVER, SOME WOMEN OF OUR COMPANY AMAZED US. THEY WERE AT THE TOMB EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND WHEN THEY DID NOT FIND HIS BODY, THEY CAME BACK SAYING THAT THEY HAD EVEN SEEN A VISION OF ANGELS, WHO SAID HE WAS ALIVE. SOME OF THOSE WHO WERE WITH US WENT TO THE TOMB AND FOUND IT JUST AS THE WOMEN SAID, BUT THE DID NOT SEE.” (LUKE 24:20-24)
The women did not see. Therefore, they did not believe it. These men on the road also did not see Jesus right before them. And they were sad. Why were they walking away from Jerusalem? Either the greatest miracle in the history of the world had occurred or the greatest scandal in the history of the world had happened. Either way, why were they walking away?
Because they did not believe, Jesus, still veiled from their eyes, began with Moses and the Prophets and interpreted the Old Testament, describing how it revealed Himself. Listen, if you don’t believe in the Old and New Testament Scriptures, you cannot believe in Jesus. The Scriptures reveal Jesus! If you do not believe in them, you cannot receive Him. That is why He veiled Himself for them. It is a lesson for you that although you cannot see Jesus physically, you can believe in Him as He is revealed in the Scriptures. That is what faith is all about! When you accept the Scriptures, you will believe in Jesus! The long seven-mile journey was over. Now it was time for dinner.
WHEN HE WAS AT THE TABLE WITH THEM, HE TOOK THE BREAD AND BLESSED AND BROKE IT AND GAVE IT TO THEM. AND THEIR EYES WERE OPENED, AND THEY RECOGNIZED HIM. AND HE VANISHED FROM THEIR SIGHT. THEY SAID TO EACH OTHER, “DID NOT OUR HEARTS BURN WITHIN US WHILE HE TALKED TO US ON THE ROAD, WHILE HE OPENED THE SCRIPTURES?” (LUKE 24:30-31)
Listen, when you open your eyes to read the Scripture, the Holy Spirit opens your mind to repent of your sins, allowing you to open your heart to receive Jesus as your Savior. If you want to know Jesus, read the Scripture.
AND THEY AROSE THE SAME HOUR AND RETURNED TO JERUSALEM. AND THEY FOUND THE ELEVEN AND THOSE WHO WERE GATHERED TOGETHER, SAYING, “THE LORD HAS RISEN INDEED AND HAS APPEARED TO SIMON! THEN THEY TOLD WHAT HAD HAPPENED ON THE ROAD, AND HOW WHE WAS KNOWN TO THEM IN THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD.”
The seven-mile journey never felt so short! Their sandaled feet flew over the dirt. Hope is alive! Hope had been restored. Jesus had risen indeed, and this changed everything! What changed? How did disbelief transform into belief? The Scriptures changed their minds. Some do not see, and therefore do not believe. But some do see, but still do not believe.
2. SOME DID SEE BUT WOULD NOT BELIEVE
AS THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS, JESUS HIMSELF STOOD AMONG THEM, AND SAID TO THEM, “PEACE TO YOU!” BUT THEY WERE STARTLED AND FRIGHTENED AND THOUGHT THEY SAW A SPIRIT. AND HE SAID TO THEM, “WHY ARE YOU TROUBLED, AND WHY DO DOUBTS ARISE IN YOUR HEARTS? SEE MY HANDS AND MY FEET, THAT IT I MYSELF. TOUCH ME, AND SEE. FOR SPIRIT DOES NOT HAVE FLESH AND BONES AS YOU SEE THAT I HAVE.”
Notice please the words. Notive all the “vision” words.
- They SAW a spirit
- SEE my hands and my feet
- Touch me and SEE,
AND WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS, HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND HIS FEET. AND WHILE THEY STILL DISBELIEVED… (LUKE 24:41)
The people who knew the most about Jesus did not believe in the resurrection, even as they were looking at the Resurrected Jesus. They thought it was a ghost. They were troubled. They doubted even though they saw Him standing right there in front of them.
Now this is going to require you to think for a minute. Are you ready? What led the disciples from unbelief to belief? What changed their thinking?
What melted away their fear and gave them peace? What chased away their doubt and gave them belief? What cast away their silence and gave them a message to share?
It wasn’t the scars in His Hands and feet. Yes, they were visible, but they still didn’t believe. It wasn’t even the Savior standing there. Yes, they could see Him, but they still had doubts. What was it that changed these men/women?
(44) THEN HE SAID TO THEM, “THESE ARE MY WORDS THAT I SPOKE TO YOU WHILE I WAS STILL WITH YOU, THAT EVERTHING WRITTEN ABOUT ME IN THE LAW OF MOSES AND THE PROPHETS AND THE PSALMS MUST BE FULFILLED.” 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 REPENTENCE AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS SHOULD BE PROCLAIMED IN HIS NAME TO ALL NATIONS, BEGINNING IN JERUSALEM. YOU ARE WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS. AND BEHOLD, I AM SENDING THE PROMISE OF MY FATHER UPON YOU.” (LUKE 24:41-49)
The scriptures transformed the disciples understanding and led them to believe.
It was not great apologetics. It was not powerful persuasion. It was not scientific statement. It was the Scriptures that changed everything!
Understand me; the Bible doesn’t save us. We don’t worship the Bible. But the Bible reveals to us the Savior. “Faith (the ability to believe in something you cannot see) comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
What was written?
Christ should suffer
Christ should die
Christ should rise from the dead on the third day
Christ offers forgiveness through repentance
Christ should be proclaimed
Finally, after years of walking with Jesus, they finally understood. Some had not seen, but now believed. Some had seen, but now believed. The result? They were changed forever.
On this Easter morning, I recognize the frailties of this sermon. I know the deficiencies of my dialog. I have neither attempted to persuade nor convince you of the validity of the resurrection. My special effort is to persuade you that it is through the Scriptures that you may encounter the resurrected Christ.
Something changed that first Easter morning. A hapless band of misguided misfits were transformed into the missionaries that turned the world upside down. A band of a fearful few became faithful followers that were not only willing to proclaim the message of the Risen Christ but were willing to die the miserable death of a martyr because they believed all the Scriptures declared. At first, some didn’t see and therefore didn’t believe. Others saw but still did not believe. But when they heard the Scriptures, they received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
APPLICATION
- IT IS THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES THAT PEACE REPLACES FEAR.
- IT IS THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES THAT BELIEF REPLACES DOUBT.
- IT IS THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES THAT SHARING REPLACES SILENCE.
Yes, I believe that 2000 years ago, a tomb was opened and one who was dead walked out alive. But it was only as I opened the Scriptures that God opened my heart leading me to believe. It was through the Scriptures that I was raised from death to life. If you have fear, doubts, and don’t know what to believe, open the Scriptures and find life. Hope is not dead. He is alive. His name is Jesus.
0 Comments