Luke 24

The Explanation

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark and cold, some women walked to a tomb. Mary Magdalene was there, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. They carried sweet-smelling spices for Jesus' body, because he had died on a cross three days before.

But when they came close, something was wrong. The big stone that had closed the tomb was rolled away. They went inside. No body. Just empty space where Jesus should have been.

While they stood there, confused and afraid, two men in clothes so bright they nearly glowed stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" the men asked. "He isn't here, but is risen!"

The women remembered. Jesus had told them this would happen. They ran back and told the eleven disciples everything. But the disciples thought it sounded like nonsense. Peter did not just sit there wondering, though. He got up and ran to the tomb himself. He saw the strips of linen lying empty, and went home, puzzled.

That same day, two others were walking to a village called Emmaus, talking about all that had happened. Suddenly a stranger joined them and walked beside them. It was Jesus, but somehow they could not recognize him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. They told him everything, sad and confused, not understanding why Jesus had died. Then he spoke. "Foolish men, slow of heart to believe!" He explained the Scriptures to them, starting with Moses, showing how all of it pointed to him.

When they reached the village, they begged him to stay for supper. He sat down, took bread, gave thanks, and broke it. Suddenly their eyes were opened. They knew him. And then he was gone.

"Weren't our hearts burning within us?" they said to each other. They ran all the way back to Jerusalem, bursting with news. The Lord is risen indeed!

While they were still talking, Jesus himself stood among them. "Peace be to you," he said. But they were terrified, thinking they saw a ghost. "Touch me and see," Jesus said. "A spirit doesn't have flesh and bones like I have." He even ate a piece of fish in front of them, so they would know he was truly alive.

What Does This Mean?

This story is not quiet or calm. It is full of running feet, pounding hearts, and shaking hands. Nobody expected this. The women did not expect an empty tomb. The disciples on the road did not expect a stranger to turn out to be Jesus. Nobody in that locked room expected Jesus to simply appear and say, "Peace be to you."

That is the whole point. Jesus is really alive. Not a ghost, not a dream, not a nice story people made up. He has a real body. He can be touched. He can eat fish. Death could not hold him.

The Common Thread

Long before Jesus was born, the Scriptures already told this story. Jesus himself explained it, starting with Moses. God had promised that the Christ would suffer and then rise on the third day. Every promise in the Old Testament was leading here, to an empty tomb and a living Savior. God always keeps his word, even when it looks impossible.

For You

When something feels impossible, like a fear you cannot shake or bad news that makes you sad, remember the empty tomb. Jesus is alive right now. You can talk to him like the disciples finally did, out loud, honestly. You could even share this story with someone who feels sad today, the way the women ran to tell others.

Talk About It

Why do you think the disciples did not believe the women at first?

If Jesus walked beside you like he did with the two men, what would you want to ask him?

Praying Together

Jesus, thank you that you are really alive. Thank you that death could not keep you in the tomb. Help us believe, even when it feels hard, and give us your peace today. Amen.