Download the April 2 Sunday school lesson.
Spring Quarter: Jesus Calls Us
Unit 2: Experiencing the Resurrection
Lesson 5: Week of April 2, 2023
By Dr. Hal Brady
Lesson Scriptures: Luke 24:1-12
Key Verse: Luke 24:5b-6a
Lesson Aims
- List important facts surrounding the discovery of the empty tomb.
- Compare and contrast the women’s expectation of the tomb versus its reality.
- Identify his or her personal expectations that Jesus might upend.
If you ever go into an old cemetery and spend some time, more often than not you will find one heading on most of the monuments: “Here lies.” Then follows the name, the date of death and perhaps some praise of the good qualities of the deceased. But how different is the epitaph of the tomb of Jesus! It’s not written in gold or cut in stone. It is spoken by the mouth of two angels and in the exact reverse of what is put on all other tombs: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He’s not here; he has risen!”
Let me say, as we begin, that the Resurrection is to be understood as God’s act. And the Resurrection is credible because God is credible.
Lesson Context
Today’s scripture follows after the narrative of Jesus’ crucifixion and death (Luke 23:26-46). Torture and execution by crucifixion was one way that the Roman Empire demonstrated the power of the state over its subjects. The brutal process of crucifixion slowly killed its victims as they bled, became dehydrated, and suffered shock and asphyxiation. That Jesus died after only several hours on the cross was a surprise (see Mark 15:44). Making a public exhibition of a prolonged and humiliating death was the primary aim of crucifixion.
The bodies of those crucified frequently remained on the crosses for several days after death as a spectacle and as a passive threat to all who could oppose the ruling powers. However, such a display did not occur for Jesus’ body. Joseph, a man from the city of Arimathea and a member of the council of Sanhedrin, received Pilate’s permission to take Jesus’ body (example, Matthew 27:57, 58). Joseph had certain wealth, enabling him to own a rock-hewn tomb. That Jesus was buried in this man’s tomb indicated a level of love that Joseph had for Jesus because strangers were not generally buried in the tomb of another family.
Jesus’ body was wrapped in burial clothes as it was entombed (example, Luke 23:53). Aromatic spices were placed with the clothes and in the tomb to cover the stench of decay. Because Jesus was buried the evening before Sabbath (Mark 15:42) additional spices would have to wait to be administered until after the Sabbath (Luke 23:55,56).
Joseph’s tomb was like many others that were carved in rock, chiseled niches allowed for several bodies to be buried in one tomb. A large, flat stone would seal the tomb’s entrance and prevent thieves from stealing valuable artifacts or even bodies. Tombs remained sealed until all that remained of a body were its bones. Families would then enter the tomb and place the bones in a box called an “ossuary.”
During his earthly ministry, Jesus had prophesied regarding his death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 8:31; 9:30-31; Luke 9:22, 44; 18:31-33; John 2:19). However, the concept of a suffering and resurrected Savior was incomprehensible to many people, even Jesus’ own disciples (example, Luke 18:34).
Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-8, and John 20:1-29 are parallel texts to today’s Scriptures. Each Gospel writer included certain details found only in his specific narratives. These differences, however, do not invalidate the accounts; they simply highlight the different emphasis that each Gospel writer wanted to stress.
- Early-Morning Discovery
Luke 24:1-7
Those who “went to the tomb” were the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee (Luke 23:55). These women had supported Jesus during his final season of ministry. After he died, they went to the tomb and observed how his body was laid in it.
By necessity, the women arrived at the tomb “in the morning on Sunday, the first day of the week.” The Law of Moses prevented anyone from working on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10; Leviticus 23:3). All work ceased by the beginning of the Sabbath at sundown on Friday. The “early morning” would have provided adequate sunlight for safe travel.
As we know, the women’s intent was to anoint the body of Jesus, presumably because Joseph of Arimathea had not done so, and the beginning of the sabbath had precluded them from completing a proper burial without violating the sabbath. Verses 2 and 3 report what they found and what they did not find. They found the stones rolled away from the tomb, but they did not find the body.
Another word about that stone that was "rolled away.” Because of the concerns of the chief priests and the Pharisees that Jesus’ disciples might attempt to remove Jesus’ body, Pontius Pilate allowed for the tomb to be made more secure (Matthew 27:62-65). The chief priests and the Pharisees secured the tomb with a sealed stone and a guard at the tomb’s entrance. The stone prevented robbers and animals from coming into the tomb.
So, the first hint that something unusual had taken place is the rolled away stone at the entrance to the tomb. The women enter the tomb only to find the body of the Lord missing. Needless to say, this leaves the women wondering about “what has happened and what they should do next (v.4).
At this point, two men appear. Their clothes gleam like lighting, suggesting that the term “men” is a euphemism for “angels” (Luke 24:23, where Luke calls them “angels”). They appear to function as two witnesses (see Deuteronomy 19:15).
Luke’s Gospel describes how people were afraid when seeing God’s messengers (Luke 1:11-12), experiencing God’s power (8:24-25), and meeting the resurrected Christ (24:37-39). The women recognized that they were in the presence of God’s messengers. With a combination of fear and respect, the women “bowed.”
In Matthew’s account of this event, the women were told “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 28:5; compare Luke 1:13, 30; 2:10). Luke’s account, however, does not include this statement of comfort. Instead the women are asked a question that amounts to the following: “Why do you seek the living Savior from among the dead?” The women understandably had sought Jesus’ body in the tomb. But the angels provided a corrective to the women: Jesus was no longer dead but was alive in both body and spirit. He walked with the living (Revelation 1:18).
The underlying Greek verb behind “has risen” is a passive voice. One might assume that this fact means that Jesus was raised from the dead through a power beyond his own. It implies that God is responsible for Jesus’ return to life. God has intervened, just as Jesus promised. “He has been raised” preserved the sense that God raised Jesus from the dead, as in the early preaching (Acts 3:15; 4:10).
However, the writer of this lesson challenges us with scripture to back up his point. He suggests that the totality of Scripture provides a more nuanced perspective: Jesus’ resurrection resulted from the power of the entire triune Godhead. All three persons of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—resurrected Jesus (see John 2:18, 19: 10:17-18; Acts 2:24; Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 3:18). All this is certainly food for thought, but personally I like the way the noted Scottish preacher, James S. Stewart put it in his magnificent Lyman Beecher Lecture at Yale University in the 1950’s. He certainly clarifies for us the biblical witness to the resurrection. He says, “…when Christ left the grave, it was not merely an announcement that there is a hereafter and a life beyond—which in any case they knew already. It was the shattering of history by a creative act of God Almighty…the resurrection meant that the world that had died in the night had been reborn—transformed.” “A creative act of God”—that’s it.
When Jesus ministered in “Galilee” he had taught his disciples in private regarding his upcoming death and resurrection (Luke 9:18-22). The women presumably received similar teachings from the disciples (see Luke 18:31-33) or from Jesus’ public statements (see 17:20-25). The fulfillment of his prophecy shows that Jesus is both omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful). At no point was he surprised or were his plans thwarted.
For the benefit of the women in verse 7, the angels repeated the main points of Jesus’ teachings regarding his suffering and resurrection. The message of the angels is not based on any one particular teaching of Jesus. Instead, it blends several of his teachings found in Luke’s Gospel (see Luke 9:22,44; 18:32-33).
The title “Son of Man” is found primarily throughout the Gospels and on the lips of Jesus. Its roots are not immediately clear, although many students believe that the title comes from the book of Daniel. There, the prophet Daniel describes a figure, “one like a son of man” (Daniel 7:13), who was given all divine authority and power (7:14). Jesus used this title when referring to his divine authority (Luke 5:24) and power (Matthew 25:31; 26:24, Mark 13:26), but also to his humility (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58), and especially regarding his suffering and death (Luke 9:22,44:18:31). Jesus showed his divine authority by defeating the forces of sin and death. This occurred only as he took upon himself “the very nature of a servant” and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death” (Philippians 2:7-8).
II. Bearing Witness
(Luke 24:8-12)
The women “remembered” Jesus’ teaching regarding his death and resurrection. But while they acknowledged his teaching, it remained to be known whether they understood the “why” behind what he taught.
Part of Jesus’ ministry focused on the marginalized of society (see Luke 4:18-19). He showed special attention toward people with physical ailments, people suffering from demon possession, children and women. Such people were promised the presence of God’s blessing (see Luke 6:20-22). The revelation of the empty tomb continued the trend of knowing special attention to those people marginalized by the world. And women, regarded by society as unreliable, received the blessing of being the first human witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection.
And then what happened, and it is so important! The women’s recall of Jesus’ teaching led them to action, and they returned to the other followers of Jesus (contrast with Mark 16:8). These women became the first, not only to experience the resurrection, but to proclaim the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. And their mission field first consisted of “the Eleven” remaining apostles of Jesus and then expanded to include “all the others” of Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem. So through the unlikely witness of the women, the Apostles were presented with the news of Jesus resurrection.
The women, whose names were not reported at the crucifixion or at the beginning of the empty tomb story, are now listed. Mary Magdalene and Joanna were both listed among the women who followed Jesus in Galilee (see Luke 8:2,3). The women’s report should have been credible because (1) they were relating events of which they had firsthand experience, (2) there were several witnesses, and (3) their character has been established by the reports of their selfless service to Jesus and his disciples (8;2-3; 23:49).
The third woman identified is “Mary the mother of James.” Most equate her to Mark 15:40 and 16:1, that is to the mother of James the younger and Joses. Beyond this, little is known about her.
However, despite the credibility of these numerous female witnesses, their story is not viewed as credible. Not only is it hard to accept, but culturally such a story from women would be viewed with suspicion. One of the main proofs, however, that the resurrection story is credible is realization that the first-century church would never have created a story whose main first witnesses were women.
Now, the Law of Moses did not prohibit the testimony of a woman. However, by the first century AD, Jewish historian Josephus wrote that a woman’s testimony was disallowed.
But regardless of who the message came from (see John 20:24-25), the Apostles doubted the validity of an empty tomb and a resurrected Jesus. Such news to them seemed like “nonsense.”
Even in our time, the resurrection is considered an “idle tale” to some. There are numerous reasons why some disbelieve in the resurrection. I’m only going to mention two reasons. First, some people disbelieve the resurrection because of fear (Luke 24:37).
What if the resurrection were true? What would it mean? If the resurrection were true then life would make sense, and we would breathe easier. Right? Wrong! For sooner or later we would realize that if the resurrection were true then life would make sense alright, but only on God’s terms and not on ours. If God is not content to let things rest as they were at Calvary, God will not be content to let things rest with unjust policies, evil intentions, misplaced priorities, unkind actions, and careless indifference in our 21
st Century today.
Another reason people disbelieve the resurrection is because it seems too good to be true! Maybe that’s it. Maybe the news of the resurrection is just too good to believe, too good to assimilate all at once.
A few years ago, Nell Mohney wrote a book titled, “Don’t Put a Period Where God Put a Comma.”
“There, that takes care of that,” the world said. “We silenced him. We showed him. We stopped him,” the world said. “So put a period there.”
But God said, “No, that is not a period. It’s just a comma, just a little ole comma. It’s not over. I’ve got a surprise for you. I’ve got a resurrection for you. It’s not over. I’ve only just begun.”
As I said, maybe the news of the resurrection is just too good to believe for some. It was for these disciples at the time.
Peter (along with John; see John 20:3-10) wanted to verify the women’s message. He is not known as lackadaisical or disinterested. Instead, Peter “ran” to the tomb,” ignoring any personal indignity associated with his running. On arrival, he “saw” that the tomb was not empty: burial garments laid “by themselves.” A robber would not have unwrapped the linen burial “strips” from the body and left them behind in the tomb.
Now seeing the tomb without Jesus’ body did not lead to an immediate response of faith for Peter. Instead, he went away from the tomb and was left “wondering what had happened to the body of his Lord.” Peter’s journey of faith had come to another critical juncture. You will remember that he had denied knowing Jesus (Luke 22:54-62). So Peter now faced the challenge of the woman’s message. Would he believe that Jesus’ teachings concerning his resurrection had happened?
In conclusion, the good news of the resurrection began with the women’s witness and went out to all nations. As believers, we also have a role to play in proclaiming that same good news of Jesus’ resurrection to the world. But here’s the question! Are we merely believing in that good news or are we also proclaiming it to the world?
The late William Sloan Coffin, former pastor of Riverside Church in New York, stated, “I myself believe passionately in the resurrection of Jesus Christ because in my life I never experienced Christ not as a memory but as a presence.” That experience always needs to be shared with the world.
Action Plan
- In what ways are believers guilty of forgetting that which has already been taught to them regarding their faith?
- What is the significance for believers that Jesus was resurrected in the body?
- What steps will you take in the upcoming days before Easter to proclaim the good news that Jesus is alive?
Resources For This Lesson
- “2022-2023 NIV Standard Lesson Commentary, Uniform Lesson, International Sunday School Lessons,” pages 265-272.
- “The NIV Application Commentary (Luke)”, by Darrell L. Bock, pages 605-610.
- “The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IX, Luke John, pages 467-470.
Dr. Hal Brady is a retired pastor who continues to present the Good News of Jesus Christ and offer encouragement in a fresh and vital way though Hal Brady Ministries (halbradyministries.com).
