1Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2But they found the stone having been rolled away from the tomb. 3And they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5And, as they were terrified and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8And they remembered His words. 9And they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of Jacob, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11And their words seemed to them like idle nonsense, and they did not believe them. 12But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, wondering to himself at what had happened. 13Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognize Him. 17And He said to them, What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad? 18Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, Are You only a stranger in Jerusalem, and do not know the things which happened there in these days? 19And He said to them, What things? So they said to Him, The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23And when they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He is alive. 24And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see Him. 25Then He said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. 26Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? 27And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. 28And they drew near to the village where they were going, and He made as though He would have gone farther. 29But they constrained Him, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And He went in to stay with them. 30And it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us? 33So they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, The Lord truly is risen, and has appeared to Simon! 35And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. 36And as they were saying these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, Peace to you. 37But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they were seeing a ghost. 38And He said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do reasonings arise in your hearts? 39Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. 40When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, Have you any food here? 42So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43And He took it and ate in their presence. 44Then He said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. 45And He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures. 46And He said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance and remission of sins be preached in His name to all nations, beginning out of Jerusalem. 48And you are witnesses of these things. 49Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but stay in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high. 50And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51And it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into Heaven. 52And they did homage to Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 5 ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE WOMEN THAT CHRIST IS RISEN--PETER'S VISIT TO THE EMPTY SEPULCHRE. (
Luke 24:1-
Luke 24:12)
Why, &c.--Astonishing question! not "the risen," but "the Living One" (compare
Rev 1:18); and the surprise expressed in it implies an incongruity in His being there at all, as if, though He might submit to it, "it was impossible He should be holden of it" (
Acts 2:24).
6 in Galilee--to which these women themselves belonged (
Luke 23:55).
7 Saying, &c.--How remarkable it is to hear angels quoting a whole sentence of Christ's to the disciples, mentioning where it was uttered, and wondering it was not fresh in their memory, as doubtless it was in theirs! (
1Tim 3:16, "seen of angels," and
1Pet 1:12).
10 Joanna--(See on
Luke 8:1-
Luke 8:3).
12 Peter, &c.--(See on
John 20:1-
John 20:10).
13 CHRIST APPEARS TO THE TWO GOING TO EMMAUS. (Luke 24:13-35)
two of them--One was Cleopas (
Luke 24:18); who the other was is mere conjecture.
Emmaus--about seven and a half miles from Jerusalem. They probably lived there and were going home after the Passover.
14 communed and reasoned--exchanged views and feelings, weighing afresh all the facts, as detailed in
Luke 24:18-
Luke 24:24.
drew near--coming up behind them as from Jerusalem.
eyes holden--Partly He was "in another form" (
Mark 16:12), and partly there seems to have been an operation on their own vision; though certainly, as they did not believe that He was alive, His company as a fellow traveller was the last thing they would expect,
17 communications, &c.--The words imply the earnest discussion that had appeared in their manner.
18 knowest not, &c.--If he knew not the events of the last few days in Jerusalem, he must be a mere sojourner; if he did, how could he suppose they would be talking of anything else? How artless all this!
19 Concerning Jesus, &c.--As if feeling it a relief to have someone to unburden his thoughts and feelings to, this disciple goes over the main facts in his own desponding style, and this was just what our Lord wished.
21 we trusted, &c.--They expected the promised Deliverance at His hand, but in the current sense of it, not by His death.
besides all this--not only did His death seem to give the fatal blow to their hopes, but He had been two days dead already, and this was the third. It is true, they add, some of our women gave us a surprise, telling us of a vision of angels they had at the empty grave this morning that said He was alive, and some of ourselves who went thither confirmed their statement; but then Himself they saw not. A doleful tale truly, told out of the deepest despondency.
25 fools--senseless, without understanding.
26 Ought not Christ--"the Christ," "the Messiah."
to suffer . . . and enter--that is, through the gate of suffering (and suffering "these things," or such a death) to enter into His glory. "Ye believe in the glory; but these very sufferings are the predicted gate of entrance into it."
27 Moses and all the prophets, &c.--Here our Lord both teaches us the reverence due to Old Testament Scripture, and the great burden of it--"Himself."
28 made as though, &c.--(Compare
Mark 6:48;
Gen 18:3,
Gen 18:5;
Gen 32:24-
Gen 32:26).
29 constrained, &c.--But for this, the whole design of the interview had been lost; but it was not to be lost, for He who only wished to be constrained had kindled a longing in the hearts of His travelling companions which was not to be so easily put off. And does not this still repeat itself in the interviews of the Saviour with His loving, longing disciples? Else why do they say,
Abide with me from morn to eve,
For without Thee I cannot live;
Abide with me when night is nigh,
For without Thee I cannot die.
KEBLE
30 he took . . . and blessed . . . and their eyes were opened--The stranger first startles them by taking the place of master at their own table, but on proceeding to that act which reproduced the whole scene of the last Supper, a rush of associations and recollections disclosed their guest, and He stood confessed before their astonished gaze--THEIR RISEN LORD! They were going to gaze on Him, perhaps embrace Him, but that moment He is gone! It was enough.
32 They now tell each to the other how their hearts burned--were fired--within them at His talk and His expositions of Scripture. "Ah! this accounts for it: We could not understand the glow of self-evidencing light, love, glory that ravished our hearts; but now we do." They cannot rest--how could they?--they must go straight back and tell the news. They find the eleven, but ere they have time to tell their tale, their ears are saluted with the thrilling news, "The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon." Most touching and precious intelligence this. The only one of the Eleven to whom He appeared alone was he, it seems, who had so shamefully denied Him. What passed at that interview we shall never know here. Probably it was too sacred for disclosure. (See on
Mark 16:7). The two from Emmaus now relate what had happened to them, and while thus comparing notes of their Lord's appearances, lo! Christ Himself stands in the midst of them. What encouragement to doubting, dark, true-hearted disciples!
36 JESUS APPEARS TO THE ASSEMBLED DISCIPLES--HIS ASCENSION. (Luke 24:36-53)
Jesus . . . stood--(See on
John 20:19).
37 a spirit--the ghost of their dead Lord, but not Himself in the body (
Acts 12:15;
Matt 14:26).
thoughts--rather, "reasonings"; that is, whether He were risen or no, and whether this was His very self.
39 Behold, &c.--lovingly offering them both ocular and tangible demonstration of the reality of His resurrection.
a spirit hath not--an important statement regarding "spirits."
flesh and bones--He says not "flesh and blood"; for the blood is the life of the animal and corruptible body (
Gen 9:4), which "cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (
1Cor 15:50); but "flesh and bones," implying the identity, but with diversity of laws, of the resurrection body. (See on
John 20:24-
John 20:28).
41 believed not for joy, &c.--They did believe, else they had not rejoiced [BENGEL]. But it seemed too good to be true (
Ps 126:1-
Ps 126:2).
42 honeycomb--common frugal fare, anciently.
43 eat before them--that is, let them see Him doing it: not for His own necessity, but their conviction.
44 These are the words, &c.--that is, "Now you will understand what seemed so dark to you when I told you about the Son of man being put to death and rising again" (
Luke 18:31-
Luke 18:34).
while . . . yet with you--a striking expression, implying that He was now, as the dead and risen Saviour, virtually dissevered from this scene of mortality, and from all ordinary intercourse with His mortal disciples.
law . . . prophets . . . psalms--the three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament Scriptures.
45 Then opened he, &c.--a statement of unspeakable value; expressing, on the one hand, Christ's immediate access to the human spirit and absolute power over it, to the adjustment of its vision, and permanent rectification for spiritual discernment (than which it is impossible to conceive a stronger evidence of His proper divinity); and, on the other hand, making it certain that the manner of interpreting the Old Testament which the apostles afterwards employed (see the Acts and Epistles), has the direct sanction of Christ Himself.
46 behoved Christ--(See on
Luke 24:26).
47 beginning at Jerusalem--(1) As the metropolis and heart of the then existing kingdom of God:--"to the Jew first" (
Rom 1:16;
Acts 13:46;
Isa 2:3, see on
Matt 10:6). (2) As the great reservoir and laboratory of all the sin and crime of the nation, thus proclaiming for all time that there is mercy in Christ for the chief of sinners. (See on
Matt 23:37).
48 witnesses--(Compare
Acts 1:8,
Acts 1:22).
49 I send--the present tense, to intimate its nearness.
promise of my Father--that is, what My Father hath promised; the Holy Ghost, of which Christ is the authoritative Dispenser (
John 14:7;
Rev 3:1;
Rev 5:6).
endued--invested, or clothed with; implying, as the parallels show (
Rom 13:14;
1Cor 15:53;
Gal 3:27;
Col 3:9-
Col 3:10), their being so penetrated and acted upon by conscious supernatural power (in the full sense of that word) as to stamp with divine authority the whole exercise of their apostolic office, including, of course, their pen as well as their mouth.
50 to Bethany--not to the village itself, but on the "descent" to it from Mount Olivet.
51 while he blessed . . . parted, &c.--Sweet intimation! Incarnate Love, Crucified Love, Risen Love, now on the wing for heaven, waiting only those odorous gales which were to waft Him to the skies, goes away in benedictions, that in the character of Glorified, Enthroned Love, He might continue His benedictions, but in yet higher form, until He come again! And oh, if angels were so transported at His birth into this scene of tears and death, what must have been their ecstasy as they welcomed and attended Him "far above all heavens" into the presence-chamber, and conducted Him to the right hand of the Majesty on High! Thou hast an everlasting right, O my Saviour, to that august place. The brightness of the Father's glory, enshrined in our nature, hath won it well; for He poured out His soul unto death, and led captivity captive, receiving gifts for men, yea for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Thou art the King of glory, O Christ. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, be lifted up, ye everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in! Even so wilt Thou change these vile bodies of ours, that they may be like unto Thine own glorious body; and then with gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought, they shall enter into the King's palace!
52 worshipped him--certainly in the strictest sense of adoration.
returned to Jerusalem--as instructed to do: but not till after gazing, as if entranced, up into the blue vault in which He had disappeared, they were gently checked by two shining ones, who assured them He would come again to them in the like manner as He had gone into heaven. (See on
Acts 1:10-
Acts 1:11). This made them return, not with disappointment at His removal, but "with great joy."
53 were continually in the temple--that is, every day at the regular hours of prayer till the day of Pentecost.
