Sermon Notes

12 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us[k] while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NRSVue)

12 It was very early in the morning on the first day of the week. The women took the spices they had prepared. Then they went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from it. 3 When they entered the tomb, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 They were wondering about this. Suddenly two men in clothes as bright as lightning stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified. They bowed down with their faces to the ground. Then the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 Jesus is not here! He has risen! Remember how he told you he would rise. It was while he was still with you in Galilee. 7 He said, ‘The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people. He must be nailed to a cross. On the third day he will rise from the dead.’ ” 8 Then the women remembered Jesus’ words. 9 They came back from the tomb. They told all these things to the 11 apostles and to all the others. 10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them were the ones who told the apostles. 11 But the apostles did not believe the women. Their words didn’t make any sense to them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent over and saw the strips of linen lying by themselves. Then he went away, wondering what had happened.
30 He joined them at the table. Then he took bread and gave thanks. He broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But then he disappeared from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “He explained to us what the Scriptures meant. Weren’t we excited as he talked with us on the road?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the 11 disciples and those with them. They were all gathered together. 34 They were saying, “It’s true! The Lord has risen! He has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then the two of them told what had happened to them on the way. They told how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread. (The Message, MSG)

The four canonized Gospels—Matthew, Mark , Luke and John—share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection from different perspectives. And perspective…is everything. The late Dr. Julia B. Purnell, Professor of Education and administrator at Southern University of Baton Rouge often said, “Where one stands determines what one sees.” Her observation is instructive for how one might approach Luke’s retelling of the events surrounding the resurrection.
From Luke’s vantage point, all of the events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection take place in Jerusalem. This is significant because it locates God’s raising of Jesus within the same political and religious contexts of his crucifixion. Just as Luke presents Jesus’ ministry within the context of a Divine preference for the have-nots, Luke presents Jesus’ resurrection within the context of the Divine thwarting the efforts of the religious, political, and imperial leaders/systems that crucified an innocent Jesus on Calvary. When the women find the empty tomb on Easter morning, it is visible evidence that God will produce life in the very spaces that have been designed to sustain death. Through this retelling of Jesus’ resurrection, the Lukan writer invites readers to embrace the empty tomb as a sign of God’s power to overcome death, hell, and the grave. We can only experience resurrection, if we embrace the empty tomb.
However, Luke’s retelling of resurrection events does not conclude at the empty tomb. His resurrection narrative continues as two disciples walk seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. While tradition has often assumed and asserted the two disciples were men, (Luke names one of them as Cleopas), strong biblical evidence in John 19:25 identifies these traveling disciples as a married couple, Mary and Clopas. Cleopas is the Greek version of the Semitic name, Clopas. Luke says that Jesus miraculously appears alongside them as they journey to Emmaus. The two traveling disciples knew the eleven apostles well, (verse 13), and were clearly informed about all of the events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection, as reported by the women at the tomb. However, Jesus’ crucifixion cast dispersions on their expectations of a conquering Messiah. Was Jesus in fact the promised Messiah, or simply a prophet like the prophets of the ancient Jewish Scriptures? Had their hopes and dreams in Jesus been misplaced?
For contemporary Christians, Luke’s story about the events surrounding resurrection focuses on the questions at the core of the Christian faith. Who was Jesus? Was he really the Messiah? Did Jesus rise from the grave? How is his crucifixion and resurrection meaningful for my faith and life? Luke’s version of the story answers these questions for the Lukan faith community of 1st century Palestine and the global faith community of the 21st century. Resurrection, is indeed the central core of Christian belief.

This lesson text is a part of a literary unit (Luke 22:1-24:53) that explores the passion and resurrection narratives. All four New Testament Gospels narrate the crucifixion of Jesus and discovery of the empty tomb. So it is clear that Jesus’ first followers collectively emphasized his passion and resurrection as the central tenant of their faith. However, each Gospel writer recounts the discovery of the empty tomb in different ways. The differences in the stories reflect different theological emphases for each of their individual faith communities.
In Mark’s version of resurrection events, the women who witness the empty tomb tell no one. In Matthew’s version, the women were present at the tomb when it was opened and Jesus appeared to them as they were leaving the empty tomb. In John’s version of events surrounding the resurrection, he says Mary Magdalene went to the tomb alone and then told the disciples what she had witnessed. Luke's version of resurrection events adds an angelic pronouncement. After the women announcement Jesus’ resurrection, Peter confirms the women’s report himself in person.
Unlike the other Synoptic Gospels, Luke does not linger on the gory details of Jesus’ passion. Whereas Mark, Matthew, and John graphically depict the violence that Jesus suffered, Luke tends to announce this point, but omit graphic explanation. In Luke 22:54, 63-64; 23:16,36 it describes Jesus being mocked, beaten, scorned, and offered sour wine. Yet, it does not describe the crown of thorns, a violent stripping of Jesus’ clothes, or the blood that surges from his side. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus does not say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Instead, the Lukan account presents Jesus as one who is in continuous fellowship with God. Luke’s Jesus prays for those who crucify him and he demonstrates a calm assurance in God’s care by saying “Father into thy hands, I commend my spirit.”
Luke’s intention is to ensure that Jesus is not seen as a passive victim of a violent state-sanction execution. Instead, Luke wants to make sure that his readers see a Jesus that transcends death and the powers that orchestrate his demise. He is an active participant in God’s redemption of all humanity—particularly, the least, the lowly and left-out—through a death that defies worldly powers and worldly kingdoms. Similarly, Luke’s inclusion of the “Road to Emmaus” narrative demonstrates the Divine power of resurrection to empower disciples to press through discouraging circumstances and proclaim the good news (euangelion) of Jesus Christ.

1 It was very early in the morning on the first day of the week. The women took the spices they had prepared. Then they went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from it. 3 When they entered the tomb, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
In the opening verses of the lesson, Jesus reveals a precise sense of timing for setting into motion the events that will culminate with his passion. As he stated in Marck 1:15, his ministry signaled to the people of Palestine that God’s kingdom had finally arrived. Now, with the “triumphal” entry into Jerusalem, Jesus’ time to fully reveal himself as the Messiah has come. From the Mount of Olives in Bethany, Jesus sends two of his disciples ahead to procure a colt. It was not that Jesus needed a ride; it wasn’t a long walk into Jerusalem. However, the Markan writer wants to make sure that his hearers and readers know that Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a never-ridden colt as an allusion to prophetic prophecy about the Messiah (Zechariah 9:9).
4 They were wondering about this. Suddenly two men in clothes as bright as lightning stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified. They bowed down with their faces to the ground. Then the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 Jesus is not here! He has risen! Remember how he told you he would rise. It was while he was still with you in Galilee. 7 He said, ‘The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people. He must be nailed to a cross. On the third day he will rise from the dead.’ ” 8 Then the women remembered Jesus’ words.
Mark gives detailed instructions about procuring this donkey. First, the writer wants to reveal this act was an important fulfillment of prophecy. This action connects Jesus to the Hebrew scriptures which foretold of the character of the Messiah. Second, the writer wants to portray Jesus’ miraculous prophetic insight. His exact knowledge of the whereabouts of the animals, and of the response of the owners, indicates that he is completely aware of and in control of his environment. Third, the writer wants to display Jesus’ power and sovereignty. The fact that the disciples did not seek permission ask to use the animal, indicates Jesus’ right and authority to make use of anything for his Divine purpose. Once the disciples explained who Jesus was, the people who objected to their taking the donkey ceased their objections.
The title, “Lord” was based on prophetic scripture. It implied the deity of Jesus, and thus His sovereignty over all creation. The term “Lord” conveyed to these owners that Jesus was not only Messiah, but God, and thus He had every right to possess these animals, whether He ever returned them or not. However, note that Jesus did not conscript the animal without an assurance that he would return the donkey to its rightful owner. The Roman military would often conscript animals, land, produce and services from the Judean population without payment or assurance of return. Jesus does not do this. He recognizes and respects personal property.
9 They came back from the tomb. They told all these things to the 11 apostles and to all the others. 10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them were the ones who told the apostles. 11 But the apostles did not believe the women. Their words didn’t make any sense to them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent over and saw the strips of linen lying by themselves. Then he went away, wondering what had happened.
In the Gospel of Mark, the women do not tell the disciples what they have witnessed because of their fear. However, in the Gospel of Luke the women boldly report to the disciples what they have seen, even though they are not instructed to do so. Luke employs the verb "to return" to explain how the women proceed to tell the eleven and "all the rest," "all these things". In these phrases, Luke’s commitment to capture “all” in the plan of God’s kingdom/kin-dom is on full display. Further, this underscores that there were always more disciples than just the Twelve who were included in Jesus’ ministry. Luke now includes the women whose names were omitted at Jesus’ crucifixion and at the beginning of this resurrection narrative.
However, ten of the apostles don’t believe the women’s report, even though they are reliable witnesses. They also suffer from failing to remember the teaching of Jesus and expecting death instead of resurrection life. During the most trying times of our live, we must remember the Word of God and the presence of God. It we remember what God said and how God has resurrected us in the past, we can then believe in resurrection in our present situations and circumstances. Peter believes the women’s report about the empty tomb and rushes to the cemetery to see for himself. But he leaves the tomb unsure about what has occurred. Luke is signaling to the readers that an empty tomb is but the first step to resurrection faith.
The post-resurrection accounts—like the Road to Emmaus personal account that follows these verses—are the physical confirmation that Jesus has been raised from the dead. While all the Gospels proclaim there was an empty tomb on Sunday, they point to the personal accounts of Jesus’ resurrection as the evidence of resurrection life. Luke centers resurrection faith on the presence of the risen Lord in human experience.
30 He joined them at the table. Then he took bread and gave thanks. He broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But then he disappeared from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “He explained to us what the Scriptures meant. Weren’t we excited as he talked with us on the road?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the 11 disciples and those with them. They were all gathered together. 34 They were saying, “It’s true! The Lord has risen! He has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then the two of them told what had happened to them on the way. They told how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread.
In the final verses of the “Road to Emmaus” text, Luke says the two traveling disciples recognized the resurrected Jesus through the process of breaking, thanksgiving, and giving of bread. There is no scriptural evidence to suggest that there was a mysterious or mystical revelation of Jesus in the breaking of the bread. The reason they recognized the “stranger” as Jesus was because “their eyes were opened,” as they recalled that three days ago Jesus had broken bread in the upper room when he instituted a new covenant that was symbolized his broken body and shed blood.
After they recognized Jesus, he immediately disappeared. The two disciples immediately returned to Jerusalem to tell the rest of the disciples what they had experienced. However, they already knew Jesus was alive because he had appeared to Peter in the time of their absence.