Chapter Text
The Resurrection
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning , they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout , behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet 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 returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
10It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
11And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
On the Road to Emmaus
13And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which 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 have crucified him.
21But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
22Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32And they said one to another , Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
33And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
36And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37But they were terrified and affrighted , and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
42And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb .
43And he took it, and did eat before them.
44And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48And ye are witnesses of these things.
49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
The Ascension
50And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
51And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
53And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
Summary
On the first day of the week, women come to the tomb with spices and find it empty. Two angels announce that Jesus is risen. The women tell the apostles, who do not believe them. Peter runs to the tomb and finds it empty.
Two disciples encounter the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus, but do not recognize Him until He breaks bread. They rush back to Jerusalem to tell the others. Jesus appears to the gathered disciples, showing His hands and feet and eating fish to prove He is not a spirit. He opens their understanding of the Scriptures and commissions them as witnesses. He ascends into heaven from Bethany.
Meaning
The Emmaus road encounter reveals that understanding Scripture is the key to recognizing Christ. The two disciples' hearts burned within them as Jesus opened the Scriptures, yet they did not recognize Him until the breaking of bread. This teaches that Christ is known through His Word and through fellowship at His table.
Jesus' final instructions establish that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. The disciples are to be witnesses of these things, not creators of new teaching but testifiers to what they have seen and heard. The promise of power from on high looks forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Background
Emmaus was a village approximately seven miles from Jerusalem, though its exact location is debated. The two disciples may have been returning home after the Passover festival. Luke's emphasis on Jesus eating broiled fish demonstrates the physical reality of the resurrection body.
The ascension is described briefly here but is expanded in Luke's second volume, the book of Acts. The disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God, ending Luke's Gospel on a note of worship.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-12The empty tomb and the women's witness
- vv. 13-27The road to Emmaus
- vv. 28-35Recognition in the breaking of bread
- vv. 36-43Jesus appears to the eleven
- vv. 44-49Opening their minds to the Scriptures
- vv. 50-53The ascension at Bethany
Key Verses
“He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,”— 24:6
The angelic announcement of the resurrection is the cornerstone of Christian faith, frequently quoted at Easter and central to apostolic preaching.
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”— 24:27
This verse establishes that the entire Old Testament testifies of Christ, foundational to Christian hermeneutics and typological reading of Scripture.
“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”— 24:32
A beloved description of Spirit-illumined Scripture reading, often invoked in devotional life as the experience of meeting Christ in the Word.
“Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:”— 24:46
Jesus himself summarizes the gospel and the divine necessity of his passion and resurrection as the fulfillment of Scripture.
People & Places
People
- Mary Magdalene — A devoted follower of Jesus and among the first witnesses of the empty tomb.
- Joanna — A woman who followed Jesus from Galilee, present at the tomb on resurrection morning.
- Mary the mother of James — Another of the women who came to anoint Jesus' body and discovered the resurrection.
- Peter — The chief apostle who runs to inspect the empty tomb and to whom the risen Lord appears.
- Cleopas — One of the two disciples who encounters the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
- Jesus — The risen Christ, who appears to disciples, expounds Scripture, and ascends to heaven.
- Simon — Another name for Peter, identified as having received a personal resurrection appearance.
Places
- Sepulchre — The tomb where Jesus was laid, found empty on the first day of the week.
- Galilee — The northern region where Jesus had earlier prophesied his death and resurrection.
- Jerusalem — The city where the resurrection appearances begin and from which the gospel will spread to all nations.
- Emmaus — A village about seven miles from Jerusalem where Jesus revealed himself in the breaking of bread.
- Bethany — The village near Jerusalem from which Jesus ascended into heaven.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
This chapter is saturated with fulfillment language. Jesus reminds the disciples in verses 6-7 of his own prior prophecy that the Son of man must be crucified and rise the third day. On the Emmaus road (v. 27) and again in the upper room (vv. 44-46), he expounds Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms as bearing witness to his suffering and resurrection. The promise of the Father in verse 49 anticipates Pentecost in Acts 2, fulfilling Joel 2 and Jesus' own pledge of the Spirit.
Devotional
The Emmaus road is every disciple's road. We walk in confusion, grieving losses we did not expect, and Christ draws near unrecognized. He meets us in the Scriptures and at the table, and suddenly the heart that was cold begins to burn.
Notice that the women's witness was first dismissed as idle tales, yet they were right. Faith often begins with the testimony of others before it becomes our own sight. When fear and doubt rise, Jesus still says, Peace be unto you—and sends us out as witnesses with power from on high.
Literary Style
Resurrection narrative combining concise reportage, extended dialogue, and a recognition scene of striking literary craft. Luke employs dramatic irony (the disciples' eyes are holden), eucharistic symbolism in the breaking of bread, and a closing doxological frame that returns the gospel to the temple where it began.