The Victory of the Empty Tomb (Luke 24:1–12)

He Is Not Here—He Is Risen

Imagine the silence of Saturday. Jesus had been crucified. The cross was not just an end—it was devastation. The disciples were scattered, the women mourned, and hope seemed buried with Jesus. But then came Sunday.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central claim of the Christian faith, the axis on which all of history turns. As the apostle Paul later declares, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). But Luke 24 gives us the powerful, historical account that Christ is indeed risen, and this resurrection is not a private experience but a public, cosmic, and victorious reality. Luke’s resurrection narrative offers us four profound theological movements:

I. From Devotion to Divine Disruption (vv. 1–4)

1 Now 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. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.

A. The Unexpected Surprise.

The women who had lingered at the cross came early to the tomb, bringing spices that they might anoint His body. They thought He was dead. In fact, they wondered how they would move the huge stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb.

Who will roll the stone away?” was their main concern. The Roman soldiers would not break the Roman seal, especially for a group of mourning Jewish women. But God had solved the problem for them; the tomb was open and there was no body to prepare!

B. The women didn’t go expecting resurrection.

They went with spices—for a dead body. But surprise! The stone is rolled away. No body. The stone was not rolled away to permit Jesus to come out, for He had already left the tomb. It was rolled away so that the people could see for themselves that the tomb was empty.

Keep in mind that these women, as well as the disciples, did not expect Jesus to be alive. What did they see in the tomb? The graveclothes lying on the stone shelf. Jesus had passed through the graveclothes and left them behind as evidence that He was alive. Jesus was not held by the bonds of death. He had promised to arise from the dead, and His Word was never broken.

II. From Confusion to Revelation (vv. 5–8)

5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ” 8 And they remembered His words.

A. What had happened?

What could they do? How could they stand the loss of his body in addition to losing him to death? From out of nowhere two angels in glistening garments appeared. Dazzled by it all, the women fell face down to the ground, afraid to look up. This fear probably should be understood more in the sense of reverential awe rather than in the sense of their experiencing stark terror.

B. Why do you look for the living among the dead?

Jesus was not in the tomb because he lives. Tombs are for dead people. The women should not have been looking for the living Jesus here. There was a kind rebuke in the angels message as the angel reminded them of their bad memories! More than once, Jesus had told His followers that He would suffer and die and be raised from the dead.

He is not here. He is risen! The angels reminded the women of what Jesus had said in Galilee. Then they remembered!

III. From Witness to Mission (vv. 9–12)

9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

A. The women didn’t keep it to themselves.

Obedient to their commission, the women ran to tell the disciples the good news, but the men did not believe them! Let’s pause here: In a culture where women’s testimonies weren’t even valid in court, God chose women to be the first witnesses of the resurrection.

Notice that our Lord’s Resurrection appearance was to believing women. These faithful women were not only the last to leave Calvary, but they were also the first to come to the tomb. Their devotion to Jesus was rewarded. It is when we are obeying God’s Word that He comes to us.

B. Peter Runs.

He looks. He sees the linen cloths. And he marvels. This is the beginning of a theological shift—from doubt to wonder, from despair to hope, from confusion to conviction. Peter’s wondering/marveling should not be interpreted negatively, “wondering/marveling” can be associated with doubt and unbelief, it is usually seen as a positive response to what has happened or is taking place.

The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. And that changes everything.

Are you living like the resurrection is true?

Are you willing to remember what Jesus has said—even when grief speaks louder?

What would it mean for you to run like Peter and see for yourself?

Are there still “tombs” where you’re still looking for life?