Reactors To the Resurrection
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest event in human history.
It is the main event in God’s redemptive plan.
It is the cornerstone and foundation of the gospel.
In fact, in order to be saved, you must believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Now, we know that the message that God has delivered to sinners throughout of all Scripture is that death does not end our existence.
This is the message of Scripture from start to finish, that death is merely the doorway into eternity and everyone goes through that doorway and everyone lives forever, some to the resurrection of life, and some to the resurrection of damnation, to borrow the words of .
Every human being born will live forever, fully conscious either in everlasting joy or everlasting suffering.
For those who by faith have come into the Kingdom of God, into the realm of salvation, the promise is that they will experience a resurrection unto life, that not only will their spirits dwell in the presence of God in eternal bliss, but they receive a resurrected body fit for that everlasting jy.
This has been the hope of God’s people throughout all of redemptive history.
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
The first apostolic sermon, the first gospel sermon on the Day of Pentecost is a sermon on the resurrection.
And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
So, we see that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not only of a central teaching but is also absolutely imperative to guarantee our salvation and resurrection.
We come today to our passage in the Gospel according to Luke.
We encounter in this gospel account of the resurrection of Christ four Reactions to the Resurrection.
As we look at this fascinating account, we will back to the other gospels to get the entire picture of what is going on with this life changing event.
We see Four Reactions to the Resurrection: we see Four Faithful Women, Nine Forgetful Disciples, One Frazzled Apostle, and Two Fatigued Travelers.
Notice:
I. Four Faithful Women (vs. 1-10)
I. Four Faithful Women (vs. 1-10)
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.
And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
We notice from our text, first of all, that this was the first day of the week, very early.
This is Sunday and this fits in perfectly the prophecy that Jesus gave that He would be in the ground three days.
In regards to the resurrection, one of the most debated areas of the resurrection is that the skeptics usually like to question the veracity of the three days in the tomb.
This would have been the timetable of events.
But when you are speaking in regard to the Jewish clock, you are talking about 12 hour days.
This would have been the timetable of events.
He was crucified and buried on Friday, before 6 in the evening; so that would have been the first days.
Because remember that they had to get Him off the cross and buried before 6 because at 6 began Saturday, which was the Jewish Sabbath.
So, the first day was Friday, then was there on Saturday, and then He is there a great portion of Sunday because remember that Sunday begins at 6 o’clock the night before.
So, you have Friday, Saturday and Sunday; because Jewish days began at 6 PM the previous day and not midnight as ours do.
By the way, they had no names for days.
They did not have Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
All they had were numbers and everything was numbered in connection with the Sabbath.
So the first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath, that is Sunday, and it is the third day that Jesus has been in the ground.
And by the way, it is dawn or just before dawn on the morning of Sunday, but Sunday began at sundown the night before; so, you are probably 12 hours into Sunday.
This is the very day that was prophesied and this becomes the new day of worship for the Church so that the Saturday in which Jesus was in the ground is the last official legitimate Sabbath.
Christ was clear with His disciples that this is the day that he would rise.
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
The fact that Jesus was raised on the first day of the week is by the writers of the NT say that the Sabbath is no longer to be commanded.
It is no longer the day, Sabbath law is gone.
All the OT dietary laws are done and so are any Sabbath prescriptions as well.
We do not want to ride across people’s conscience but it is no longer necessary, there are no more Sabbaths.
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
And from the resurrection on, Sunday becomes the new Lord’s Day.
I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
The Church meets on the first day of the week.
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
That is one of the reasons that I love having Sunday Morning and Sunday Night services; because it is the Lords Day.
So, these women come on Sunday and the text says that it was early in the morning, so it was probably around dawn that the women came.
And the text says that they came with the spices that they had prepared.
Now, they came this ear.y because if you remember the ending of Chapter 23.
And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Luke 23:54-56
These women were stunned and in shock.
They had just lived through through the most bizarre, horrific experiences.
The one whom they had put their trust in, the Lord Jesus, had been arrested, He had been beaten, He had been crucified, He is dead and here are these men putting a hundred pound weight of spices that Nicodemus brought and they are anointing His body and putting it in the grave.
These women are still stunned, they are not helping, they are just so heart broken as they are just watching.
But they are determined that they wanted to have a part in it.
So, as verse 56 tell us, they returned home and prepared spices and perfumes.
They rest on the Sabbath according to the commandments and then returned on the first day of the week.
Now, the text says that they went to the tomb early in the morning.
What exactly is that?
Well, lets put the pieces together.
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
So, it was at “the crack of dawn”, when the sun was rising but was not completely risen so one could say that it was dark.
The text says on verse 1:
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.
“....they came to the sepulchre....” and they brought the spices that they had prepared on Friday evening before the Sabbath.
Now, here in Luke the text says that “they” came and the “they” are the women that are mentioned back up in .
And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
So, this was probably a fairly large group of women; the only ones that are mentioned are down in verse 10.
10
It 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.
Mark adds:
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
Marks adds that Salome was there and; of course, she is the mother of the Son’s of Zebedee, James and John; both disciples of Christ.
So, “they came to the tomb”, but John says:
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
So where are the other women in John’s account that Luke and Mark mention?
Here is probably what happened.
Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of James were probably the younger and were moving faster than the rest that may have been older; Salome, for example, already had two grown sons and was probably older than some of the others.
John says that Mary Magdalene arrived at the tomb to see that through the dusky dark, but could see well enough to know that the stone had beed removed.
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
Now, John does not tell us that Mary Magdalene, who was the first woman there, went into tomb.
Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
So, while Mary Magdalene runs off to find Peter and John; the other woman who arrived after Mary Magdalene go into the tomb and find that the body of Christ is gone.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
“Perplexed” is “ἀπορέω” and means “to be at a loss”
These women did not know what to think.
I means they watched as they put the body of Christ in the tomb and now three days later, the stone is rolled away and the body of Jesus Christ is gone and they do not know what to make of it.
They are absolutely at a loss.
Then two men show up; these are , of course, holy angels.
Noticed what Mark said:
And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
Of course, Mark is only mentioning one because he just mentions the one that spoke.
These women became terrified.
These women became terrified.
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
“Afraid” is “ἔμφοβος” and means “to be filled with terror”.
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
I love these faithful women.
Out of love for the Lord Jesus Christ, they go to the tomb to anoint His body.
Mary Magdalene arrives first sees that the stone is rolled away, runs and goes to find Peter and John because she believes that someone has stolen the body of Christ; so she forgot something important that Jesus had said as well.
The fact that these women came to the tomb with spices shows that they had all forgotten the words of Christ that He was gong to rise from the dead.
This angel reminded them what the Lord had told them during His ministry with them and now notice the women’s reaction; and we will see that there reaction is very different than that of the men.
And they remembered his words,
And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
Listen, these women needed no further proof but just a reminder of that the Lord had said because as soon as they were reminded of what the Lord said, they ran from the tomb to tell these things to the eleven.
And what was the proclamation?
That Jesus is alive, just like He said he would do.
These faithful women, who came forgetful but to serve their Lord while the men were in hiding, needed only a reminder of what Jesus said in order to believe.
Listen, if Resurrection Day teaches anything it should teach us the Lord always keeps His word.
God knew that the women would be in the wrong place on Resurrection Day, looking for the living among the dead.
So he graciously sent a messenger to tell them the good news of the Gospel: that Jesus is alive.
God often does this for us: even when we go to the wrong place, He is there ahead of us, pointing us back in the right direction.
How could these women believe this?
I mean, where is the proof, where is His body?
The fact is they were standing inside the proof....there is no body there and they saw the body placed there three days earlier.
They saw that the body that had been crucified and buried was gone..there is your proof.
I remember back in February of 2007 James Cameron comes out and produced a documentary with positive proof that they found the casket of Jesus of Nazareth and His family.
Boy, the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees would have done anything to produce that at the time that Christ was crucified, thereby disproving the resurrection and discrediting the apostles.
So, James Cameron was able to find 2000 years later, what the Pharisees could not find three days later.
These women were reminded and believed what the angel said and their faith caused them to run and tell the disciples.
These women had not seen the resurrected body of Christ but they believed the words of the Lord.
The promise of Christ is the only proof you need when physical proof is not seen.
Also, I want you to notice something is Matthew’s account.
And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
Notice that the text says that they ran “with fear and great joy”.
They were experiencing joy because all of these things were becoming clear to them.
And now we find that they are running to tell the disciples the news with great joy.
And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
“Good Morning, Ladies!”
I just love the simplicity of that.
There is no wow factor, it does not say again that the earth shook and the sky rent and the stars fell and people blew trumpets.
If was just, “Good Morning, Ladies!”
And then these faithful women took Jesus by the feet and began to worship Him.
So, these faithful women have seen the empty tomb, they have seen the angelic messenger, and now they have seen the risen Christ.
Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
Somewhere in this there joy turns back to fear and then Jesus tells them not to be afraid, but to go to Galilee and tell the disciples.
I truly do believe that it is very interesting that Jesus revealed Himself for the first time in His resurrected state to women, and I believe that it for a specific reason.
Now, it does elevate the importance of women in the life and minstry of the Lord Jesus, but I do not believe that was the primary reason; although, that certainly is the case.
How many of the Apostles were standing there watching Jesus being crucified?
One, and that was John.
Well, that is not enough because if anything is to be given as a testimony, it has to be confirmed in the mouth of two or three witnesses.
Now, where were the Apostles?
Oh, they were the sheep that were scattered when the shepherd was smitten.
They were hiding.
This is a loving testimony to the love of then women, to the courage of the women, and to the dignity of the women.
But it is more than that.
Listen, this is the same little group of a half dozen or so that saw Jesus die, that saw Jesus buried, and that saw Jesus risen and therefore they are the only ones who can be credible eye witness testimony.
We do not have any men that saw Jesus die, except John.
We do not have any men who saw Him buried, which was a confirmation of His death.
And it has to be women because they are the eyewitnesses of everything else and you cannot have a resurrection unless you have a death and a burial.
And you have to give testimony to the real death, the burial and the real resurrection.
They saw it all.
They saw Him die.
They knew He was dead because they did not break His legs.
The knew that he was dead because the spear went into His side and our came the fluid and water.
They knew He was dead because they watched Him being buried.
And now they know that He is alive because they have seen Him.
It 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.
Now, we run into a potential problem here; how did Mary Magdalene get in the group again.
Last time we saw her she had come to the tomb and saw the stone rolled away the dusky darkness and ran away tell Peter and John that someone had stolen the body, which is what sent them on their way.
Up to this point she ha not seen the resurrected Savior, she has just come to incorrect conclusions.
How does she get back into the group?
I will tell you how and this is so wonderful; we read about it in .
Luke is condensing the story.
How can Mary Magdalene be an eyewitness when when she did not go in and see the empty tomb and she did not heat the angel say anything.
She left before the angels spoke, or appeared.
And she had not seen the risen Christ, so how can she be one of the witnesses.
This answer is that this Faith Lady went back to the tomb; at some point she decides to go back.
So that is where we find her.
But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
She is all alone and weeping outside the tomb; she had forgotten the words of Christ and believes that someone has stolen HIs body.
So she looks into the tomb and sees two angels in white sitting, they are sitting on the inside.
These are two different scenes and two different times and this one is a private viewing for Mary.
They are just sitting there where Jesus’ body had lain; one at the head and the other at the feet.
And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
She is still sticking to her theory that someone had stolen the body of Christ.
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Sir, if you know where His body is please tell me so that I may go and claim it.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
I just love this, all Jesus had to say was Mary’s name and she knew exactly who he was.
Have yo had those times in your life when you are filled with fear or uncertainty and it is almost as if you hear God Himself say, ever so softly, your name and you know that everything will be alright?
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Mary, this faithful woman, has the same reaction that any of us would have; she embraced Christ and would not let go.
“Touch” is “ἅπτω” and is a present tense and it literally means “to clinch to”.
She clung to Christ and would not let go.
Which is why Jesus says to her, “Mary, let go, I am only here for a short time, I have to ascend to my Father, but I have a job for you.
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
So, then we pick back up with Luke and that is how Mary Magdalene got back into the group.
These faithful women believed and proclaimed.
So we see Four Faithful Women.
II. Nine Forgetful Disciples (vs. 11)
II. Nine Forgetful Disciples (vs. 11)
And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
What a difference is response.
I say nine instead eleven because remember that Mary Magdalene, before she went back to the tomb, ran and told Peter and John and they were on their way back to the tomb.
So, they were not there when the women arrived.
The Four Faithful Women (and we know that is was probably more than four, but four is the number mentioned), were reminded of the promise of Christ and believed and proclaimed.
But the disciples, the ones that walked with the Lord for three years and were the intimate part of his teaching were minded of the truth and did not believe.
They did not believe a word of it.
They did not respond in faith but in unbelief.
“idle” is the word “λῆρος” and means “nonsense or futility”.
This is the only place in the NT where that word appears; and it says that the disciples regarded what they said as a total nonsensable story.
They believed that they were just talking idle, empty talk.
The disciples thought that the women were out of their minds; that their emotional response to the death of Jesus Christ had overpowered their reason, they simply did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Luke, Volumes 1 & 2 How the Disciples Responded
The same thing still happens today. Many people think that the Bible is a fairy tale. They do not believe that Jesus was crucified to pay for the guilt of our sins, and they certainly do not believe that he came back to life. They are like the people Jesus described in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, who would not even believe in God if they saw someone rise from the dead (see Luke 16:31).
Luke, Volumes 1 & 2 How the Disciples Responded
How encouraging it is to see that the disciples of Jesus were just as skeptical. At first they did not believe in the resurrection either, but later they came through their doubts to give a strong testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, they became so committed to Christ that they kept preaching his gospel even when they were persecuted, most of them unto death.
This gives us reason to hope that many of the people we love and pray for will come to Christ. Like the disciples, they may still come through their unbelief and into faith in Jesus Christ.
So, we see the Four Faith Women.
We see Nine Eleven Forgetful Disciples
III. One Fascinated Apostle (vs. 12)
III. One Fascinated Apostle (vs. 12)
Then 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.
Luke picks the account up with Peter running to the tomb after he received the news from Mary Magdalene, before she went back to the tomb and saw the risen Christ.
Remember when the disciples were out on the boat and they saw the Lord and he invited them to come out to Him?
John gives the chronology of the events at this this point.
Remember what happened before Mary went back to the tomb the second time.
It was Peter that, without hesitation, jumped out of the boat and went to the Lord.
Here he is upon hearing of the news from the Mary Magdalene and the other women.
She came to the tomb when it was dusky dark and saw that they stone was rolled away.
Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
However, according to John’s account, Peter did not go by himself.
So, what she did, without even lookin in the tomb was to run and find Peter and John and tell them that someone has stolen the body of Christ.
So, Peter and John take off, they are going to verify Mary’s story.
John is younger and faster, so he arrives at the tomb first..but....
And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
John is not quite sure if he wants to enter or not, so he just looks and does go in.
Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
Peter just blows right by John and goes into the tomb.
At this point he is just fascinated.
He sees the lien wrappings lying there and face cloth which had been on His head, not lying with lien wrappings all jumbled up and thrown in a corner, but lying exactly where it had been when it was put on His head.
Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
The empty tomb and the grave clothes was all it took for John to believe.
Now, remember at his point they have only heard the testimony of Mary Magdalene that someone stole the body, they have not heard from the other women.
So all John has is an empty tomb and empty grave clothes, but that is enough for him.
He knew that stone could not be moved from the inside by a dead Jesus.
He had seen him dead, he was there; he knew.
There was no other explanation other then he arose like He said that He was going to do and he believed.
He did not understand, but now he understands.
Then 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.
After Peter saw what he saw, he went home in wonder.
“Wonder” is the word “θαυμάζω” and it does not mean to be perplexed; like you do not know what is going on.
It means to be in amazement, it means to marvel.
Peter, it probably thinking, this no grave robber, folks.
Grave robbers, if you wanted the body, you just take the body intact, you do not fool around in there unwrapping it and then laying everything in perfect order.
You just take the body and run.
It was very convincing.
John believed, Peter was still struggling a little on his way home.
Fascinated by what he saw, knows that the body was not stolen and, no doubt, trying to juggle all of the emotions that he feeling that if it was not robbers, then what is it?
Meanwhile these faithful women are back trying to convince this faithless men of what was going on and not having much success, as we have seen.
So, we see the wonderful, beautiful , Four Faithful Women.
We see, the Nine Forgetful Disciples.
We see, the One Fascinated Apostle.
IV. Two Fatigued Travelers (vs. 13- 35)
IV. Two Fatigued Travelers (vs. 13- 35)
What a fatiguing day for all the people that are involved.
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
So, we have two disciples who have left an are going to a village called Emmaus.
Now, Emmaus was a village that was about seven miles west of Jerusalem.
And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
Luke 24:
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
These guys are fatigued and are depressed talking about the events of the day.
And the are not buying the story the women had told them.
And when Jesus drew came to them the text tells us that Jesus kept them from being able to recognize Jesus.
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
These guys are so broken hearted.
Then one of the two, Cleopas speaks.
And 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?
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
“Uh, fella, have you been living under a rock? That has got to be the only reason that you are coming from Jerusalem and do not know what is going on.”
There is really no information, biblically or traditionally, to identify who Cleopas is.
Obviously, he was a follower of Christ, but was not one of the twelves.
But since he knew about what the women said about Jesus, he must have been a close friend and follower of Christ.
And 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:
And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
But 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.
Luke 24:
Can you just hear the heart break in his words?
He tells him all the things concerning Christ and then says “you know, we had hoped that He was the one that was going to redeem Israel, but it does not look that way and besides, it has been three days and nothing has happen”.
Did you see that?
Why would Cleopas mention three days?
Probably because there was probably a glimmer of hope in their unbelief that what Jesus had said was going to really happen; that He was going to rise the third day.
But, that must have been untrue as well, because it has been three days and nothing has happened.
And to make matters worse:
Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
And 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.
These crazy women came to us this morning and told us that they were at tomb early and they did not find His body and claimed that they saw angels and told them that He was alive.
But some men went to the tomb and found the condition of the tomb as the women had said, but they did not see Him.
They are fatigues and they are processing all of this information.
Peter may have come back and said, “Well it is a bizarre. The tomb is open and tomb is empty and the grave clothes are lying there. You know, He may be alive”.
But they are not ready to fully commit.
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Baker New Testament Commentary: Luke B. Easter Triumph
The trouble with the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day was that, on the whole, in reading the Old Testament they saw only the glory and victory of the Messiah, not the fact that the path to these blessings was one of suffering.616 At times they would even go so far as to apply to the Messiah the references (in Isa. 52:13–53:12) to the Servant’s glory, but to apply to Israel the references to the Servant’s suffering.617
Now there was no excuse for this. It must be borne in mind that the people of Jesus’ day not only had the Old Testament. They also had in their midst the Lord Jesus Christ, who was constantly interpreting it for them, by what he was, what he did, and what he taught.
They would have certainly seen in the OT Scriptures from the very first book of the Bible.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
And Jesus spent His days interpreting these prophecies for them.
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
And this “lifting up” certainly includes the cross.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
Another OT passage that teaches that for the Messiah it is the path of suffering that leads to glory.
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
And, or course, Jesus interprets this of Himself to the disciples.
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
And then, of course, there is and Jesus stated in so many words that the prophecy referred to Him.
For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
Baker New Testament Commentary: Luke B. Easter Triumph
All this should suffice to prove that the two men who were on their way to Emmaus deserved to be called “foolish” or “dull” for failing to believe that for Christ the way to glory was and had to be through suffering.
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
But 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.
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
When they finally reached Emmaus, Jesus acted as though He was going to keep going.
Now, remember, the two men still co not know that this is Christ.
And Christ would have certainly kept going but they prevailed upon Him to stay with them for the evening.
Traveling late in the evening involved great danger from various sources: robbers, obstacles on the path, perhaps even wild animals, and the darkness was no help either.
But probably the main reason that they wanted Him to stay is because they had become enamored with Him.
At the moment when Christ first joined them, they were probably not at all pleased with the stranger intruding on them.
But by now, for very understandable reason, they could not think of letting Him go.
So, he entered their home and these two treated these unknown guest to the place of honor and performed the duties of a host.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
Baker New Testament Commentary: Luke B. Easter Triumph
How was it that in the breaking of the bread they suddenly recognized him? Did they see the marks of the nails in his hands? Was it the manner in which he broke the bread and gave it to them that opened their eyes? Or was it the way he spoke to his Father that refreshed their memories? Whatever may be the answer, the body of his resurrection now possessed qualities enabling him to appear at will and also, as here, to vanish at will. So, almost before they fully realized what had happened, he was gone.
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?
As they reflected on what this man had told them on the seven mile journey from Jerusalem, they recalled the manner in which their hearts were warmed and their spirits illuminated.
Their hoped had been revived when the man who was no longer a stranger had explained to them what they they had never understood before.
Also, they now know that the women had been right the whole time.
They no longer see the women as speaking nonsense, they had spoken the truth.
Now they had already walked seven miles and it is dark, but none of that meant anything when you have this kind of news.
We are not leaving tomorrow, we are leaning tonight.
And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,
saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
These Fatigues Disciples are even more Fatigued but the fatigue paled in comparing the joy that they felt know that their Messiah is alive and that it was the Messiah that taught us the Scriptures.
They thought that they would never again heard the voice of Christ speak to them the Word of God, but this stranger that walked up to us on our way home, spoke the Scriptures to us and it the Messiah.
So, we see Four Faithful Women.
We see Nine Forgetful Disciples.
We see One Fascinated Apostle.
We see Two Fatigued Travelers.
What a Resurrection Day, what a flurry of events.
To experience the death and burial of the Messiah and then have Him appear and see all the Reactions to the Resurrection.
What will your Reaction to the Resurrection?
Will it be one of doubt, like the Nine disciples?
Will it be one of Faithfulness, like the women.
Who stood by the Lord during the darkest hour of His death and burial and; therefore, became the best eyewitnesses to the resurrection.
And then came to the tomb, to continue to serve.
Who, when they remembered the Word of Christ, believed.
Will your reaction to the Resurrection be to serve, Faithfully, your Messiah who is alive.
Will it be one of fatigue, like the travelers to Emmaus.
Lord, I am tired.
I know what you said in your Word, just like the travelers knew that Jesus said that something was suppose to happen on the third day.
But nothing seemed to happen.
They were Fatigued and complained that what was suppose to happen did not happen.
We could have that Reaction; Lord, I Know you said this....but......not seeing it......
Will it be one of Fascination, like Peter.
Something weird is going on…but not yet ready to commit that God knows what He is doing.
How will you be a Reactor to the Resurrection.
Who believed when he re