Luke 24 — He Is Risen
The resurrection — empty tomb, the walk to Emmaus, the upper room, the ascension. Luke's Gospel ends with the disciples' eyes opened to the Scriptures, the Christ alive among them, and a great joy.
“He is not here, but is risen.”
— Luke 24:6
- v.1-12 The empty tomb on the first day of the week
- v.13-35 The walk to Emmaus
- v.36-43 Jesus appears in the upper room
- v.44-49 The Scriptures opened
- v.50-53 The ascension and the disciples' joy
The most extraordinary Bible study in history. The risen Christ walks seven miles with two disciples and shows them how every part of the Old Testament was about Him.
Moses (the Pentateuch), the prophets — He traced the messianic thread through the whole Old Testament. Every story, every type, every prophecy pointed to His suffering and glory.
We have lost this art. Modern reading of the Old Testament too often misses the Christ-thread Jesus Himself identified.
The mark of a true encounter with Christ through the Word — a burning heart. Not always emotional fireworks, but the inner flame of recognition that this is true, this is Him, this is the meaning.
When Scripture stops making your heart burn, it is not Scripture's fault. Ask the Lord to do for you what He did for them.
A second mention of the same principle — the Christ-thread runs through the law, the prophets, and the psalms (the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible). Nothing in the Old Testament is excluded.
Jesus did not introduce a new religion. He fulfilled the existing one. Christianity does not begin in Matthew; it begins in Genesis.
Open your Old Testament this week with the question Luke 24 raises: where is Christ in this passage? You will be surprised how much you have missed. The Bible has one main character. Read it as the book about Him.
The whole chapter is Christ. Risen, walking, expounding, eating, ascending. Luke's Gospel does not end with a hero who died nobly. It ends with a King who is alive and reigning, and whose Spirit is about to be poured out.
"He is not here." The most important emptiness in the universe — the tomb where the body had lain.
"Remember how he spake" — He had told them. Three times in Luke's Gospel He had foretold His death and resurrection. They heard but did not understand. Now the empty tomb makes the old words live.