LUKE-ACTS: WEEK 5 LUKE 24

This is a story about how it’s hard to see Jesus for who He really is. How could a humble man become the King of the world through weakness and self sacrifice.

In Luke 24, he tells of the resurrection and various sightings of Jesus. Luke tells us that on the first day of the week, which was Sunday, some people came to Jesus’ tomb. They were bringing spices and ointments to prepare the body, but found that the stone that had been blocking the entrance had been rolled away and that the body was gone.

They then noticed two men dressed in bright garments. Being confused and frightened, they bowed down, and the men asked them why they were looking for the living among the dead. The men reminded them of Jesus’ prophecy, in which He said He would be crucified but would rise again on the third day. The people who had come to the tomb then returned from the cemetery to tell the remaining eleven apostles and others about what had happened. The people they told did not believe them. Peter went to the tomb to see for himself, and when he went in all he saw was the shroud in which Jesus’ body had been wrapped.

Jesus appeared. Two men traveling to a village near Jerusalem were joined by Jesus, who asked them why they were sad. They did not recognize Him, and told Him the story of the crucifixion. Jesus began to recount passages from the scriptures that foretold of His resurrection, and they eventually realized who He was.

Luke goes on to tell how Jesus then appeared before the apostles. When they thought they were seeing a ghost, He showed them His wounds. He sat and ate with them and reminded them of the scriptures. He then brought them to Bethany where He blessed them and ascended into heaven.

Key Points

• The women returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. The women who had seen the evidence of the resurrected Jesus and remembered His words, are excited about what seemed to them to be the most wonderful news possible; that Jesus was alive and had triumphed over death.
• Peter arose and ran to the tomb. We know from John 20:3-8 that both Peter and John ran to the tomb together. They saw grave clothes, but not as if they had been ripped off after a struggle. They saw the grave clothes of Jesus lying in perfect order, as if a body had just passed out of them (John 20:6-7). When John saw that, he believed, and Peter marveled. They had not seen the risen Jesus, but they knew that something powerful had happened to cause a body to leave behind those grave clothes in such a manner.
• Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that God no longer lives in a temple made with hands.
• Jesus joins two disciples on a road.
• Two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus. On this Sunday, these two disciples traveled to Emmaus from Jerusalem. As they walked together it gave them a great opportunity to talk.
• Jesus teaches them why the Messiah had to suffer
  The Ascension of Jesus.
  “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.”
• They could not do the work Jesus had called them to do unless they were endued with power from on high, and that power would come as the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them.
• He lifted up His hands and blessed them … while He blessed them Jesus left the earth blessing His Church, and He continues to bless them, as much as His people will receive.

Talk About It

• Jerusalem was a very chaotic city during and after the crucifixion of Jesus. Cleopas and the other disciple wanted to just get away for a while. What do you do when things in life become chaotic? How do you decompress and handle all the stress of life?
• The two disciples had lost hope. Discuss as a group what it must have been like for them to lose hope. The redeemer of Israel was dead. How do you deal with disappointment in life?
• They had been told that the tomb of Jesus was empty and yet they still didn’t believe He had risen. Read Hebrews 11:1. How would you describe your faith to someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus?
• Why do you think Jesus takes the time to re-explain the scriptures to these men instead of just revealing who He was?
• What are some of the dangers of expecting God to act and respond in a certain way? What occurs when your faith is based on how you think God should respond instead of just God Himself?
• The two travelers just experienced Godly heartburn. They finally realized that God was in control the whole time and they just needed to have faith. Discuss a situation in your life that, after looking back, you realized God was in control of the whole time, even if you didn’t believe it while everything was occurring.

Helpful Resources

David Guzik: Study Guide for Luke

The Gospel Project: The Focus of all the Scriptures

The Bible Project: The Gospels