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- Luke Chapter 24
Good morning! ☀️
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
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Read Chapter 24 before reading my notes. They’ll make more sense.
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The last chapter of Luke.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
Wait.
I thought Nicodemus had already purchased myrrh and aloes? Also, it seems odd that they were taking spices to the tomb, knowing it was sealed with a stone.
Let’s take a look at two other gospel accounts.
"After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.
Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews."
Nicodemus and Joseph of prepared Jesus' body for burial using a significant amount of myrrh and aloes. This preparation most likely involved wrapping Jesus' body with these spices in linen cloths, which was a customary practice to honor the deceased and help mask the smell of decay.
However, the women who came to the tomb on the first day of the week likely intended to complete or add to this process. It's possible that they wanted a more thorough anointing, given the hurried circumstances of Jesus' burial before the Sabbath.
Now, let’s take a look at Mark’s account:
"When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.
And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
And they were saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?'"
Sunday, the first day of the week
In Jewish custom, the Sabbath (Saturday) is the seventh day of the week, a day of rest. The day after the Sabbath is Sunday, which is considered the first day of the week. This is why the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated on Sunday, as it was discovered on the first day of the week.
Here's a brief timeline of the events:
Friday: Jesus is arrested, tried, and crucified. He dies around 3 PM and is buried before the Sabbath begins at sunset.
Saturday: The Sabbath, during which Jesus' body remains in the tomb.
Sunday: Early in the morning, women find the tomb empty and learn that Jesus has risen from the dead.
In Jewish tradition, any part of a day counts as a whole day. Therefore, Friday afternoon, all of Saturday, and Sunday morning are considered three days.
As Americans, we often think of days as 24-hour periods. However, we need to remember that the Gospels were written by Jewish authors for a primarily Jewish audience, which helps us see why they counted days this way.
Understanding the cultural context is crucial for interpreting the timeline of events surrounding Jesus' death and resurrection.
Have we misunderstood angels?
While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
In the Bible, angels are pretty different from the typical artistic depictions we often see. Instead of chubby babies with wings or women in flowing robes, angels usually appear as men dressed in bright or dazzling clothing.
Angels act as messengers, like Gabriel, who told Mary she would give birth to Jesus (Luke 1:26-38).
They also serve as protectors, as mentioned in Psalms, where it says God commands His angels to guard us (Psalm 91:11).
Sometimes, they are warriors too, like Michael the archangel, who leads heavenly armies (Revelation 12:7).
I love this scene
But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
“Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first." (John 20:3-4, ESV)
He ran to the tomb.
Peter must have been grief-stricken from the days before. Denying Jesus three times must have weighed heavy.
We read earlier in Luke 22:61-62, after Peter's third denial, "The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.' And he went out and wept bitterly."
But now.
But now he marveled at what had happened. I can feel the relief pouring off the pages of Luke’s gospel.
The Savior of the world joins them.
As the two disciples walked with Jesus, they expressed their belief that the Messiah would come to free them from Roman rule.
Instead of immediately revealing Himself, Jesus teaches them. He explains how the entire Old Testament points to Him.
It's like He's asking us, “Have you not read your Bible?”
Sixty-six individual books, written over 1,500 years, in three languages and on three continents.
And it all points to Jesus.
Asia: Much of the Old Testament was written in the Middle East, like in places such as Mesopotamia and Israel.
Africa: Some parts of the Old Testament were written while the Israelites were in Egypt, including the stories of Joseph and the Exodus.
Europe: Several New Testament books, especially Paul’s letters, were written in parts of the Roman Empire, like Greece and Italy.
The point of the scripture is to point to a coming King.
For most of my life, I thought there were a few passages of scripture that pointed to Jesus, specifically Isaiah 53.
But throughout Luke, we’ve seen so many prophesies fulfilled.
In Genesis, we see the Trinity present in the creation of mankind.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
On the road to Emmaus, I can imagine Jesus telling the two disciples about how God spoke to the serpent in the Garden.
So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
There will be hostility between the serpent (representing Satan) and the woman (Eve, and by extension, all humanity).
Notice it says, “her Seed” (capitalized in the NKJV). Many Biblical scholars consider this the Protoevangelium.
The term "Protoevangelium" comes from two Greek words: "protos" meaning "first" and "evangelion" meaning "good news" or "gospel." It refers to the first announcement of the gospel or good news in the Bible.
“Her Seed” is seen as prophesying the virgin birth—not the seed of a man but of a woman.
“He shall bruise your head,” a prophecy that a descendant of the woman (Jesus Christ) will ultimately defeat Satan. Bruising the head is a fatal blow.
"And you shall bruise His heel" (“His heel,” capitalized in the NKJV, reveals that the serpent will harm the descendant (interpreted as Jesus' suffering and crucifixion), but it will not be a fatal or final defeat.
It all points to Jesus.
Christocentric: The whole Bible, including the Old Testament, is all about Jesus. It’s the idea that Jesus is the main focus of the entire Bible story, and everything in it, is connected to Him and His purpose to save us.
If you ever visit Jerusalem, you might hear people on the streets, speaking through megaphones or loudspeakers, saying, “Eifo HaMashiach?”
“Where is the Messiah?”
“He’s right there, in Genesis 1 through the book of Malachi.”
"Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."
The God of the universe, who couldn’t be approached in the Old Testament, not even by Moses, came to earth to heal the blind, sit with tax collectors, forgive prostitutes, raise the dead…
And to dwell with us.
This Friday, we’ll finish the Gospel of Luke, take a super short break, and then dive into the Book of Acts, also written by the Physician Luke.
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George
Uncovering Scripture
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George Sisneros is a full-time missionary in Guatemala. He’s the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 25 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family will be expanding to Cuba in 2024.