Luke 24:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is now the third day, and some of our women have astonished us. This reveals a state of confusion. It appears that these two individuals were caught in a struggle of belief, balancing between doubt and faith. Their statement, "we hoped that He would deliver Israel," indicates a lack of faith, while the phrase, "it is now the third day," suggests they were on the verge of recalling the Lord's promise that "the third day I will rise again." Furthermore, their astonishment at our accounts reveals similar uncertainty, highlighting the flickering nature of their disbelief. Together, these expressions truly illustrate the struggle of those engulfed in doubt, as the extraordinary event of the Resurrection had left them in deep bewilderment and turmoil.

And amidst uncertainties, they spoke to Jesus, whom they failed to recognize. The women expressed amazement at what had occurred … (Luke 24:22-23). They did not regard these statements as the genuine proclamation of the truth; instead, they assumed that it stemmed from some disarray or excitement. When Peter observed only the burial cloths in the tomb, his account of the resurrection was deemed questionable, as he did not claim to have seen Jesus personally, but merely deduced His resurrection from the absence of His body. It is important to note that these disciples were among the seventy, and with Cleopas was another Simon—not Peter or Simon of Cana, but a different Simon from the seventy.

Certain women among us, or rather, members of our community, spoke of Mary Magdalene. Their claims were astonishing, for they proclaimed something unimaginable.

On the other hand, there were still those who did not believe (Mark 16:13). Additionally, many of the believers were unsure about His current condition. It was essential for the Lord to provide them with spiritual nourishment following the difficult days they had endured, in alignment with their future mission, and to reaffirm His bond with them. For this reason, the Lord sought to present Himself to them collectively. Their wavering faith risked the departure of the Holy Spirit's grace, which would be restored in fullness on the day of Pentecost through the outpouring of the Spirit.

As Cleopas and the other disciple conveyed the message from the angels who had appeared to them regarding the resurrection of Jesus, they were met with skepticism about the reality of His rising from the dead, noting how the women had startled us with their claims. Jesus replied to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" He proceeded to clarify all that had been written about Him in the Scriptures, starting with Moses.

They recounted the astonishment they felt on this third day upon hearing the women speak of their encounter with angels and the reliable accounts from some of their fellow disciples regarding the empty tomb. Yet, the narrator expressed a deep sense of disbelief and sadness, noting, “He was not seen” by them.

The travelers recount that "some women of our own," referring to the followers of Jesus, left them astonished and confused, unsure of how to interpret the events. They rose early to visit the tomb and quickly returned, declaring that they had not found the body of the Lord Jesus, which they sought, but had encountered what they did not expect—angelic beings who announced that He was alive. The simplicity with which the travelers relay the women’s visit to the tomb, along with their remarkable experiences, is noteworthy.