Luke 24:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

and remind the women of the words spoken by the Lord, which indicated that it was 'necessary,' meaning essential, for Him 'to be delivered into the hands of sinful men,' referring to Romans, Gentiles, and the wicked, 'and on the third day rise again.' We have thoroughly explained how the resurrection occurs after three days in our interpretation of Matthew.

To bolster the women's belief in these matters, they recalled the words of Christ, stating that ‘He must surely be delivered into the hands of sinners, suffer, and on the third day rise again.’

It is morning, and Peter remains unaware of events, just as John does. The concluding section focuses on the appearance of the risen Christ, as illustrated in Luke 24:13-49, as well as in Matthew 28 and John 20. Would the Lord have permitted His disciples to endure such sorrow due to His death? He promptly dispatched an angel and sent the women to proclaim the joyous news, as seen in Matthew 28:2-7, Mark 16:5-7, and Luke 24:4-9. To affirm that the resurrection occurred at night, some women were unaware of it while others were informed. Those who stayed continually, day and night, were aware, while those who departed were not. According to John, one Mary Magdalene was unaware, but another version according to Matthew shows that there was a different Mary Magdalene who was informed.

While Mary was informing the apostles and they were rushing toward the tomb, the other women who brought spices arrived at the tomb ahead of them. Upon entering the cave, they did not discover the body of Jesus; instead, they encountered an angel. This radiant messenger clearly proclaimed to them that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He had previously foretold in Galilee before His crucifixion. This moment marks the third, or more accurately, the first unmistakable revelation of the Lord's resurrection. The myrrh-bearers required no additional reassurance. The sight of the angel left such a profound impact on them that they could not doubt the veracity of his message.

In their fear, they fell to the ground, and the two men who appeared to them asked, "Why do you look for the Living One among the dead? He is not here: He is risen" (Luke 24:5-6). "Come, see the place where the Lord lay." As the women entered the tomb, they encountered a young man (an angel) dressed in white, sitting on the right side. This angel reassured them, saying, "Do not be afraid. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; He has risen, He is not here. This is where He was laid" (Mark 16:6). Consider how He spoke to you while still in Galilee, declaring that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful individuals, crucified, and rise on the third day. Reflecting on His words, they remembered (Luke 24:6-8). "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and will go before you to Galilee; there you will see Him."

The two evangelists, Matthew and Mark, agree on the account of the one angel, described differently as an angel by Matthew and a young man by Mark, while Luke mentions two men. The variation in terminology does not matter significantly. Angels, who are spirits, assume visible forms when appearing to humans; due to their radiant appearance, the women, struck by the awe of the moment, bowed down (Luke 24:5). It is quite likely that what appeared to some as a young man seemed to others as a different figure, or that some women perceived one angel while others saw two. The central truth remains that the message delivered by the speaking angel was what mattered most; whether one or two angels attended was not crucial to the narrative's purpose. This is why two evangelists recount a single angel speaking while the third mentions an additional angel present but silent.

Regarding the location of the angel's proclamation, discrepancies arise among the evangelists. Luke does not clarify if the angel spoke inside the tomb or outside, while Mark asserts that the speaking angel was inside. Matthew describes the angel rolling away the stone from the tomb's entrance (Matt. 28:2), yet does not specify where he addressed the women. One might conjecture that his words—"Come, see the place where the Lord lay"—imply he spoke from outside, perhaps while seated on the stone. However, given that the stone was rolled away before the women arrived, it is plausible that the angel, glowing like lightning, was first noticed by the soldiers who trembled and fell as if dead (Matt. 28:4), while the women might have initially encountered him inside the tomb. It is also possible that the angel appeared to all the women outside the tomb's entrance, proclaimed Christ's resurrection, and invited them to enter the tomb to see for themselves. Upon entering, they might have seen (as noted by Mark) a young man seated on the right side. They could have later heard the angel's voice either continuing to speak or a different angel addressing them, leading Luke to mention two men present. Ultimately, the vital points for the evangelists were the stone's removal, the tomb's emptiness, and the revelation provided by the angel to the women. The exact number of angels or their precise location was not of essential concern; they were not conducting thorough investigations but rather communicating the central truths of their observations regarding Christ’s resurrection.

Disbelievers in Jesus as the God-Man endeavored to discredit the accounts of the evangelists about His resurrection, knowing that if they could erode faith in His resurrection, belief in His divine nature would also falter. However, their efforts were in vain. The truth of Christ's resurrection has been substantiated, and the criticisms of skeptics have been invalidated.

The first objection—refer to its analysis under Mt. 27:65—suggests that Christ did not truly die on the cross but was in a state of lethargy when buried. This argument fails from a scientific and medical viewpoint. Professor A. Shiltov emphasizes that the severe scourging and torture Jesus endured prior to crucifixion, along with the immense suffering on the cross, would have led to fatal complications. The evidence of blood and water from His pierced side, the wounds in His hands and feet, and the spear's puncture all demonstrate that death was inevitable under those conditions. Even if Christ had only fainted, the force of the lance wound coupled with the impact on critical organs would have led to immediate death. If He had not died, He would merely be an ordinary man.

Shiltov explains that a person with such extensive wounds would not walk until they had healed, which would take at least two weeks. Yet, on the third day, Jesus walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus and returned to Jerusalem the same day to appear to the apostles, covering a distance of twenty miles with wounds that had not healed. Only the God-Man with a glorified body could undertake such a journey. Furthermore, if we accept the notion that Jesus did not die, we must also accept that He would have had to deceive His disciples about His resurrection and subsequently disappear, thereby rendering Him a deceiver. Such a conclusion is untenable except for those entrenched in delusion. Even atheists acknowledge Him as the epitome of moral perfection.

The claim that Christ did not die is so unfounded that it draws dismissal even from D. Strauss, who argues that someone emerging from the tomb in a weakened state would fail to inspire the disciples to perceive Him as victorious over death. Such an appearance would only serve to heighten their sorrow rather than convert it to rejoicing. It is evident that Jesus Christ did die. Strauss concedes that the apostles could proclaim the Gospel victoriously only through a firm belief in His resurrection, asserting that this belief derived not from the resurrection itself but from the apostles’ hopes and desires. However, credible psychological insights reveal that the apostles, engulfed in despair from their Master’s death, could not have merely hallucinated His appearance.

Professor Shiltov states that under conditions of profound despair, one cannot experience such hallucinations. Moreover, a vision of a double exists only when the original person is present, meaning that if one posits that the apostles saw not Christ Himself but merely His double, one must admit that Christ was present with them. Regarding telepathic phenomena, these typically manifest in moments of near-death or extreme distress, visible only to those emotionally linked to the individual in peril. Consequently, Shiltov underscores that there is no scientific basis for the belief that a ghost could have appeared to the apostles. After all, a spirit lacks tangible form and presence, cannot converse, nor consume food. The risen Lord, who exhibited His wounds to the apostles, conversed with them, and dined with them, could not have been a phantom but was indeed the resurrected Jesus.

The reality of the resurrection is so evident that additional proof may seem unnecessary. Nonetheless, Strauss attempts to refute the miracle of Christ's resurrection by asserting that the apostles confused His apparition with an actual encounter. Given that the apostles viewed Jesus as the longed-for Messiah, one who would conquer all, His statements regarding suffering and death seemed perplexing to them, leading them to interpret such prophecies as riddles. They were left bewildered by Christ's predictions of His death and resurrection. During His final journey to Jerusalem, Jesus reiterated what awaited Him, yet these words were veiled from their understanding (Luke 18:34).

Overall, the possibility of the Messiah's death appeared so implausible to the apostles that Peter admonished Jesus against discussing it (Matthew 16:22). Even at the moment of betrayal in Gethsemane, the apostles refused to acknowledge the potential fate of the Messiah. Peter, in a surge of protectiveness, drew his sword to defend Jesus; yet, the notion that He would need their defense against his captors shows their lack of faith. Following Jesus' arrest, all forsook Him, plagued by doubts about His identity and mission. Upon seeing His crucifixion, they retreated, disheartened, not expecting the resurrection they later struggled to believe.

When Mary Magdalene arrived at the empty tomb, she ran to inform the apostles that Jesus' body was missing, but they did not trust her claims. Peter and John verified the tomb's emptiness and yet, as noted by John, they lacked understanding of the scriptures foretelling His resurrection (John 20:2, 9, 10). Despite later encounters with Mary and other women proclaiming that they had seen the risen Lord, the apostles were incredulous, dismissing their accounts as fantasy (Luke 24:11). When Cleopas and another disciple shared their feelings of despair, lamenting their dashed hopes for Israel's redemption (Luke 24:21), it became evident how deeply their belief had waned. Their doubts and disappointment muddled their spirits.

The apostles were enveloped in confusion, fear, and despair following Jesus’ death, unable to imagine His return. The strength of this disbelief was pronounced, especially when recounting the resurrection to Mary Magdalene, whose declarations were met with skepticism from the apostles. Even when the women validated their encounter with the risen Lord, the apostles remained unconvinced.

Afterward, when Jesus appeared to the apostles, they initially thought they perceived a spirit due to their astonishment and dread. He calmed their fears and demonstrated His physical reality by inviting them to touch Him and see that He possessed flesh and bones, unlike a ghost (Luke 24:36-40). The apostles needed the assurance of their senses—touch, sight, and sound—to abandon their doubts. Although the Gospels do not detail this touching explicitly, in 1 John 1:1, there is clear affirmation of the apostles' tactile experiences with the risen Lord.

Thomas, absent during the Lord’s first appearance, expressed his skepticism and demanded tangible proof. When Jesus again appeared eight days later and invited Thomas to examine His wounds, Thomas was moved to proclaim, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:24-28). Such evidences underscore the profound transformation required to transition from doubt to faith in the risen Christ.

While the seeming disbelief of the apostles might offend sensibilities, it is evident that God orchestrated their journey toward sincere faith. God wished for the apostles' conviction to rest on undeniable truth rather than blind acceptance, paving the way for their mission to share this faith with others unencumbered by doubt.

When the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost, the apostles' hearts opened to the profound truths they once struggled to grasp. The apostles experienced a remarkable metamorphosis; they became bold, fearless witnesses to the resurrection, shedding their former misconceptions. Their preaching of Christ was accompanied by miraculous healings and powerful testimonies.

The Holy Spirit empowered the apostles, eliminating distractions from false teachings and revealing the awe of Christ's truth. Upon the arrival of the Holy Spirit, the apostles immediately grasped the essence of their experiences with Christ and effectively communicated His messianic identity, healing the sick and spreading the Gospel fervently. They transformed from timid followers into passionate proclaimers of the risen Savior and world-changers.

Despite the firm faith demonstrated after Pentecost, skeptics still question why Christ did not reveal Himself to those who condemned Him. The answer may lie in the nature of belief itself; if even those closest to Him struggled to accept His resurrection without visible proof, how would those who doubted Him in life comprehend such an event? The reality of the resurrection required tangible evidence to silence skepticism. The story reflects that if the apostles, contesting Mary Magdalene, the women at the tomb, Cleopas, and the others, needed undeniable proof, how could those who rejected Him believe otherwise?

Filled with apprehension, they approached the tomb, but suddenly, brilliant beams of light emanated from within, and two radiant, joyous figures appeared before them. The women, still recovering from their astonishment, were greeted by one of these messengers of hope who said, “Do not be afraid! Are you in search of Jesus the Nazarene? Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is risen! He is not here! Come and see the place where they laid Him.” The women, overwhelmed with joy, struggled to comprehend these words. In a bewildered state, they lingered at the grave.