Luke 24
24
Looking for the Living One in a Cemetery
1-3At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus.
4-8They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words.
9-11They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.
12But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that’s all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head.
The Road to Emmaus
13-16That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.
17-18He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?”
19-24He said, “What has happened?”
They said, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.”
25-27Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.
28-31They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.
32Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?”
A Ghost Doesn’t Have Muscle and Bone
33-34They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: “It’s really happened! The Master has been raised up—Simon saw him!”
35Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.
36-41a While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death. He continued with them, “Don’t be upset, and don’t let all these doubting questions take over. Look at my hands; look at my feet—it’s really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe. A ghost doesn’t have muscle and bone like this.” As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. They still couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was too much; it seemed too good to be true.
41b-43 He asked, “Do you have any food here?” They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked. He took it and ate it right before their eyes.
You’re the Witnesses
44Then he said, “Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled.”
45-49He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. He said, “You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You’re the first to hear and see it. You’re the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high.”
50-51He then led them out of the city over to Bethany. Raising his hands he blessed them, and while blessing them, made his exit, being carried up to heaven.
52-53And they were on their knees, worshiping him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy. They spent all their time in the Temple praising God. Yes.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Luke 24
24
1And on the first of the sabbaths, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bearing the spices they made ready, and certain [others] with them,
2and they found the stone having been rolled away from the tomb,
3and having gone in, they found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4And it came to pass, while they are perplexed about this, that lo, two men stood by them in glittering apparel,
5and on their having become afraid, and having inclined the face to the earth, they said to them, ‘Why do ye seek the living with the dead?
6he is not here, but was raised; remember how he spake to you, being yet in Galilee,
7saying — It behoveth the Son of Man to be delivered up to the hands of sinful men, and to be crucified, and the third day to rise again.’
8And they remembered his sayings,
9and having turned back from the tomb told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.
10And it was the Magdalene Mary, and Joanna, and Mary of James, and the other women with them, who told unto the apostles these things,
11and their sayings appeared before them as idle talk, and they were not believing them.
12And Peter having risen, did run to the tomb, and having stooped down he seeth the linen clothes lying alone, and he went away to his own home, wondering at that which was come to pass.
13And, lo, two of them were going on during that day to a village, distant sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, the name of which [is] Emmaus,
14and they were conversing with one another about all these things that have happened.
15And it came to pass in their conversing and reasoning together, that Jesus himself, having come nigh, was going on with them,
16and their eyes were holden so as not to know him,
17and he said unto them, ‘What [are] these words that ye exchange with one another, walking, and ye are sad?’
18And the one, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, ‘Art thou alone such a stranger in Jerusalem, that thou hast not known the things that came to pass in it in these days?’
19And he said to them, ‘What things?’ And they said to him, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who became a man — a prophet — powerful in deed and word, before God and all the people,
20how also the chief priests and our rulers did deliver him up to a judgment of death, and crucified him;
21and we were hoping that he it is who is about to redeem Israel, and also with all these things, this third day is passing to-day, since these things happened.
22‘And certain women of ours also astonished us, coming early to the tomb,
23and not having found his body, they came, saying also to have seen an apparition of messengers, who say he is alive,
24and certain of those with us went away unto the tomb, and found as even the women said, and him they saw not.’
25And he said unto them, ‘O inconsiderate and slow in heart, to believe on all that the prophets spake!
26Was it not behoving the Christ these things to suffer, and to enter into his glory?’
27and having begun from Moses, and from all the prophets, he was expounding to them in all the Writings the things about himself.
28And they came nigh to the village whither they were going, and he made an appearance of going on further,
29and they constrained him, saying, ‘Remain with us, for it is toward evening,’ and the day did decline, and he went in to remain with them.
30And it came to pass, in his reclining (at meat) with them, having taken the bread, he blessed, and having broken, he was giving to them,
31and their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he became unseen by them.
32And they said one to another, ‘Was not our heart burning within us, as he was speaking to us in the way, and as he was opening up to us the Writings?’
33And they, having risen up the same hour, turned back to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven, and those with them,
34saying — ‘The Lord was raised indeed, and was seen by Simon;’
35and they were telling the things in the way, and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread,
36and as they are speaking these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith to them, ‘Peace — to you;’
37and being amazed, and becoming affrighted, they were thinking themselves to see a spirit.
38And he said to them, ‘Why are ye troubled? and wherefore do reasonings come up in your hearts?
39see my hands and my feet, that I am he; handle me and see, because a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me having.’
40And having said this, he shewed to them the hands and the feet,
41and while they are not believing from the joy, and wondering, he said to them, ‘Have ye anything here to eat?’
42and they gave to him part of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb,
43and having taken, he did eat before them,
44and he said to them, ‘These [are] the words that I spake unto you, being yet with you, that it behoveth to be fulfilled all the things that are written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms, about me.’
45Then opened he up their understanding to understand the Writings,
46and he said to them — ‘Thus it hath been written, and thus it was behoving the Christ to suffer, and to rise out of the dead the third day,
47and reformation and remission of sins to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem:
48and ye — ye are witnesses of these things.
49‘And, lo, I do send the promise of my Father upon you, but ye — abide ye in the city of Jerusalem till ye be clothed with power from on high.’
50And he led them forth without — unto Bethany, and having lifted up his hands he did bless them,
51and it came to pass, in his blessing them, he was parted from them, and was borne up to the heaven;
52and they, having bowed before him, did turn back to Jerusalem with great joy,
53and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
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