Jesus Has Risen Indeed! Death Has Been Defeated
Luke 24 opens with the women arriving at Jesus’ tomb early on the first day of the week. They discovered something astonishing:
“But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.” — Luke 24:2
Entering the tomb:
“They did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” — Luke 24:3
Two angels appeared and reminded them of Jesus’ own words:
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!” — Luke 24:5–6
They remembered His words and hurried to tell the disciples. At first, the disciples struggled to believe. Luke records:
“And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.” — Luke 24:11
Peter ran to the tomb and found only the linen cloths lying there. He departed:
“…marveling to himself at what had happened.” — Luke 24:12
The empty tomb was the first great declaration that Jesus had conquered death exactly as He had promised.
This reminds us that Christianity stands upon the historical reality of the resurrection. Jesus did not merely inspire His followers through His teaching—He defeated death itself. Because Christ lives, sin has been conquered, God’s promises have been fulfilled, and believers possess a living hope that can never perish. Every challenge we face is viewed through the certainty that our risen Saviour reigns forever.
The Risen Christ Opens Our Eyes to Understand the Scriptures
Later that day, two disciples travelled toward Emmaus. Jesus Himself joined them:
“But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” — Luke 24:16
As they walked, Jesus explained the Scriptures:
“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” — Luke 24:27
When they arrived, Jesus broke bread with them. Then:
“Their eyes were opened and they knew Him…” — Luke 24:31
Immediately they returned to Jerusalem. There they discovered that Jesus had also appeared to Simon. While they were speaking, Jesus Himself suddenly stood among the disciples and said:
“Peace to you.” — Luke 24:36
To remove every doubt, He showed them His hands and His feet. He even ate fish before them, proving that His resurrection was bodily and real. Jesus then declared:
“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled…” — Luke 24:44
Luke adds:
“And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” — Luke 24:45
The risen Christ revealed that the entire Old Testament ultimately points to Him.
This reminds us that Jesus is the key to understanding all of Scripture. The Bible is not merely a collection of moral lessons or historical events—it is God’s unfolding revelation of His Son. As we read the Scriptures with Christ at the centre, our faith grows, our hearts burn with renewed passion, and our understanding deepens. The risen Lord still opens the minds of His people through His Word today.
The Risen King Commissions His Church and Ascends in Glory
Jesus explained the heart of the Gospel:
“Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.” — Luke 24:46
He then declared the worldwide mission of His Church:
“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” — Luke 24:47
He told His disciples:
“And you are witnesses of these things.” — Luke 24:48
But they would not carry out this mission in their own strength. Jesus promised:
“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you…” — Luke 24:49
This points forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. Finally, Jesus led them to Bethany. Luke records:
“Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.” — Luke 24:51
The disciples worshipped Him and returned:
“…with great joy.” — Luke 24:52
The Gospel that began with great joy surrounding Christ’s birth now ends with great joy surrounding His ascension.
This reminds us that the risen Christ has entrusted His Church with the greatest mission in history—to proclaim repentance and forgiveness through His name to every nation. We do not fulfil this mission through human ability but through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus now reigns in heaven, His people can serve Him with confidence, knowing that the King who ascended will one day return in glory.
Deeper Waters
Luke 24 presents Jesus as the risen Lord, the fulfilment of all Scripture, and the exalted King who commissions His Church before ascending to the Father’s right hand. The resurrection is not merely the happy ending to the Gospel story—it is the decisive event that confirms every promise Jesus ever made and every prophecy God ever gave concerning the Messiah.
The empty tomb stands at the centre of the Christian faith. The angels’ question,
**”Why do you seek the living among the dead?”**
beautifully captures the new reality inaugurated by the resurrection. Death could not hold the Author of life. Everything Jesus predicted about His suffering, death, and resurrection has now come to pass. The resurrection vindicates His identity as the Son of God (Romans 1:4), demonstrates that His sacrifice has been accepted by the Father, and guarantees the future resurrection of all who belong to Him (1 Corinthians 15).
The account of the road to Emmaus is one of the richest passages in all Scripture for understanding biblical interpretation. Jesus begins “with Moses and all the Prophets”, showing that the entire Old Testament ultimately bears witness to Him. The sacrifices, the Passover lamb, the tabernacle, the priesthood, the kings, the prophets, and the promises all converge in Christ. The Bible is one unified story of God’s redemptive plan centred upon His Son. Their hearts “burned within” them not because of emotional excitement alone but because the risen Christ opened the Scriptures to reveal Himself.
The disciples’ initial unbelief also demonstrates the historical credibility of the resurrection accounts. The Gospel writers do not portray the disciples as people who expected the resurrection or readily accepted it. Instead, they were slow to believe until confronted by overwhelming evidence. Jesus invites them to touch Him and even eats before them, emphasising that His resurrection body is real, physical, and glorified. Christianity is rooted in real events that occurred in history, not merely in spiritual ideas or subjective experiences.
When Jesus opens their understanding, He reveals the threefold necessity of the Gospel:
– the Messiah must suffer, – the Messiah must rise again, – the message of repentance and forgiveness must be proclaimed to all nations.
The word “must” reflects God’s sovereign redemptive plan. The cross and resurrection were not unexpected tragedies but the fulfilment of God’s eternal purpose revealed throughout the Scriptures. Isaiah 53 foretold the suffering Servant. Psalm 16 anticipated that God’s Holy One would not see corruption. Jonah’s three days foreshadowed Christ’s burial. The entire Old Testament points toward the necessity of the Messiah’s death and resurrection.
The Gospel commission in Luke is beautifully balanced. The message is repentance and remission of sins. Repentance is not merely feeling sorry for sin but turning to God in faith, while remission is God’s gracious forgiveness secured through Christ’s atoning death. This message begins in Jerusalem, the very city that rejected and crucified Jesus. Even those who participated in His death are offered forgiveness through the Gospel. This powerfully displays the wideness of God’s mercy.
The promise of “the Promise of My Father” links Luke’s Gospel directly with the Book of Acts. The disciples are not sent to fulfil Christ’s mission in their own strength but are instructed to wait for the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. Luke ends where Acts begins, showing that the risen Christ continues His work through His Spirit-filled Church.
Finally, the Ascension is not merely Jesus’ departure but His exaltation. He ascends while blessing His disciples, revealing that His ministry of grace continues. From heaven He reigns as King, intercedes as our great High Priest, and prepares for His return. The disciples respond not with sorrow but “great joy,” because they now understand that the ascended Christ remains with His people through the Holy Spirit and reigns over all creation.
Luke’s Gospel therefore ends where it has been leading all along:
– the Saviour has accomplished redemption, – death has been defeated, – Scripture has been fulfilled, – the Gospel has been entrusted to the Church, – the Holy Spirit has been promised, – and the King has ascended to His throne. Luke 24 encourages us to: bu.ild their faith upon the certainty of Christ’s resurrection, – read all of Scripture through the person and work of Jesus Christ, – allow God’s Word to shape both their minds and hearts, – proclaim repentance and forgiveness boldly to the world, – depend daily upon the Holy Spirit’s power, – and live with joyful confidence because the risen Lord now reigns in heaven.
Ultimately, Luke 24 points us to Jesus Christ, the victorious Son of God who conquered death, fulfilled every promise of Scripture, opened the minds of His disciples to understand God’s redemptive plan, commissioned His Church to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and ascended in glory to reign forever. The Gospel that began with angels announcing “good tidings of great joy” concludes with disciples returning “with great joy,” because the crucified Saviour is now the risen and exalted King. His resurrection guarantees our forgiveness, His ascension guarantees His sovereign reign, and His promised return guarantees that the story of redemption will one day reach its glorious and eternal completion.