How does Luke 24:22 connect with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? The surprising visit to the tomb Luke 24:22: “But then some of our women amazed us. They were at the tomb early this morning.” • The disciples recount that the women found the tomb empty—an event Scripture had already previewed. • Their bewilderment opens the door to connect the empty tomb with promises God had made centuries earlier. Old Testament hints of an empty grave • Psalm 16:10 — “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.” • Isaiah 53:9–11 — The Suffering Servant is “assigned a grave with the wicked,” yet “He will prolong His days.” • Hosea 13:14 — “I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from death.” • These passages foretold a Messiah who would die and yet not remain in the realm of the dead—exactly the reality the women discovered. Women as first heralds—foretold and fitting • Psalm 68:11 — “The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good news are a great host.” • Isaiah 40:9 — “Go up on a high mountain, O herald of good news… lift it up, do not be afraid.” • Joel 2:28 — God’s Spirit would be poured out so “your sons and daughters will prophesy.” • Luke 24:22 matches these prophecies: women receive the message first and proclaim it to others, fulfilling God’s pattern of using unexpected voices to announce redemption. The prophetic “third-day” pattern • Hosea 6:2 — “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up.” • Jonah 1:17 — The prophet’s three days in the fish foreshadow Messiah’s time in the grave (cf. Matthew 12:40). • Genesis 22; Exodus 19; 2 Kings 20 all feature decisive third-day moments, establishing a scriptural rhythm that the resurrection perfectly fits. From suffering to vindication—prophecy fulfilled • Psalm 22, Isaiah 50:6, and Isaiah 53 describe the Messiah’s suffering, ridicule, and death. • Yet each passage also hints at ultimate vindication—answered by the empty tomb the women reported. • Luke records Jesus Himself linking these truths moments later: “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?” (Luke 24:26). Why Luke 24:22 matters for our confidence • The women’s testimony is not a curious detail; it is a divinely scripted confirmation that the Messiah rose exactly as foretold. • The convergence of multiple Old Testament strands—an incorruptible body, an empty grave, third-day life, and unexpected witnesses—demonstrates the unity and trustworthiness of God’s Word. • Because Scripture’s prophetic promises proved true in Christ’s resurrection, every promise still ahead is equally certain. |
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