How does Luke 24:24 connect with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? The setting and significance of Luke 24:24 • On resurrection morning, two disciples on the Emmaus road recall: “Some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had described, but Him they did not see.” (Luke 24:24) • The report of an empty tomb becomes a crucial link between Jesus’ resurrection and what “Moses and all the Prophets” had foretold (Luke 24:27). Key Old Testament prophecies behind the empty tomb • 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 – Though buried, the Suffering Servant would “see the light of life” after His anguish. • Hosea 6:2 – “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up.” • Jonah 1:17 (type) – The prophet’s three days in the great fish foreshadow the Messiah’s three-day entombment (cf. Matthew 12:40). How Luke 24:24 echoes those prophecies • Empty, yet witnessed: Psalm 16:10 promises preservation from decay; the disciples find an unoccupied tomb confirming that promise. • Burial with the rich: Isaiah 53:9 foretells a unique grave situation; the women’s earlier testimony (Luke 23:55 – 24:1) and the men’s later visit verify the prophecy’s accuracy. • Third-day timeline: Luke’s narrative (24:1, 7, 21) stresses “the third day,” mirroring Hosea 6:2 and Jesus’ own application of Jonah’s sign. • “But Him they did not see”: even this temporary absence matches Isaiah 53:11—the Servant would see life again, but only after suffering and concealment. Practical takeaways for today • Scripture interprets Scripture: New-Testament facts (an empty tomb) drive us back to Old-Testament promises, building unshakable confidence in God’s word. • Eyewitness testimony matters: Luke couples prophetic texts with first-hand investigation, giving faith a solid, historical footing (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:3). • Fulfilled prophecy anchors hope: because every resurrection prophecy was literally kept, believers can trust the yet-future promises of Christ’s return and our own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). |