How does Luke 24:3 connect with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? Reading the Verse in Context Luke 24:3: “But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” The women expected to anoint a corpse; instead they met an empty tomb. That startling absence ties directly to promises God had already laid down centuries earlier. Old Testament Expectation of an Empty Tomb Long before the first Easter morning, Scripture sketched a Messiah who would pass through death but not be held by it. Luke 24:3 verifies those sketches by showing the grave could not keep Jesus. Psalm 16:10 – The Holy One Will Not See Decay • Psalm 16:10: “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see decay.” • David wrote of a future “Holy One” whose body would never decompose. • Acts 2:25-31 and 13:32-37 apply this directly to Jesus, arguing that the empty tomb fulfills David’s prophecy. Luke 24:3 is the narrative confirmation. Isaiah 53 – From Grave to Life • Isaiah 53:9-11 foretells the Servant’s burial—“He was assigned a grave with the wicked”—yet also that “He will prolong His days.” • For “days” to be prolonged, the Servant must rise bodily. The missing body in Luke 24:3 reveals that this very transition from death to life has occurred. Hosea 6:2 – The Third-Day Pattern • Hosea 6:2: “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.” • The women arrived “on the first day of the week” (Luke 24:1), equivalent to the “third day” after the crucifixion, echoing Hosea’s timetable. • The absence of Jesus’ body is Hosea’s “raise us up” moment, applied first to the Messiah and, through Him, to all who trust in Him. Typological Pictures Hinting at Resurrection • Jonah (Jonah 1:17; 2:10) — three days preserved in the fish, then released. • Isaac (Genesis 22) — figuratively received back from death (Hebrews 11:19). • Joseph (Genesis 37–41) — presumed dead, later revealed alive to save others. Each type points to a real, physical emergence from death, realized when the women find the tomb empty. Putting It All Together Luke 24:3 is not an isolated surprise; it is the tangible fulfillment of: • God’s promise that His Holy One would never decay (Psalm 16). • The Servant’s vindication beyond the grave (Isaiah 53). • The prophetic “third-day” revival motif (Hosea 6) and its vivid types (Jonah, Isaac, Joseph). Because the body is gone, every Old Testament word about a risen, death-defeating Messiah stands confirmed. |
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