How does Luke 24:3 affirm the truth of Jesus' resurrection for believers? Setting the Scene Luke 24 opens at dawn on the first day of the week. The women who loved Jesus come with spices, expecting to complete His burial rites. Verse in Focus “but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” (Luke 24:3) A Tomb That Could Not Hold Him • The wording is plain, factual, historical. • Luke calls Him “the Lord Jesus,” not merely Jesus of Nazareth, underscoring His authority even in death’s domain. • Their expectation (finding His body) collides with divine reality (the body is gone). Why the Empty Tomb Confirms the Resurrection • Fulfilled Prophecy – Psalm 16:10 anticipated that God’s Holy One would not “see decay.” – Jesus had foretold His rising “on the third day” (Luke 9:22; 18:33). • Physical Evidence – No corpse was produced by enemies or authorities (Matthew 28:11–15). – The grave clothes lay undisturbed (John 20:6–7), impossible if the body were stolen. • Reliable Witnesses – Women—whose testimony held little weight in that culture—were chosen as first reporters (Luke 24:10). – Multiple, independent appearances followed (Luke 24:36–43; 1 Corinthians 15:5–8). • Apostolic Preaching Anchored Here – Peter proclaimed, “God raised Him up, releasing Him from the agony of death” (Acts 2:24, 32). – Paul tied salvation itself to the historical resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17). What This Means for Believers Today • Assurance of Justification – “He was delivered over for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). • Living Hope – “He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). • Guarantee of Our Own Resurrection – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). • Unshakable Gospel Foundation – Because the tomb is empty, our faith rests on historically verified, God-breathed truth—not myth or metaphor. Inviting Response The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out, but to let us look in—and believe. Luke 24:3 therefore stands as a concise, Spirit-inspired billboard declaring: He is not here; He is risen indeed. |
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