What is the meaning of Luke 24:11? But their words seemed like nonsense to them • The women—Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others (Luke 24:10)—returned from the empty tomb and “reported all these things to the Eleven.” Their testimony was rooted in what they had literally seen and heard from the angels: “He is not here; He has risen!” (Luke 24:6-7). • To the apostles, however, the report sounded like “nonsense,” the Greek idea of delirious babble. This reaction shows the depth of their shock and grief; sorrow had dulled their memory of Jesus’ clear predictions of His resurrection (Luke 9:22; 18:31-34; cf. Matthew 16:21). • Scripture repeatedly portrays human frailty when confronted with divine intervention. When Sarah overheard God promise Isaac, she laughed (Genesis 18:12). When Rhoda announced Peter’s miraculous release, the believers said, “You are out of your mind” (Acts 12:15). These parallels underline how quickly even believers can dismiss God’s supernatural work. • Yet the women’s words were true. Their experience anticipates Paul’s reminder that “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27). The initial skepticism of the apostles highlights that the gospel rests on objective events, not gullible credulity. and they did not believe the women • Unbelief, not lack of evidence, kept the apostles from embracing the truth. Mark 16:11 confirms, “When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.” John 20:9 notes, “They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.” • The resurrection is central to the faith. Paul later warns that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile (1 Corinthians 15:14). The apostles’ initial refusal actually strengthens the case for the resurrection: these men did not invent the story; they were convinced against their expectations (Acts 1:3). • Jesus graciously confronted their unbelief. He later appeared and rebuked them “for their unbelief and hardness of heart” (Mark 16:14). By personally showing His wounds (Luke 24:39-40), He transformed doubters into eyewitnesses empowered to proclaim the gospel (Acts 2:32). • The women’s faithful witness, despite dismissal, models perseverance. Like them, believers today testify to a risen Lord—even when the message seems foolish to a skeptical world (1 Corinthians 1:18). summary Luke 24:11 records the disciples’ knee-jerk dismissal of the women’s resurrection report. Their grief-blinded skepticism underscores human weakness, magnifies the factual reality of the empty tomb, and sets the stage for Christ’s own appearance that turns disbelief into unshakeable conviction. God’s Word proves true, and the risen Jesus still transforms hesitant hearts into bold witnesses. |
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