What is the meaning of Luke 24:3? But when they entered • The first witnesses—women who loved Jesus—come to the tomb at dawn (Luke 24:1–2). Their entry is deliberate, born of devotion and grief. • The word “entered” highlights that this isn’t a distant glance; they step fully inside, giving firsthand testimony. • Similar eyewitness access is described in Matthew 28:5 and John 20:11, underscoring an open, verifiable tomb. • Acts 2:32 reminds us that “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses,” tying their entrance to the larger theme of apostolic witness. They did not find • The phrase signals surprise; faithful followers expected to anoint a corpse (Mark 16:1). • Absence becomes evidence. An empty tomb stands as the first tangible sign of resurrection, later confirmed by appearances (Luke 24:36–43). • Peter echoes the fact in Acts 2:29–31, contrasting David’s occupied tomb with Jesus’ empty one. • 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 explains the gospel hinge: Christ died, was buried, and “was raised on the third day.” The women’s failure to find a body validates that middle step—burial—yet transitions quickly to resurrection hope. The body of the Lord Jesus • Scripture emphasizes a real, physical body. Luke later notes Jesus eating fish (Luke 24:42–43), proving He rose bodily, not as a mere spirit. • “Lord” signals His divine authority (Acts 10:36). The same Lord who calmed seas now conquers death. • Romans 6:4 ties His bodily resurrection to our new life: “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.” • John 2:19–22 records Jesus predicting this very moment: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” His body is that temple, now gloriously missing from the grave. • Because the body is gone, believers have assurance of future bodily resurrection (Philippians 3:20–21). summary Luke 24:3 shows faithful disciples stepping into an open tomb, only to discover it empty. Their inability to locate Jesus’ body turns grief into the first signal of victory. The absence confirms prophecy, attests to a historical, bodily resurrection, and proclaims that the crucified Jesus is indeed Lord over life and death. |
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