What is the meaning of Luke 24:5? As the women - These devoted followers—Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others (Luke 24:10)—had come at dawn with spices to honor Jesus’ body. - Their faithfulness echoes the steadfast devotion of Ruth to Naomi (Ruth 1:16–17) and the determination of the woman who anointed Jesus earlier (Luke 7:37–38). - Even before sunrise on Resurrection morning, God was already orchestrating revelation, just as He met Hagar in the wilderness (Genesis 16:13–14). bowed their faces to the ground - Confronted by the dazzling presence of angels (Luke 24:4), the women respond with worshipful humility, much like Joshua before the Commander of the LORD’s army (Joshua 5:14). - Bowing is the instinctive reaction of finite humans before divine glory (Revelation 1:17). - Their posture demonstrates hearts prepared to receive truth—“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). in terror - Holy fear is a recurring response to angelic encounters: Zechariah (Luke 1:12) and the shepherds (Luke 2:9) felt the same awe. - This fear is not crippling despair but reverent recognition of God’s holiness—“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). the two men asked them - Luke identifies the angels as “men” in radiant apparel, emphasizing both the reality of their presence and the reliability of their testimony (cf. Acts 1:10–11 where two men certify Jesus’ ascension). - God often poses questions to prompt reflection: “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) and “Whom shall I send?” (Isaiah 6:8). Here, the angels invite the women to rethink their assumptions about death and life. Why do you look for the living - The question reframes the entire scene: Jesus is not merely missing; He is alive. - Resurrection had been foretold by Jesus Himself (Luke 9:22; 18:33) and in prophetic Psalm 16:10, “You will not abandon My soul to Sheol.” - The angels emphasize that searching for a living Savior with burial spices reflects outdated expectations, similar to the disciples’ confusion on the stormy sea (Mark 4:38–40). among the dead? - The empty tomb is tangible evidence that death could not hold the Son of God (Acts 2:24). - Looking for life in realms of death never satisfies; it is like Israel turning to broken cisterns (Jeremiah 2:13). - The call is to shift focus from graves to glory, from mourning to mission (Matthew 28:10). summary The angels gently correct and comfort the women: stop searching for the crucified in a cemetery and start believing in the risen Lord. Their question still speaks today—faith looks for life where God has placed it, in the victorious, living Christ who has conquered the grave. |
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