Why Do You Seek the Living Among the Dead? (Luke 24:1–12)

¹But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they and some others came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.

²They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

³They entered in, and didn’t find the Lord Jesus’ body.

⁴While they were greatly perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling clothing.

⁵Becoming terrified, they bowed their faces down to the earth. The men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?

⁶He isn’t here, but is risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee,

⁷saying that the Son of Man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again?”

⁸They remembered his words,

⁹returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

¹⁰Now they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with them told these things to the apostles.

¹¹These words seemed to them to be nonsense, and they didn’t believe them.

¹²But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened.

¹³Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem.

¹⁴They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened.

¹⁵While they talked and questioned together, Jesus himself came near, and went with them.

¹⁶But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

¹⁷He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?”

¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹He said to them, “What things?” They said to him, “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people;

²⁰and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.

²¹But we were hoping that it was he who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

²²Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb;

²³and when they didn’t find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.

²⁴Some of us went to the tomb and found it just like the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”

²⁵He said to them, “Foolish people, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

²⁶Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?”

²⁷Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

²⁸They came near to the village where they were going, and he acted like he would go further.

²⁹They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them.

³⁰When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave it to them.

³¹Their eyes were opened and they recognized him; then he vanished out of their sight.

³²They said to one another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”

³³They rose up that very hour, returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them,

³⁴saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”

³⁵They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

³⁶As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

³⁷But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

³⁸He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts?

³⁹See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”

⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

⁴²They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.

⁴³He took them, and ate in front of them.

⁴⁴He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms concerning me must be fulfilled.”

⁴⁵Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.

⁴⁶He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

⁴⁷and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”

⁵⁰He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

⁵¹While he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.

⁵²They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

⁵³and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.