Luke 24:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?

NIV: In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?

NASB: and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, 'Why are you seeking the living One among the dead?

CSB: So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. "Why are you looking for the living among the dead?" asked the men.

NLT: The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, 'Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?

KJV: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

NKJV: Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?

Several women have watched their rabbi die on the cross and be buried in a tomb sealed with a stone. They gathered spices to cover His body, but could not anoint Him until after the Sabbath (Luke 23:49–56). When they arrive at the tomb at dawn on Sunday, they find the stone rolled away and the body gone. Mary Magdalene runs off to tell Peter. The others try to figure out what to do (Luke 24:1–3; John 20:1–2).

After all that, two strange men appear. They look like lightning dressed in snow (Matthew 28:3). The women do the only thing they can: bow to the ground in terror and respect.

One of the men speaks: "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified" (Matthew 28:5). He goes on to question them: Don't you remember? He told you this would happen. He told you He would rise from the dead.

Jesus prophesied He would be crucified and rise again, and it seems the women were among the disciples who heard those prophecies (Luke 9:22). But when Jesus spoke of being delivered over to those who wanted Him dead, His disciples "did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it" (Luke 9:43–45).

Almost forty days later, at least some of these women will be a few miles away, on a hill near Bethany. They will watch Jesus ascend to heaven. As they watch where He has disappeared, two similar men will arrive. They will say, "Why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven" (Acts 1:9–11).

Luke 24:1–12 reports that the women who had prepared spices find Jesus' tomb empty. Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Clopas, Salome, Joanna, and possibly others saw where Jesus was buried and gathered spices before the Sabbath began. Early Sunday morning, they return but the stone is rolled away. Two angels remind them Jesus had promised to rise from the dead. They tell Peter who also finds the tomb empty. Mark 16:1–8 gives a similar account. Matthew 28:1–10 and John 20:1–18 say that the women meet Jesus and John is with Peter.

After Jesus is executed and buried (Luke 23:52–53), the women who had followed Him from Galilee come to improve His burial condition. They find an open, empty tomb and angels. The disciples are informed. Two of them spend time speaking with a stranger while walking, only to realize it was Jesus Himself. Jesus appears to His followers, eating fish and explaining how His role as Messiah was predicted in Scripture. Jesus then ascends to heaven while His disciples worship.

Luke 24 describes how Jesus' followers learned of His resurrection. Luke 23 recorded His legal trials, crucifixion, death, and burial. Acts chapter 1, also written by Luke, explains how Jesus' followers prepare for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the church. Luke 24's theme is the fulfillment of prophecy from Jesus and the Old Testament prophets. Once Jesus' followers understand, He returns to heaven. Matthew 28 includes how the Sanhedrin bribed the guards. John chapter 20 adds Thomas coming to believe while chapter 21 records Peter's reconciliation with Jesus.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.