The Empty Tomb

International Sunday School Lesson April 2 2023 Spring Quarter #5

Luke 24:1-12 ESV  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  (2)  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,  (3)  but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  (4)  While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.  (5)  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?  (6)  He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,  (7)  that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”  (8)  And they remembered his words,  (9)  and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  (10)  Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,  (11)  but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.  (12)  But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Luke 24:1-12 ESV 

Notes

Background

• C.I. Scofield — The order of events, combining the four narratives, is as follows: Three women, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome, start for the sepulchre, followed by other women bearing spices. The three find the stone rolled away, and Mary Magdalene goes to tell the disciples. Luk 23:55 to Luk 24:9; Joh 20:1; Joh 20:2. Mary, the mother of James and Joses, draws nearer the tomb and sees the angel of the Lord Mat 28:2. She goes back to meet the other women following with the spices. Meanwhile Peter and John, warned by Mary Magdalene, arrive, look in, and go away Joh 20:3-10. Mary Magdalene returns weeping, sees the two angels and then Jesus Joh 20:11-18 and goes as He bade her to tell the disciples. Mary (mother of James and Joses), meanwhile, has met the women with the spices and, returning with them, they see the two angels.; Luk 24:4; Luk 24:5; Mar 16:5. They also receive the angelic message, and, going to seek the disciples, are met by Jesus. Mat 28:8-10.

Stone Rolled Away — Luke 24:1-2

• McGee The stone was not rolled away to let the Lord Jesus out but to let them in.

Gone — Luke 24:3

• Pulpit No evangelist describes the Resurrection-no earthly being having been present. St. Matthew is the evangelist who, in his narrative, goes furthest back. He mentions the shock of the earthquake, the awful presence of the angel, the benumbing terror which seized the guards who were watching. Most probably these signs accompanied the Resurrection.

Living Among the Dead — Luke 24:4-5

• Pulpit To one company of women one angel appeared: to another, two. Mary Magdalene, a little later, saw two angels in white sitting, as it were keeping watch and ward over the sepulchre for a short time after the sacred form had left it.

Remember — Luke 24:6-7

• Mark 8:31-33 (ESV) And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. [32] And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. [33] But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Tell the World — Luke 24:8-9

• Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Unbelief — Luke 24:10-11

Marveled — Luke 24:12

• John 20:3-10 (ESV) So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. [4] Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. [5] And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. [6] Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, [7] and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. [8] Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9] for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. [10] Then the disciples went back to their homes.