The Resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24:1-12)

Introduction

The story, now on it’s 24th chapter, doesn’t end at the cross with the death of our hero. That’s what we are told sometimes - death is the end.

It’s one thing to say it and another to walk through the quiet dawn with the women who went to the tomb. They weren’t singing hymns of triumph or anticipating a miracle. They were there to prepare a corpse that had, only a day before, been hastily taken care of because the sabbath and its restrictions was quickly approaching.

They came holding spices, not hope. And that is where the story continues and the resurrection begins: in the shadows of grief and the fog of a sleepless night. We find life after the silence of death, when everything we thought God would do has been buried deep.

Luke 24:1-12 invites us to stand with Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. In the stillness of the early morning, something has shifted—a stone, reality itself, all possibilities. A body gone! Messengers in dazzling clothes.

Confusion, wonder, fear—and yes, eventually, joy.

I love this passage because before the disciples (men and women) can believe, God has done the miraculous. God doesn’t wait on us to catch up. God’s plan is stalwart - good will triumph.

The Alabaster Panel of the Resurrection (also known as Altorrelieve), housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, is a magnificent 15th-century artwork depicting the resurrection of Jesus. Source.

Verse by Verse Breakdown of Luke 24:1–12 and Commentary

Luke 24:1

"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared."

That first word, but, does a lot of work. It signals a turn—a shift from the stillness of Saturday to something new breaking open at dawn. These women didn’t wait around. As soon as it was lawful to move, they moved. Their grief hadn’t made them passive. Their love was still in motion. They had prepared spices—a tender, heartbreaking gesture—and came with no expectation of resurrection. They came to honor the dead.

This isn’t just any group of mourners. These are faithful women who had followed Jesus even to the cross. Luke names them in a few verses, and we ought to notice: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James.

Interestingly, Luke doesn’t call Mary the mother of Jesus here, even though that’s likely who she is. He roots her in James. Perhaps to show how this moment will ripple outward into the early church.

Luke 24:2

"They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,"

The text doesn’t describe the moment the stone moved, just the shock of seeing it already done. You have to imagine the confusion here. They arrive expecting one thing—a sealed grave—and instead it’s open. What do you do when reality doesn’t meet your expectations, and you can’t yet guess why?

This isn’t a triumphant moment yet. It’s disorienting. Are we at the wrong place? you can almost hear them whisper. The Resurrection of Jesus begins not with hallelujahs but with huhs?.

Luke 24:3

"but when they went in, they did not find the body."

Another but. Another disruption. They step into the tomb and the absence hits them. No angel choir. No clear vision. Just a missing body. They don’t understand it yet, but this absence is the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Sometimes faith begins in the spaces where we thought God would be and find him strangely, powerfully not there.

Luke 24:4

"While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them."

The women are standing in their confusion, and only then do the angels appear. Luke doesn’t call them angels here, but that’s clearly who they are. The resurrection doesn’t come with easy explanations. First there is space to be perplexed, and then comes the light.

"Dazzling clothes" echoes what Jesus wore at the Transfiguration (Luke 9:29). These figures are not here to tidy up the story—they are here to announce that everything has changed.

Luke 24:5–6a

"The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.'"

There it is—the heartbeat of Easter. He is not here, but has risen. Before explanations, before theology, before understanding—comes a question: Why are you looking for the living among the dead? It's a question for the women, but it’s also one we have to ask ourselves. Where are we still seeking life in dead places?

The resurrection of Jesus isn’t just about what happened to his body. It’s about where we look for hope now. What old tombs are we still peering into?

Their bowing is a sign of awe and respect.

The angels (messengers) call them to faith and understanding.

Luke 24:6b–7

"…Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again."

The angels aren’t giving new information. They’re reminding them of what Jesus had already said. Faith is often about remembering rightly. In Galilee, Jesus told them this would happen (Luke 9:22), but it was too much to take in then. Now, in the shadow of the empty tomb, the pieces begin to click into place.

Notice that we read the passages from Luke 9 - 24 and we think it’s a short amount of time. Luke 9 has a distance of about a year from the resurrection.

Notice too the passive voice here: must be handed over, must be crucified, and rise again. It all happens to him. He yields to it. And now, he is not here.

Luke 24:8

"Then they remembered his words,"

Memory becomes revelation.

Sometimes remembering is an act of faith. That’s what the resurrection does—it pulls the past into a new present. The women remember, and in doing so, begin to see clearly.

Andrea Mantegna’s The Resurrection is a striking example of Renaissance artistry, painted in the late 15th century. In this piece, the risen Christ stands confidently above the tomb, banner in hand, as Roman soldiers lie slumped in awe and fear. Source

Luke 24:9–10

"and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles."

This is the first Easter sermon, and it comes from women. They are the first to carry the message of the resurrection of Jesus. Their testimony becomes the foundation. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James—these aren’t just names. They are the first apostles of the resurrection.

Their witness wasn’t accepted at first. But God trusted them to carry it.

Luke 24:11

"But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them."

There’s that but again. The men don’t dismiss them with argument. They don’t fight them. They just think it sounds like nonsense. The Greek word here is leros, a word used for foolish talk or delusion.

What a sad irony—the apostles found the gospel too strange to believe.

Sometimes the resurrection of Jesus will sound like an idle tale to people. That doesn’t make it less true. Sometimes the best stories start as whispers that no one takes seriously.

Luke 24:12

"But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened."

And again, but. Peter ran. Say what you will about Peter—he at least gets up. He at least checks for himself. There is still some embers of hope in him.

He finds the evidence, but not the explanation.

He goes home amazed. He doesn’t have it all figured out yet, but he’s no longer still. The resurrection of Jesus invites movement, response, curiosity. It begins not with certainty, but amazement.

Luke 24:1–12 Meaning for Today

The resurrection of Jesus doesn’t begin with joy. It begins with confusion, absence, and questions. It begins with faithful women showing up to do what love required—only to discover that love had already gone ahead of them.

Jesus didn’t rise from the dead with fanfare. He rose while it was still dark. While the world was still hurting. The resurrection doesn’t erase pain, but it breaks its finality. It doesn’t silence the question, but it reframes it.

Even today, many hear the news and call it an idle tale. But some will get up and run. Some will look in and find not all the answers, but enough.

The resurrection of Jesus is not just something that happened. It is something happening. It calls us to stop looking for the living among the dead. It calls us to remember. And it calls us to speak, even if our witness seems foolish.

FAQ: Resurrection of Jesus

What is the resurrection of Jesus?
The resurrection of Jesus refers to the event where Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion, as described in the Gospels. According to Luke 24:1–12, women discovered the empty tomb and were told by angels that Jesus had risen. This event is central to Christian belief, symbolizing victory over death and the promise of eternal life.

When did Jesus resurrect?
Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, early Sunday morning, according to Luke 24:1.

What day did Jesus resurrect?
Jesus resurrected on a Sunday, which is now celebrated as Easter Sunday.

What happened to Jesus after the resurrection?
Jesus appeared to his followers over forty days, teaching them and preparing them for the coming of the Holy Spirit before ascending to heaven (Acts 1:3).

How long was Jesus on earth after his resurrection?
Jesus remained on earth for forty days after his resurrection before ascending into heaven.

Why is the resurrection of Jesus important?
It affirms Jesus’ victory over sin and death, offering the promise of eternal life to all who believe.

What Bible verses talk about the resurrection of Jesus?
Luke 24:1–12, Matthew 28:1–10, Mark 16:1–8, and John 20:1–18 all recount the resurrection of Jesus.