Luke 24:5, commentary and pictures

On the resurrection morning the women came with spices to anoint a dead body and found the stone rolled away and the body gone, and as they bowed in fear before shining angels they were asked why they sought the living among the dead, meaning Jesus was not dead but risen and the tomb and its spices were no longer the place to seek Him. The angels turned them back to His words in Galilee that He must be delivered, crucified and rise the third day, and remembering those words made the resurrection clear and sent them running with fear and great joy to tell the disciples He would go before them into Galilee. The empty sepulchre with only the burial shroud left is evidence He does not remain among the dead, for called by His Father He came forth as a mighty Conqueror with power over death and the grave, declaring Himself the resurrection and the life amid trembling earth and adoring angels. He was not left in the grave and does not lie in the sepulchre, but remains a living Saviour with the same power now whom the churches need to recognize. Because He lives and is now making intercession by name before the Father, those whose sins are forgiven through His suffering and death must not live as though He were dead in gloom, but show by peace, happiness and joy that He is alive.

The Question at the Tomb

On the first day of the week after the crucifixion, early in the morning while it was still dark, the women came to the sepulchre bringing sweet spices to anoint the body of Jesus. They found the heavy stone rolled away from the door and the body gone, and their hearts sank with fear that enemies had taken it. That day held everything to fill the disciples' hearts with rejoicing.

Two angels in white apparel with bright and shining faces stood by them inside the tomb, the light of heavenly glory still shining about them. The women were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth and turned to flee. A second angel in human form spoke to those who lingered, knowing they were seeking Jesus, and told them He was not there but had risen and pointed them to the place where He had lain.

The question, Why seek ye the living among the dead, corrects their search and turns their attention from the dead to His resurrection. It means Jesus is living and not dead, for He is risen, and He is not to be sought among the dead. The tomb is not the place to seek Him, and the anointing spices are no longer needed. The angels told them to go tell His disciples He would go before them into Galilee, and the women left frightened and astonished to carry what they had seen and heard to the mourning disciples.

The angels pointed the women back to what Jesus had spoken in Galilee, that He must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and suffer death and rise the third day. Remembering those words made the resurrection clear, and the women repeated them again and again and gained fresh hope and courage. They ran quickly to bring the disciples word with fear and great joy. His words were meant to prepare His followers, but they had forgotten them; remembering His teaching would have preserved their faith and kept them from hopeless discouragement after His death.

The women reported that the body had been removed, that they had seen angels and the place where He had lain, and that they had met Jesus alive in the garden. The angels had positively affirmed that Christ had risen from the dead. The disciples' difficulty believing shows how weak their faith had become, expecting no resurrection with only a vague understanding of rising from the dead influenced by the Sadducees' teaching and theories. For some it made a day of uncertainty, confusion and perplexity instead of rejoicing.

The Living Risen Saviour

The empty sepulchre is evidence that Jesus who had been crucified had risen and does not remain among the dead, for the stone was removed and His body was gone. The disciples found the sepulchre empty with the burial shroud lying there but no body, and they afterward saw and spoke with the risen Christ and testified that He had risen. Called by His Father, He came forth from the tomb as a mighty Conqueror, having earned power over death and the grave. Life from heaven entered Him, angels rolled back the stone, and He walked forth declaring Himself the resurrection and the life, while the angelic host bowed in adoration and welcomed Him with songs of praise, and His presence shook the earth with trembling, lightning and thunder.

He was not left in the grave and is not lying in the sepulchre, but remains a living Saviour with the same power now, and the churches need to recognize that He lives. His suffering and death make salvation possible, giving forgiveness of sins to those who repent and are converted, come to the Father through faith in Christ, and follow His example. Through belief in the truth His suffering also makes sanctification possible.

Because He lives, believers must not act as though He were dead or live a gloomy religious life, but show by their lives that He is alive with peace, happiness and joy. They are to trim their lamps and keep them burning and grasp infinity by living faith for a living issue in this world. He is now making intercession for them and presenting their cases by name before the Father.