Today we will examine Luke 23:50 – 24:12 and as we do we’ll consider the truth and the implications of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. And the big idea here is that, the truth of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection inspires great hope and great courage amidst our momentary suffering.
Think about these questions for a minute. What do you hope for? What do you long for? What do you crave the most? And in the midst of all of this hoping, this longing and this craving, where do you need to find the most courage? Where do you need to take a stand? Where do you need to be bold and courageous? My hope for us, as we examine this passage today, is that we all would consider the truth of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and that we would all be inspired with great hope and great courage amidst our momentary suffering.
Take a look at Luke 23:50 – 24:12 with me…
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
24 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.
What’s happening in this passage?
As we’ve followed Luke’s account of Jesus’ life, Luke has been very careful to outline the details in an organized and simple fashion so that we can be certain of the truth of what’s been taught throughout Scripture regarding Jesus and so that from that place of certainty and truth, we can live with a confident and courageous hope in the promise of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And as we come to this portion of Luke’s gospel, the intent of Luke as an author is still the same. Luke wants us to know that we can confidently trust the truth of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and then from that place of assurance, we can live with confident hope and courage.
#1. Consider the hope and the courage of a wealthy man named Joseph… (50-53)
Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy dude with a great job who had a solid reputation and a stellar social status. He was a member of one of the largest and most respected religious establishments in the world and he was known to be a super godly man whose eyes were set on the coming of the kingdom of God.
Even though Joseph had everything a man or a woman could want in this life, he still hoped in something beyond this world and he had the courage to take a stand against evil. Think of how scary it must have been for Joseph to risk losing his job by disagreeing with the religious establishment in their direction to murder Jesus. Think of how risky it must have been for Joseph to go to the governing leader (who wasn’t there by public election) and ask for Jesus’ body. Think of how courageous Joseph had to be just to be seen in public taking Jesus’ dead body down from the cross and laying it in a tomb.
Joseph’s deep hope and longing and craving for the kingdom of God was now on display for everyone from his place of employment to his political influence to his public status. The courage that Joseph exhibited here is the outward evidence of a person whose hope was centered on Christ. His hope in Christ was no longer a private and personal thing it was now a courageous public stand.
#2. Consider the hope and the courage of the women who followed Jesus… (54-11)
Luke tells us that the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed along behind Joseph as he carried Jesus’ dead body to the tomb where he would be buried. And they watched as Joseph carefully laid Jesus’ body in that tomb and then they went back to their homes to prepare the burial spices that would help keep the smell of Jesus’ decaying body at bay. This hard work of caring for Jesus’ body was an act of compassion and courage.
And right in the middle of all this important work these women pressed pause to rest in the observance of the Sabbath. If ever there was a time to work instead of taking a day off this would have been the day to keep working on behalf of the Son of God who was dead and buried. But these women didn’t use their religious jargon to excuse the sin of overworking. They didn’t use the importance of their work to excuse their obedience. They courageously rested in the hope of God who’s always at work as they obediently rested on the Sabbath.
Imagine the anxiety and the depression and the fear that these women were dealing with. They had just watched Jesus’ horrific death and mind numbing burial. Now they were forced to stop all of their striving and their working so that they could rest in worshipful communion with God. And then on the first day of the week (which would have been a Sunday) they went to the burial place of Jesus with their spices only to find the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus missing.
How twisted up would you be in this moment? How confusing would this moment be for you? The last time you saw Jesus he was definitely dead. The last time you saw Jesus’ tomb the stone was definitely rolled in front of the doorway. The last time you walked away from Jesus tomb there was definitely a group of armed guards protecting his body (according to the other gospels). And now the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty and Jesus’ body is nowhere to be found.
And then right in the midst of your confusion and your fear, two angels pop onto the scene asking why you are looking for the living among the dead and then they remind you that Jesus himself has taught you that this was all going to happen. And in those mind-bending moments, you remember everything Jesus had said and suddenly everything you’d ever hoped for changes and your entire being wells up with courage.
Three days ago you faced the darkest moment in human history and you wished it would all just come to an end. Three days ago you lost your best friend. Three days ago your world fell apart. Three days ago you faced the most tragic event of your entire life. Three days ago you longed for a different life. Three days ago you craved anything that would stop the pain and the fear. Three days ago in the midst of deep depression and crippling fear you cried yourself to sleep begging God to show up in the midst of your loneliness and pain.
And this morning you woke up and realized that there is purpose in suffering and hope in the power of God over Satan, sin and death. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. In the words of the famous Newsboys song “God’s not dead, he’s surely alive. He’s living on the inside and he’s roaring like a lion.” What kind of courage does this inspire within you? What kind of hope does this arouse within you?
When these women encountered the empty tomb and the proclamation of the angels that Jesus is alive, they ran back to the other disciples and they courageously proclaimed the truth of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. In an instant their hope was grounded and they became the first bold and courageous preachers of the resurrection. Even though some of their closest friends thought they were crazy and didn’t believe them, they still knew what they knew to be true and in the midst of the confusion, and the pain and the difficulty and the suffering, their hearts were ignited with great hope and great courage.
#3. Consider the hope and the courage of Peter… (12)
Even though we know that Peter has denied Christ and is numbered among the disciples who think that these women are delusional, he still runs to the empty tomb to see for himself. And even though he witnesses the miracle of the empty tomb and goes home wondering what the heck is going on, we must not forget that this is the same Peter who just a few weeks later courageously preaches the truth of the death, burial and resurrection of the living Christ as the only hope worth placing our trust in.
How does this passage help us?
The truth of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ changes everything for us because it redirects our hopes, longings and cravings and it inspires us to courageously take a stand against the powers of hell and all that is evil within us and outside of us in the midst of suffering, pain, loss and confusion. How does this passage help us?
#1. We have new hope…
Where we once hoped, and longed and craved for the pain to stop or for the sinful desire to be met, we now have a new hope. When we crave immediate gratification from the pain and the fear and the anxiety and the loneliness and the confusion through sexual sin, or overworking, or living in frustration, or staying silent, or protecting our assets, or speaking words of anger, we can now place our hope in the resurrected Christ, whose death, burial and resurrection gives us new hope in the truth that Christ has been victorious over Satan, sin and the grave.
#2. We have new courage…
Where we once cowered in fear and loneliness and depression just wishing we could hide in the corner of our sinful cycles of using and abusing and striving and working to project a public status that looks appealing, we can now live courageously and boldly, taking a stand against the evil desires that drive us to use people and public pursuits for our own satisfaction. Where we once cowered in fear of what people might think or say about us we can now live courageously and boldly, taking a stand for the truth of the life, death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the only hope of the world.
Concluding Thoughts…
In conclusion… the truth of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection inspires great hope and great courage amidst our momentary suffering. What do you hope for? What do you long for? What do you crave the most? And in the midst of all of this hoping, all of this longing and all of this craving, where do you need to find the most courage? Where do you need to take a stand? Where do you need to be bold and courageous?
My hope for us, as we’ve examined this passage today, is that we would all consider the truth of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and that we would all be inspired with great hope and great courage amidst our momentary suffering because… Jesus is alive and he’s been victorious over Satan, sin and death! Do you hope in this truth? Does this truth give you great courage?