Luke 23:56

‘And on the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.'

Having done what they could of initial preparation and making ready for what they had to do, (what they would have to do as soon as the Sabbath was over would be the final preparing of the spices so that they would be fresh and subsequent anointing of the body of Jesus), they then obeyed God's commandment and rested on the Sabbath Day. Nothing further could be done until the Sabbath was over. We are intended to recognise that all these labours were in fact unnecessary. For while in ignorance they were lovingly preparing their last tribute, God was busy rendering it unnecessary. This was one body which would not suffer corruption, as they would soon discover.

Jesus Rises From The Dead (Luke 24:1 --52).

As we come to the final chapter of Luke's Gospel it is interesting to note the presumably deliberate parallels with the opening Chapter s. The Gospel opens in the Temple (Luke 1:9), and it closes in the Temple (Luke 24:52). It opens with one who is hindered from blessing the people because of unbelief, but who later blesses God (Luke 1:68), and with Simeon who blesses God (Luke 2:28), and it closes with Jesus blessing His disciples (stressed twice) and His disciples blessing God (Luke 24:50). There is no hindrance now, for they believe. It opens with the appearances of angels (Luke 1:11; Luke 1:26; Luke 2:9), and closes with the appearances of angels (Luke 24:4) and of the risen Jesus (Luke 24:36). It opens with the frightening appearance of one who comes from God (Luke 1:11), and closes with the frightening appearance of One Who comes from God (Luke 24:36). It opens with two witnesses to Jesus' coming as the Deliverer (Luke 2:25), and closes with two witnesses to His resurrection as the One Who will deliver (Luke 24:13). It opens with a question as to why Jesus' parents could not understand His need to be in His Father's house (Luke 2:49), and closes with a question as to why the women are so lacking in understanding that they seek the living among the dead and could not understand that He could not possibly be in the tomb, but must be in His Father's house (Luke 24:5) for God is the God of the living (Luke 20:38). It opens with a message of repentance and forgiveness of sins offered because the Coming One is coming (Luke 3:3). It closes with a message of repentance and forgiveness of sins because the Coming One has died and has risen again (Luke 24:47). It opens with reference to ‘the power of the Most High' (dunamis ‘upsistou) coming on Mary (Luke 1:35), and closes with a reference to ‘power from on high' (ex ‘upsous dunamin) coming on the Apostles (Luke 24:49). It opens with the expectancy of redemption (Luke 1:68; Luke 2:30; Luke 2:38), and closes with the expectancy of redemption (Luke 24:21, all Luke's readers knew that the expectations had been fulfilled). Yet there is no artificiality about the parallels, which arise naturally from what happened and are not forced. The point is being made that the opening activity of God has come to its fulfilment. What He has begun He will finish.

But the chapter not only looks back, it also looks forward to Acts. Here in chapter 24 are revealed the ‘many infallible proofs' of the resurrection spoken of in Acts 1:3. Here they were commanded to wait for power from on high, which is described in Acts 1:4 in terms of the Holy Spirit. Here our appetites are wetted concerning the Scriptures that tell us of the Messiah and His work (Luke 23:26; Luke 23:44), and this will be expanded on in the speeches in the first few Chapter s of Acts. Here we learn that they are to be His witnesses (Luke 23:48), and this is confirmed in Acts 1:8, and is the main theme of Acts (see Luke 1:8 and note that it is followed by the completing of the twelve so that there can be twelve witnesses to the life of Jesus and the resurrection, covering the twelve tribes of Israel.

This connection between the two books comes out especially in the chiasmus that binds the two books together:

a ‘And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them' (Luke 24:33).

b ‘And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem' (Luke 24:47).

c ‘And, behold, I send the promise of my Father on you, but tarry you in the city (of Jerusalem), until you be endued with power from on high' (Luke 24:49).

d ‘And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple blessing God' (Luke 24:52).

c ‘And, being assembled together with them, He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, says He, you have heard of me' (Acts 1:4).

b ‘But you will receive power, when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth' (Acts 1:8).

a ‘Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey' (Acts 1:12).

Note how in ‘a' they returned to Jerusalem and in the parallel they did the same. In ‘b' repentance and remission of sins was to be preached throughout all nations beginning at Jerusalem, and in the parallel they were to be His witnesses to the whole world, beginning at Jerusalem. In ‘c' they were to wait for the promise of the Father, and in the parallel they were to wait for the promise of the Father. And centrally in ‘d' they returned to Jerusalem and spent their time of waiting filled with joy and praising and blessing God. It was the time of blessing and spiritual preparation before the storm.

A further theme of this chapter is the certainty of the empty tomb, and the unbelief and uncertainty of the people involved concerning it. The women bring spices to the tomb. They do not believe that Jesus has risen, and are astonished at finding the tomb open and empty (Luke 23:4). But at the words of the angels (Luke 23:6) they go and tell the disciples what the angels have told them. The disciples, however, simply think that they are talking rubbish, and dismiss their words as untrue. They do not believe them (Luke 23:11). The two disciples on the way to Emmaus are seen to be in great doubt about the question, even after the women's testimony about the empty tomb and the words of the angels. They dismiss what the women have seen as ‘a vision of angels', although it had been enough to sow doubts in their minds (Luke 23:23). Peter is left wondering after what he sees at the empty tomb (Luke 23:12), but it does not bring conviction until the Lord Himself appears to him (Luke 23:34). And even when Jesus appears to them the disciples can hardly believe it (Luke 23:41), even though they had been prepared for it by the evidence of Peter (Luke 23:34). So it is made quite clear that there was no expectancy on anyone's part that they would ever see Jesus again on earth. None are revealed as people of expectant faith.

Such a situation confirms the accuracy of the narrative, for in terms of what was later the accepted norm for belief their attitude was paltry. They demeaned the women, and revealed an attitude of obstinate unbelief that was positively unsatisfactory. No one would even have hinted at such attitudes in the great Apostles if they had not been an accurate picture.

The chapter begins with the puzzle of the empty tomb, leads on to a full explanation of the periods of doubt and the appearances of Jesus in response, before He is finally taken up into Heaven, and ends with the enigmatic promise of ‘power from on high. But for what that resulted in we have to wait until Acts.