Easter Day, April 20th, 2025
Luke 24 : 1-12
Jeffrey Bowyer
Each of the four Resurrection narratives goes its own set of details, but there are three elements that they all have in common:
(1) the discovery of the empty tomb takes place on a Sunday morning;
(2) Mary Magdalene is present at the tomb; and
(3) the tomb is found to be empty.
Beyond that there are differences, and some of the differences are worth noting.
In our gospel of Luke, one of the most notable features is that it has the most women on the scene. Luke puts it this way: “Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them” (24:10). Three are named but others are not. Consequently, we have to conclude that, for Luke, at least five are present (three plus “other women,” plural); perhaps more than five is intended.
Two of those named are mentioned back in 8:2-3 (Mary Magdalene and Joanna) and belong to the company of those who provided for Jesus’ ministry out of their means. We are no doubt supposed to think of that company as the ones who were at the crucifixion (23:49), were subsequently at the tomb (23:55), prepared spices and ointments (23:56), and arrived at the tomb in the early dawn on Sunday (24:1).
A second distinctive feature of Luke’s Resurrection narrative is the inclusion of a reminder to the women in 24:7, in which the two men recall the passion predictions of Jesus, which appear at 9:22 and 18:31-33. As the text stands, we must assume that, according to Luke, the women being addressed were themselves among the followers of Jesus in Galilee who heard Jesus’ predictions. That is possible, since they are among the retinue at 8:2-3, prior to the first prediction in Galilee (9:22).
Finally, Luke includes a brief narrative about the response to what the women reported. The eleven (and others) considered it “an idle tale” and did not believe the report at all (24:11). They were not moved to do anything about it. There was one exception, however, and that was Peter. He ran to the tomb (as in John 20:4), inspected it, and went home “amazed at what had happened” (24:12). Luke does not say that Peter was a confirmed believer at this point.
Some thoughts can be developed out of the story that Luke tells, but one need not be confined to Luke’s account. It shares and coheres with other affirmations of the Easter gospel in the New Testament.
(1) Easter is perplexing, and to believe in the resurrection is not easy. The women who come to the tomb are perplexed from the beginning, and the apostles, when they hear the report of the women to them, consider it an “idle tale.” It is only later on that the apostles come to faith, and that is after Jesus appears to them as the story unfolds.
To believe in the resurrection of Jesus takes a lot of faith and courage. But it is more than saying yes to the claim made by the women and, eventually, the men in the Easter story. It is at the same time saying “no” to the power of death and destruction that surrounds us. In place of the bad news we hear and the bad experiences we have, we make the claim that there is a sustaining power, the Lord God, who brings life out of death and reconciliation out of conflict, as the Bible tells us. To commit ourselves to their claim opens the door to new life for ourselves and for acts of love and reconciliation in the world.
(2) Easter marks a moment in time when God raised the lifeless body of Jesus from death to life, thus vindicating all that Jesus taught and did in his earthly ministry. That was a ministry of inclusion, not only of women (so prominent in the story), but also of Gentiles and persons regarded by the majority as sinners.
(3) Easter also marks the beginning of a new creation. It begins with the resurrection of Jesus, and it continues in the passing of time where the gospel is proclaimed and people come to faith. As the apostle Paul put it in Corinthians, “whoever is in Christ is a new creation”.
