The Empty Tomb
The cross, and Easter morning
This story tells how Jesus was put to death on a cross. It is told plainly, without graphic detail.
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God.
- Simon of Cyrene: A man coming into the city. Soldiers make him carry the cross.
- Two criminals: Men put to death on crosses next to Jesus.
- A centurion: A Roman army officer in charge of 100 soldiers.
- Joseph of Arimathea: A member of the Jewish council who did not agree with what they did to Jesus.
- The women from Galilee: Followers of Jesus, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James.
- Peter: One of Jesus's closest followers.
Setting
- Just outside Jerusalem, at a place called The Skull. Then a tomb cut into rock, not far away.
When
- About 2,000 years ago, from a Friday to early Sunday morning.
Before the Story
Jesus has been arrested. The night before, he ate a last supper with his friends. He gave them bread and said, "This is My body, given for you" (Luke 22:19). Later that night, he was arrested and taken away (Luke 22:54).
He has been sentenced to die. The temple leaders brought him to Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate gave the order to crucify him (Luke 23:1-25).
Jesus had said this would happen. He told his followers he would be killed and then rise on the third day (Luke 9:22).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Sunday is coming.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The road to the cross | 23:26-32 | Simon carries the cross. Women follow, crying |
| 2. The cross | 23:33-34 | Jesus is crucified. He forgives |
| 3. Mocked | 23:35-38 | Leaders and soldiers make fun of Jesus |
| 4. Two criminals | 23:39-43 | One criminal asks Jesus to remember him |
| 5. Darkness | 23:44-49 | The sky goes dark. Jesus dies |
| 6. The tomb | 23:50-56 | Joseph buries Jesus. The women watch |
| 7. The stone is rolled away | 24:1-3 | On Sunday, the tomb is empty |
| 8. He has risen | 24:4-8 | Two men in shining clothes give the news |
| 9. Nobody believes the women | 24:9-12 | The women tell the apostles. Peter runs to see |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 9The Road to the Cross
Roman soldiers led Jesus away. On the road, they grabbed a man named Simon, from the city of Cyrene. They made Simon carry the cross behind Jesus.
A large crowd followed. Some women in the crowd were crying loudly for Jesus.
Jesus turned to them. He told them not to cry for him. He said hard days were coming for them and their children.
Two criminals were led out with Jesus. They were going to be put to death too.
Scene 2 of 9The Cross
They came to a place called The Skull. There the soldiers crucified Jesus.
To crucify someone meant nailing them to a wooden cross and leaving them to die. It was one of the cruelest ways Rome put people to death.
They crucified the two criminals too, one on each side of Jesus.
Then Jesus prayed. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (23:34).
The soldiers split up his clothes. They cast lots to decide who got what.
Scene 3 of 9Mocked
People stood watching. Some of the leaders made fun of him. They said he saved others, so he should save himself.
The soldiers mocked him too. They offered him sour wine. "If you are the King of the Jews," they said, "save yourself."
A sign hung above his head. It said, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS" (23:38).
Here's what you know that the soldiers did not. The sign was meant as a joke. But it was true.
Scene 4 of 9Two Criminals
One of the criminals shouted insults at Jesus. "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
The other criminal told him to stop. He said they deserved their punishment. But Jesus had done nothing wrong.
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!" (23:42).
Jesus answered, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (23:43). Paradise means being with God.
The man brought Jesus nothing. He had only a few hours left, and a request. Jesus gave him a promise.
Scene 5 of 9Darkness
At about noon, darkness covered the whole land. It stayed dark until about three in the afternoon.
In the temple, a huge curtain tore down the middle.
Jesus called out in a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit" (23:46). Then he died.
The Roman officer in charge saw it all. He praised God. He said this man was truly innocent.
The crowd went home beating their chests. Back then, that showed deep sadness.
Jesus's friends stood far off, watching. The women who had followed him from Galilee were there.
Scene 6 of 9The Tomb
A man named Joseph came to help. He was a member of the Jewish council, "a good and righteous man" (23:50). He had not agreed with what the council did to Jesus.
Joseph asked Pilate for Jesus's body. He took it down from the cross. He wrapped it in linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb cut into the rock.
It was Friday afternoon. The Sabbath, the weekly day of rest, was about to begin.
The women from Galilee followed Joseph. They saw the tomb and how the body was laid inside.
They went home to prepare spices and perfumes for the body. Then they rested on the Sabbath, as God's law said.
Scene 7 of 9The Stone Is Rolled Away
Early on Sunday morning, the women came back to the tomb. They carried the spices they had made.
The stone had been rolled away from the tomb.
They went inside. The body of Jesus was not there.
Scene 8 of 9He Has Risen
The women did not understand. Suddenly two men in bright, shining clothes stood beside them.
The women were terrified. They bowed their faces to the ground.
The two men said, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!" (24:5-6). Risen means God raised him to a new life that never ends.
They reminded the women what Jesus had told them in Galilee. He would be killed, and on the third day he would rise again.
Then the women remembered his words.
Scene 9 of 9Nobody Believes the Women
The women hurried back. They told the eleven apostles and everyone else. The apostles were Jesus's closest followers.
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others.
The apostles thought their story sounded like nonsense. They did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent down and looked in. He saw only the linen cloths. He went home, wondering what had happened.
Jesus had said he would be killed, and on the third day he would rise. It happened just as he said.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Father, forgive them" (23:34) | Even while dying, Jesus asked God to forgive the people hurting him. |
| "Today you will be with Me in Paradise" (23:43) | A man with nothing to offer received a promise. The Beatitudes call this "poor in spirit." |
| "The veil of the temple was torn" (23:45) | The curtain kept people out of the most holy room in the temple. Christians see its tearing as a sign that the way to God is now open (Hebrews 10:19-20). |
| "Into Your hands I commit My Spirit" (23:46) | Jesus trusted his Father all the way to the end. He was quoting a psalm (Psalm 31:5). |
| "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" (24:5) | Jesus is not dead anymore. They were looking in the wrong place. |
| "He has risen" (24:6) | God raised Jesus to a new life that never ends (Romans 6:9). It is a real body. Later he tells his friends to touch him and see (Luke 24:39). |
Back Then
Crucifixion was Rome's punishment for rebels and slaves. It was slow and public, meant to scare people into obeying. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
The Sabbath began at sunset on Friday. Work stopped until sunset on Saturday. That is why the women had to wait until Sunday.
Tombs were carved into rock. A large stone was rolled in front of the door to close it. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Literal Reader Alert
Who killed Jesus? Luke tells it this way. The temple leaders handed Jesus over. Pilate, the Roman governor, gave the order. Roman soldiers carried it out (23:1-25, 23:33).
For hundreds of years, some Christians blamed all Jewish people for Jesus's death. Even Martin Luther wrote terrible things about Jewish people. That was wrong. It led to hatred and violence. The ELCA, the Lutheran church in America, said so clearly in 1994. Read why we still quote Luther, and where he was wrong.
Jesus was Jewish. So were his mother and his first followers. Christians believe Jesus died because of the sin of every person, and he went willingly, out of love, to forgive it.
Did Jesus really die? Yes. Luke says he breathed his last, and a Roman officer saw it happen (23:46-47).
Why didn't the apostles believe the women? The Bible doesn't say exactly why. But remember: nobody expected a dead man to come back. It's okay to notice things like this. The first people to announce Easter were women, and they were right.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The women on the road | Heartbroken | Jesus was being led away to die (23:27) |
| The crowd | Deeply sad | They saw how Jesus died (23:48) |
| The women at the tomb | Terrified | Two men in shining clothes suddenly appeared (24:5) |
| The apostles | Doubtful | The women's news sounded like nonsense (24:11) |
| Peter | Wondering | The tomb held only the linen cloths (24:12) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which moment in this story do you need most today? Tap one.
"Father, forgive them"
Jesus forgave the people hurting him, while they were still doing it. That forgiveness is for you too.
"Remember me"
The man next to Jesus had nothing left but a request. Jesus gave him a promise. You can ask the same thing.
The empty tomb
Death does not get the last word. Because Jesus lives, you will live too.
Nobody believed the women
Sometimes the truth sounds like nonsense at first. The women were right. Keep telling the good news.
You Might Have Heard
"Jesus died to show us how to be brave and good."
What's true: Jesus was brave, and he forgave the people hurting him.
What the story is mainly about: Jesus died for us, and God raised him from the dead. Paul says this is the most important news of all: "Christ died for our sins" and "He was raised on the third day" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Where Jesus is: At the center of everything. Every story on this site points here.
Good News
The criminal next to Jesus had nothing to bring. Jesus still promised him paradise, that same day.
The night before he died, Jesus gave his friends bread and said, "This is My body, given for you" (Luke 22:19). Christians still receive that gift in Holy Communion.
Because Jesus lives, death does not get the last word, for him or for you.
Big Idea
Jesus died for us and rose again, and death does not get the last word.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Heidelberg Disputation (1518), Luther taught that God shows himself most clearly at the cross, in weakness and suffering, where people least expect him. In the Small Catechism, he says Jesus has freed us "not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death."
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. Luke 24:1-12 is read at the Easter Vigil and is one of the Easter Day readings in Year C.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
He is not here; He has risen!
How did that feel?