The Resurrection
Easter morning: the tomb is empty
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.
The whole story, in shortWhat happens, start to finish. Open it if you want the ending first.
Early on Sunday morning, women came to Jesus's tomb and found the stone rolled away and the body gone. Two men in shining clothes told them Jesus was not there, because he had risen. The women told the apostles, and Peter ran to the tomb and saw it was empty.
Where it is in the Bible: Luke 24:1-12
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.
- The women from Galilee: Followers of Jesus, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James.
- Two men in shining clothes: Messengers who stand beside the women at the tomb. Later in the chapter, they are called angels (24:23).
- The apostles: Jesus's eleven closest followers.
- Peter: One of Jesus's closest followers.
Setting
- A tomb cut into rock, outside Jerusalem. Then the place where the apostles are staying.
When
- About 2,000 years ago, very early on a Sunday morning. Jesus had died on the Friday before.
Before the Story
Jesus died on a cross on Friday. Roman soldiers crucified him outside Jerusalem. He prayed for the people hurting him. Then he died (23:33-46).
Joseph buried him. Joseph was a member of the Jewish council. He laid Jesus's body in a new tomb cut into the rock (23:50-53).
The women saw where he was laid. The women from Galilee watched. They went home to prepare spices, and then they rested on the Sabbath (23:55-56).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Jesus had said he would rise on the third day (9:22). This Sunday is the third day.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The stone is rolled away | 24:1-3 | On Sunday, the women find the tomb empty |
| 2. He has risen | 24:4-8 | Two men in shining clothes give the news |
| 3. Nobody believes the women | 24:9-12 | The women tell the apostles. Peter runs to see |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 3The Stone Is Rolled Away
It was Sunday, very early in the morning. Dawn was coming. A small group of women walked toward the tomb, carrying spices.
These were the women from Galilee. On Friday they had prepared the spices and perfumes. Then they rested on the Sabbath. Now the Sabbath was over, and they came back.
Spices were part of caring for a body after death. Bringing spices was a way to show love.
On Friday, the women had watched Joseph lay Jesus's body in this tomb (23:55). They knew the right place.
When the women arrived, they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
They went inside. The body of Jesus was not there.
Scene 2 of 3He Has Risen
The women were puzzled. 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.
The two men reminded the women what Jesus had told them in Galilee. Jesus had said he would be handed over to sinful men and crucified. On the third day he would rise again.
Then the women remembered his words.
Jesus had told his followers this more than once (9:22, 18:31-33).
Scene 3 of 3Nobody Believes the Women
The women went back from the tomb. 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 the women's words sounded like nonsense. They did not believe the women.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent down and looked in. He saw only the linen cloths.
Peter went away, wondering what had happened.
Jesus had said he would be killed, and on the third day he would rise. Everything happened the way Jesus said.
That same day, two of Jesus's followers set out walking to a village called Emmaus.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "On the first day of the week" (24:1) | Sunday. This is why most Christians worship on Sunday. The first Christians gathered on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). |
| "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" (24:5) | Jesus is not dead anymore. The women 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). |
| "Then they remembered His words" (24:8) | Jesus's promise had been true all along. Now the women remembered it. |
| "Their words seemed like nonsense to them" (24:11) | The apostles did not believe at first. Faith did not come from being clever or brave. It came as a gift, as Jesus showed himself to his friends. |
Back Then
Tombs were often carved into rock. A large stone closed the door. It took several people to move it. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
The Sabbath ended at sunset on Saturday. A Jewish day began at sunset (Easton's Bible Dictionary). So the women waited through the Sabbath and came at first light on Sunday.
Spices were part of Jewish burial. John's Gospel says Jesus's body was wrapped "in linen cloths with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom" (John 19:40).
Literal Reader Alert
Who were the two men in shining clothes? Luke calls them men here. Later in the same chapter, two followers say the women had seen "a vision of angels" (24:23). Angels are God's messengers.
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.
Did Peter believe? Luke says Peter went away wondering. Later that day, the followers were saying, "The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon!" (24:34). Simon is Peter's other name.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The women at the tomb | Puzzled | The body of Jesus was not there (24:3-4) |
| 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 part of Easter morning do you need most today? Tap one.
The empty tomb
Death does not get the last word. That means death does not win in the end. Because Jesus lives, you will live too.
Missing someone who died
The women loved Jesus. They came to the tomb to care for his body. It's okay to be sad. Easter does not mean you can't grieve. It means grief is not the end. If this brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
Nobody believed the women
Sometimes the truth sounds like nonsense at first. The women were right. You can keep telling the good news.
Still wondering
Peter went away wondering. That was not the end of his story. Jesus came to him (24:34). Jesus comes to people who are still wondering.
You Might Have Heard
"Easter is a nice picture of spring and new beginnings."
What's true: New life in spring can remind us of Easter. Many churches fill with flowers.
What the story is mainly about: Something happened. A real tomb was empty. A real man who died was alive again. Paul says, "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead" (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Where Jesus is: Alive. Jesus said, "Because I live, you also will live" (John 14:19).
Good News
The women came to care for a dead body. God had already done something far bigger. Jesus was alive.
The same Jesus who died "for you" (Luke 22:19) now lives. His death was not a defeat. His forgiveness still stands, because he lives to give it.
The apostles did not believe at first. Jesus did not give up on them. He came to them (24:34). He comes to us too, in his Word, in Baptism, and in Holy Communion.
Because Jesus lives, death does not get the last word, for him or for you.
From the Wider Church
On Easter, many Christians around the world greet each other with the same words. One says, "Christ is risen." The other answers, "He is risen indeed." This greeting repeats what Jesus's followers said that first Easter day (24:34).
Big Idea
God raised Jesus from the dead, 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 Small Catechism, Luther explains what Jesus has done for us. He ends with the reason Jesus did it all. Jesus did it so that we may belong to him and live under him in his kingdom. Luther adds, "even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity." In 1524 Luther published the Easter hymn known in English as "Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands." He built it on older Easter songs, including a German song whose name means "Christ is risen." One verse sings of a strange war between life and death, and life wins.
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year C, Luke 24:1-12 is the Gospel reading at the Easter Vigil. It is also one of two Gospel choices on Easter Day.
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?