Luke 24:2

24:1-12 See the affection and respect the women showed to Christ, after he was dead and buried. Observe their surprise when they found the stone rolled away, and the grave empty. Christians often perplex themselves about that with which they should comfort and encourage themselves. They look rather to find their Master in his grave-clothes, than angels in their shining garments. The angels assure them that he is risen from the dead; is risen by his own power. These angels from heaven bring not any new gospel, but remind the women of Christ's words, and teach them how to apply them. We may wonder that these disciples, who believed Jesus to be the Son of God and the true Messiah, who had been so often told that he must die, and rise again, and then enter into his glory, who had seen him more than once raise the dead, yet should be so backward to believe his raising himself. But all our mistakes in religion spring from ignorance or forgetfulness of the words Christ has spoken. Peter now ran to the sepulchre, who so lately ran from his Master. He was amazed. There are many things puzzling and perplexing to us, which would be plain and profitable, if we rightly understood the words of Christ.

Luke 24:2-8 . They found the stone rolled away — Their inquiry among themselves, while they were going along, had been, Who shall roll us away the stone? That difficulty, however, they found removed, but alas! when they entered in, they found not the body of the Lord Jesus. About this, as we may well suppose, they were much perplexed. God, however, was graciously pleased soon to remove their perplexity. For, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments — Or, suddenly appeared to them, as the word επεστησαν may be properly rendered. It does not imply that the angels, at their first appearing, were close by the women, as may be proved from the Greek translation of Genesis 18:2 , where, though it be said, that Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, lo, three men ( ειστηκεισαν επανω αυτω ) stood by him, it is added, that when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, which shows that they were at some distance from him. It is probable that both these angels were in a sitting posture when they first showed themselves to the women, because Mark affirms it expressly of the one whom he mentions, ( Luke 24:5 ,) and because they showed themselves in this posture afterward to Mary Magdalene, John 20:12 . Or, the evangelists may be reconciled by supposing that the angel of whom Mark speaks, arose when the women went down into the sepulchre. See on Mark 16:3-6 .

And as they were afraid — Mark says, εξεθαμβηθησαν , affrighted, or terrified, at this extraordinary and surprising sight; and bowed down their faces to the earth — Fixed their eyes upon it, in token of the profoundest respect; they — Namely, the angels; said unto them — This evangelist, having no intention to tell which of the angels spake, attributes to them both words, which, in the nature of the thing, could be spoken only by one of them, probably the one mentioned by Matthew and Mark, it being the custom, as has been just observed, of the sacred historians to mention one person or thing only, even in cases where more were concerned. Why seek ye the living among the dead? — Why are you come hither with materials for embalming one who is possessed of an immortal life? He is not here, but is risen — He has quitted the grave to return no more to it. Remember how he spake when he was yet in Galilee — Thus they refer the women to his own words, which if they and his other disciples had duly believed and observed, they would more easily have credited the fact when it took place. That the tidings, therefore, might not be such a surprise to them as they seemed to be, the angels repeat to them what Christ had often said in their hearing. And they remembered his words — When they were thus reminded of them. And now, doubtless, they were ashamed of the preparations they had made to embalm him on the third day, who had so often said, he would on the third day rise again.

(2) And they found the stone rolled away . —The narrative is less vivid and detailed than St. Mark’s; possibly, we may believe, because St. Luke’s report may have come, not from one of the Maries, but from Joanna (named in Luke 24:10 ). or Susanna, who were less prominent, and might only have heard of what had passed from others.

Verse 2. - And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. The tomb in which the body of the "King's Son" was laid was in a garden close by the scene of the Crucifixion. It had been recently hewn out of a rock, the low ridge opposite the slight ascent of Calvary. "In front of a tomb belonging to a rich family there was generally a vestibule open to the air, then a low entrance sometimes, as in this case, on the side of a rock, leading into a square chamber of moderate dimensions, on one side of which was a place for the body, either cut some seven feet into the rock, or lengthways, three feet deep, with a low arch over it... The tomb had been lately made, and the door which closed the entrance, the only aperture into the tomb, was a large stone" ('Speaker's Commentary,' on Matthew 27:60 ). Recent investigations in Jerusalem serve to confirm the accuracy of the original traditional sites. (comp. Williams, 'Holy City,' 2:240; Professor Willis, 'Treatise on the Holy Sepulchre,' etc.). We find the following passage in the Bordeaux Pilgrim (A.D. 333): "On the left side (of the original Church of the Holy Sepulchre) is the hillock Golgotha, where the Lord was crucified. Thence about a stone-throw distance is the crypt where his body was deposited." St. Cyril of Jerusalem makes several references to the spot. In the days of Eusebius (first half of the fourth century) there was no doubt as to the site. Luke 24:2

2-12. Vision of Angels to the Women. Peter visits the Tomb. 2. they found the stone rolled away ] On their way they had considered how they should get over this difficulty, since the stone was “very great” ( Mark 16:3 ). From St Mark’s expression, “looking up,” we infer that the tomb was slightly elevated; and from St John’s “lifted” ( ἠρμένον ) that the first aperture of the tomb was horizontal. St Matthew also tells us of the Angel and the Earthquake ( Matthew 28:2-4 ).

The stone which Joseph had rolled to the mouth of the sepulchre, when he had laid in the body, Matthew 27:60 , and the Jews had sealed, Matthew 27:66 , and which, as they came walking, they were so troubled about, how they should get it removed, Mark 16:3 . How it came to be rolled away Matthew telleth us, Matthew 28:2 .