Now the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain others with them” Luke 24:1 KJV
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. Luke 24:1 NASB
It is interesting and insightful to think of all those who were involved in the burial and resurrection scenes as given to us in Luke 23:50 through to Luke 24:12: a member of the Sanhedrin, women, the disciples, and Peter.
Joseph – Fearless
There is a four-fold presentation in the four Gospels. Here in Luke, he is a good man who comes to bury the Good Man. We see his Courage – he did not consent to the counsel or the deed of the Sanhedrin. He was not afraid to stand out. His crisis is seen in that he had a brief 3-hour window for his life’s work, the burial of the Lord Jesus.
It would take courage to claim the body of a criminal. In fear that the Jews might sabotage his burden to give the Lord a proper burial, he sent secretly to Pilate to beg the body. The fact that with the approaching Passover he felt no fear of defilement in handling the dead body of his Lord is an eloquent testimony in itself.
Joseph’s care was demonstrated as he took the body down and wound it in linen. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes at His birth; now wrapped in fine linen at His death. There was a Joseph at His birth and another at His death and burial.
The importance of the body of the Lord Jesus being placed in a tomb hewn in stone in which no man had ever been placed was invaluable for proving the resurrection.
The Women – Needless
The action of the women in coming to the tomb will for all eternity be a tribute to their love and devotion. Nothing should ever minimize the worth of their deed. But their efforts and expense were needless; their fears were needless; their tears were needless. He was risen!
The reminder of the Word of God and what He had said dawned on their minds. Ultimately the Word of God is what brings confidence and assurance.
The Disciples vv 9-11 – Heedless
The report from the women fell on deaf ears. Mary Magdalene was the first according to John’s Gospel and Mark 16. The other women who had gone to the tomb and met the Lord also returned with the same report – Joanna, Mary, and the other women. The Lord graciously provided multiple witnesses at different times for the disciples.
But they counted the reports as delusions of the sick. They failed on multiple occasions to believe the eyewitnesses who had seen Him.
Peter v 12 – Speechless
Luke’s abbreviated account tells of Peter running, reviewing the scene, reasoning in his mind, and leaving. He is left speechless and could only wonder in himself at what had happened. For Peter to be left speechless is quite significant!
Later, in a private and secluded site, the Lord revealed Himself to Peter to further the work of restoration which had begun in his soul. The tender dealings of the Lord would result in Peter’s mouth being opened on the day of Pentecost and three thousand coming to believe in a Resurrected Christ.
A fearless man and a speechless man; women involved in needless work and worry and disciples heedless of the testimony from those women – all alike were brought to rejoice in the reality of a risen Christ.
Consider
Do you think that Joseph did not hesitate to handle the body of the Lord Jesus without fear of defilement because he did not need the coming Passover since Christ His Passover had died for him?
Would you agree that Joseph’s fear as mentioned by John (19:38) was related to a concern that the Jews would not allow Christ a dignified burial if they what he was doing?