Luke 24:1-12

I love that Luke told us (in Luke 23:55) that the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee saw the tomb and saw how his body was laid. As they watched Joseph of Arimathea take the body down from the cross – there would have been no confusion regarding whether or not Jesus had died.

Then – two days later as those same women stare into an empty tomb – angels ask an earth shaking question.

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

The angels knew the women were looking for Jesus and how did they describe him?

Living.

Risen.

And then – I like to imagine a little eyebrow raise or eye roll here…

“Remember how he told you…”

[This is another one of those instances in Scripture where things happened exactly as Jesus said they would.]

Then Peter – upon hearing the outrageous story – rose and ran to the tomb to see for himself.

Then – oh, friends, this is so good – Peter saw the linen cloths by themselves.

What linen cloths?

The linen shroud – the grave clothes – that Joseph had wrapped Jesus’ broken body in on the day he died.

Why were they still there in the empty grave?

Because the living have no need of linen grave clothes!

👉 A living savior does not wear a linen shroud.

It’s why the first thing Jesus said when Lazarus walked out of the grave was, “Unbind him and let him go.”

Jesus said, “Get those clothes of death off of that living man.”

I don’t know what may be holding you down but – for those alive in Christ – it’s time to leave the linen cloths behind. You have no need of grave clothes. Jesus looks at you and commands the enemy, “Unbind her and let her go.”

It’s time to walk out of the grave and live in the grace that the living, risen savior offers to all who believe.

You are loved.

👉 This Art of Life Bible from @tyndalebibles is really growing on me. The NLT translation adds a new dimension to my studying and the illustrations are beautiful.