Luke 24:6-7 Exegesis and Interpretation

Luke 24:6-7 records the words spoken by two men in dazzling apparel to the women who came to Jesus' tomb: "He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise" (ESV). These verses are central to the resurrection narrative in Luke's Gospel, emphasizing the fulfillment of Jesus' prior predictions.

The literary context of these verses is the discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women [Luke 24:10]. They had come to anoint Jesus' body but found the stone rolled away and his body absent [Luke 24:1-3]. The appearance of the two men, understood as angels, serves to explain the empty tomb and remind the women of Jesus' own words [Luke 24:4-5]. This event immediately precedes Peter's visit to the tomb and the subsequent appearance of Jesus to the disciples on the road to Emmaus [Luke 24:12-35].

Historically, these events are set in Jerusalem shortly after Jesus' crucifixion, which occurred during the Passover festival. The women were Jewish followers of Jesus, observing the customs of their faith by preparing spices for his burial [Luke 23:56]. The message delivered by the angels directly references Jesus' earlier teachings to his disciples while they were in Galilee [Luke 24:6]. Jesus had repeatedly predicted his suffering, death, and resurrection to his disciples ^{[1, 4]}. For instance, Matthew 16:21 records Jesus telling his disciples that he "must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised" ^[1]. Luke's Gospel itself contains similar predictions, such as in Luke 9:22 and 18:31-33.

The phrase "Son of Man" is a significant self-designation used by Jesus throughout the Gospels ^[2]. It connects Jesus to both human identity and divine authority, often in contexts of suffering and future glory. The angels' reminder highlights the necessity ("it behoveth" in the YLT ^[2]) of these events—that the Son of Man must be delivered, crucified, and rise again. This necessity underscores the divine plan behind these occurrences, rather than them being accidental or unexpected ^[3]. The suffering and death of the Messiah were part of God's predetermined will, as Jesus himself later explains to his disciples [Luke 24:46].

The women's remembrance of Jesus' words, prompted by the angels, is a key interpretive element. It suggests that while the disciples had heard these predictions, they had not fully grasped their meaning until after the resurrection [Luke 24:8]. This passage functions to confirm the truth of the resurrection by linking it directly to Jesus' own prophetic statements, thereby validating his identity and mission.