‘Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nigh to Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey off.'
The citing of the place where all this had occurred is a testimony to its genuineness. In Luke 24:50 it is at Bethany, which was on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. Luke regularly goes into great pains to ensure that he gives the full detail. Thus the mention of the Mount of Olives here clearly has a purpose. It would not be long before the minds of any knowledgeable readers were turned to Zechariah 14:4, ‘and His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives', and they would recognise even more the greatness of the One Whom they served. They would see that His feet had already stood on the Mount Olives from which would come great things.
‘A Sabbath day's journey off.' Roughly a kilometre or two thirds of a mile. It was the distance that was allowed to be travelled on the Sabbath without it being considered a journey.
Note On The Sabbath Day's Journey.
The regulations had become rather complicated. Walking within the city walls did not count as part of the Sabbath Day's journey as it was seen as ‘home'. Thus it only commenced once the city walls had been reached. But during festival time the tents around the city were seen as forming a wall around the city thus extending the city limits during those times. During those times Bethany would be within a sabbath day's journey of Jerusalem Furthermore the device had grown up whereby if food was lodged a sabbath's day journey from the city walls, a person could claim that as his home and go a further two-thirds of a mile, making one and a half miles in all. Thus it was not as restrictive as it might itself at first sound.
End of Note.