“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”
Luke 24:5b–6a
Jesus had been in the grave for two days. Two secret followers, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a wealthy man, and Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee, had prepared the body for burial according to the Jewish customs of the day (John 19:38–42). They purchased 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes and took great care to wrap the body using these aromatic elements among strips of linen. (This burial process wasn’t the first time Jesus had been the recipient of spices. I cover this in the Christmas devotional, The Coming of Christos.)
The women closest to Jesus came to the tomb before sunrise on the Feast of Firstfruits with plans to further anoint the decaying body. Since He died within a few hours of the start of the Sabbath, it would have delayed some of the elements of the proper burial process, such as thoroughly anointing the body with spices.
Allow me now to retell the events of the resurrection through blending details from the four Gospels. It’s important to remember that the authors had different audiences and so their points of emphasis varied, thus different details are magnified.
The ladies went to the tomb, hoping that someone would roll away the stone entrance for them so they could further prepare the body. Little did they know that angels were dispatched to roll away the stone and give the ladies an unforgettable message, the one you see above. Jesus was alive! And they would see Him again once they got back to Galilee. They were “afraid yet filled with joy” (Matthew 28:8). This combination of emotions reminds me in a small way of how my kids feel when they’re riding a roller coaster. It’s exhilarating, but scary!
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and others were then dispatched to inform the disciples—especially Peter—that what was prophesied had come true. They apparently didn’t get far at all before Jesus appeared to them. They finally saw the risen Savior, and so they worshiped Him. Not only had they seen the empty tomb, they had seen Jesus. And yet, their story was still not believed. The testimony of women was not highly esteemed in that day. We’ll look more at Mary Magdalene’s encounter tomorrow, for she deserves special recognition.
The women’s story probably sounded crazy. Even though resurrection had been prophesied, even though Jesus Himself notified His followers what would happen, they just couldn’t seem to grasp what had come to pass. Peter and John even went to see for themselves, but couldn’t figure out why the burial clothes were sitting unused.
So here we are today on what we call Easter Sunday, a day of great joy. Just as the firstfruits of the harvest were raised up to God, now Jesus was “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20–23). By faith we believe that our Savior rose from the grave and defeated death and sin’s grip on our eternal destiny.
Many people we know have not embraced this truth. Whether from a hardened heart, a confused mind, or a myriad of other reasons, they have not accepted this special gift of grace called salvation. Pray for their souls today. May God open their eyes and hearts to the lifesaving message of the Gospel. And may He use you too as an instrument to wake them up!