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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples.
Matthew 28:1-8
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’”
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Mark 16:1-8
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered His words.
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Luke 24:1-12
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
John 20:1-10
This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
It’s Resurrection Sunday!
The darkness, sadness, and gloom of the cross has given way to the brilliant light of glory and hope today, the day when our Savior was raised up from the dead by His (and our) Father God to rule and reign and grant salvation to sinners like us forever. Alleluia!
Today, we immediately rejoice at the light of dawn on Resurrection Day because we know Jesus was raised from the dead to life but it was an unknown for those who lived in that time in AD 33. Each of the Gospels share an account with us from that early morning after the Sabbath and not surprisingly, there are differences but not on the main elements as we go back to dawn on the first day of the week after Jesus’ crucifixion. There are four of these elements and I’ll look at each.
1. Women were the first to find the empty tomb.
Collectively, we find there were more than a few women present that early Sunday morning. Matthew tells us that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there. Mark puts Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, the mother of James and John at the tomb. John only places Mary Magdalene there but when we look at the 10th verse of Luke 24, we find the number of women expanded. He posits Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others at the scene.
So with this, we don’t really know how many women were present but that doesn’t matter as much as the fact that it was women who not only were first to witness the empty tomb but also to see the resurrected Jesus face to face.
2. The women had a supernatural encounter and received a message that Jesus has risen and was alive
The second consistent element found across the Gospel accounts is that the women had a supernatural encounter which provided information as to what happened to Jesus, the Savior they had come to anoint. Without some answers regarding why the tomb was empty, the women would have been left confused and concerned.
In Luke, we find the two men who appeared in dazzling clothes telling the women that they shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus was no longer dead in the tomb. This is because Jesus had told them what would happen to Him, making sure they understood at the time that it was all necessary. During this discourse, Jesus made it clear that He would be raised again on the third day and indeed He was.
The news had to bring great joy to the women but note they weren’t supposed to keep it to themselves and this leads to the third element of consistency within the Gospels.
3. The women were told by the supernatural messenger to go and report to Jesus’ disciples.
In the different Gospel accounts, we see where the supernatural messengers tasked the women to go and make report of the empty tomb to the disciples, the Eleven who had sequestered themselves after Jesus was arrested and brought to trial. Of interest, Luke’s Gospel tells us the disciples, minus Peter, refused to believe what the women reported. This was more societal as anything because women were subordinate to men in every way and even if a woman testified in court, their words were never considered credible. Nonetheless, they were obedient to what they were told to do.
4. Jesus was alive, resurrected from the dead.
This is why the Gospels bear their name because it is consummation of the ultimate good news contained within each account. In order for salvation to be possible, Jesus had to first die, a perfect atoning sacrifice to atone for the sins of all mankind, and then be resurrected from death to life, gaining victory over the cross and the grave. Because Jesus died and rose again, anyone who places their belief and trust in Him as Savior will be resurrected as well. Death has no sting for any Christ believer and Jesus made it all possible.
This is why we celebrate today on Resurrection Sunday. For we remember the day when eternal hope was born, the day when Jesus was risen and risen indeed. Thanks be to God for the gift of His Son and promise of everlasting life found in and through Him.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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