1 The day after the Sabbath day was the first day of the week. At dawn on the first day, Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone. 3 He was shining as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because of the angel, and they became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. 6 He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would. Come and see the place where his body was. 7 And go quickly and tell his followers, ‘Jesus has risen from the dead. He is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there.’” Then the angel said, “Now I have told you.”
8 The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus’ followers what had happened. 9 Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings.” The women came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my followers to go on to Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Read Matthew 28:1-10 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
During Jesus’ resurrection, one thing that stands out as interesting in my mind is that women decided to visit the tomb early on Sunday morning. We have no idea what prompted them to do this, but perhaps it was the Holy Spirit telling them to go. It might also have been that they didn’t think the men had prepared Jesus’ corpse properly as they were in a rush to get Him buried before the Sabbath began.
Whatever prompted the women to make the trip to the tomb, they did not go expecting to find the tomb empty. They may have even been wondering along the way how to convince the guards to let them in, or how to even get the stone rolled away. (Mark 16:3)
Luke and Mark include in their gospels that the women brought the spices and perfumes they had prepared to put on Jesus’ body. These women did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead. They simply wanted to give His body the respect and attention it deserved in death.
But they are surprised by an earthquake on the way, and I wonder if this made them question what was happening at the tomb ahead. Matthew tells us that on hearing the angel’s news about Jesus, “The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus’ followers what had happened.” (v. 8)
However, the reaction the followers give is mixed. Both Mark and Luke tell us that on hearing the report from the women, the disciples didn’t believe them. Luke even describes the disciples’ response, “They did not believe the women, because it sounded like nonsense.” (Luke 24:11)
But Peter and another disciple (traditionally believed to be John) believed enough to go investigate the situation personally. While they didn’t know what was happening, they wanted to find answers. John describes what happened when these followers arrive at the empty tomb. “So Peter and the other follower [John] started for the tomb. They were both running, but the other follower ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and looked in and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. Then following him, Simon Peter arrived and went into the tomb and saw the strips of linen lying there. He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus’ head, which was folded up and laid in a different place from the strips of linen. Then the other follower, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. He saw and believed. (They did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from the dead.)” (John 20:3-9)
Seeing the empty tomb prompts John, “the other follower”, to believe.
These followers are a lot like us. They want to see it with their own eyes in order to believe it. We can believe their testimony is valid because they are honest about their unbelief, and what actually changes their minds. John didn’t believe until he personally saw the empty tomb and the strips of linen folded up neatly. This picture would be cemented in his mind for the rest of his life as the foundation for his faith in Jesus!
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
Subscribe to this blog and never miss an insight.