From Matt 28:1,5-8,11-15; Mark 16:2-8; and Luke 24:1-11 Then first thing that morning while it was still dark out, Mary Magdalene, Johanna, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought the spices to the tomb they had prepared for Jesus' burial. While they were on their way, they were discussing how they were going to get the huge stone moved from in front of the tomb. When they arrived, they were shocked to see that it had already been rolled out of the way. Mary Magdalene, assuming that someone had come and moved Jesus’ body took off on the run to tell the disciples what had happened. The other women however, walked over and went inside the tomb. They saw that sure enough, the body of Jesus was gone. As they stood there wondering what might have happened, two men dressed in long, dazzling white robes suddenly appeared before them on the right side of the tomb. The startled women bowed their faces to the earth. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the man who looked to be the younger of the two. “Don’t be alarmed, I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. But he isn’t here; he has risen from the dead. Look there at the place he was laying. Remember how all the way back when you were still in Galilee, he told you that the Son of God who has come in the flesh was going to be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, but on the third day be raised from the dead? Go quickly and tell the other disciples, including the Rock that he will meet all of you in Galilee. You will see him there just as he told you he would.” The frightened women ran out of tomb shaking so hard from fear and amazement that they couldn’t even talk. But they ran to find the disciples, excited to tell them what they had seen and heard. After they left, the guards who had been awakened by the commotion, got up and ran into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. The priests called together the high council to tell them what had they had been told. They all talked it over and then gave the guards a large sum of money and told them, “Tell everyone that the disciples came at night while you were sleeping and stole his body.” Then they said, “If the governor finds out, we will stick up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” The guards agreed and that was what they did. Their story was spread widely among the Jewish people and is still told today. |
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