Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-8; Luke
24:1-11.
Historical Setting:
Time: Sunday, April 9, A.D. 30,
early dawn.
Place: Near Calvary.
Persons:
The Roman guard, two angels, the women and the disciples.
NOTE: There are different accounts in
the Gospels about the sequence of happenings in and around the
resurrection of Jesus. This account is taken from the Gospels
of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John accounts it a bit
differently. Since he was one of the actual witnesses, the
closest to Jesus, I will tell his story separately, in study #
11.
It is the day after Jesus’
burial. The Jewish community is alive with happy celebration
on this Sabbath, the second day of Paschal. The priests are
adorned in their richest robes, the silver trumpets are
blowing, and the choirs sing loud anthems of joy, while
sacrifices are offered upon the altar.
Meanwhile, Jesus’ followers are weeping and fasting, for
their Lord is dead and buried. They know He was not an
imposture, as the chief priests think. They know He is the Son
of God, and expect to meet Him in Heaven. They know He will
come again in glory some day. Their minds are so grieved, and
their hearts so heavy that they have forgotten all about His
promise to rise again from the dead, on the third day. That
teaching of their Leader is completely lost to their
understanding. Seeking comfort from each other, they are
gathered in the same upper room that they had partaken of the
Last Supper with Christ, on that night, just a weekend past.
Among themselves they talk over the last horrid events that
have taken place, confessing their fear, and consequently
their unfaithfulness. Some weep for their failure, and for the
loss of one of their group to suicide. They grieve for their
Leader. But they are not prepared to talk of their future, now
that their beloved Teacher is gone. How can they carry on life
without Him?
And the Roman guards keep their lonely vigil over the tomb.
They are trying to keep their minds off their boredom by
watching the birds flutter happily overhead; trying to name
the many flowers they see in the garden; listening to the
rippling of the fountain nearby. The day drags on. They are
becoming tired. At last it is evening. They built a fire to
ward off the coolness of the night. They sit around the fire
telling jokes to stay awake, and discussing the utterly
foolishness of the assignment they are on. Who would ever want
to steal a body? As they stare into the fire, their eyes
became heavy. Sleep overcomes them, and they doze off.
Just as the dawn is breaking, but it is still dark,
suddenly the soldiers are awakened by an earthquake that
shakes the spot where they are. They jump up, trembling with
fright. What’s happening? What’s happening? They rub their
eyes, ashamed that they had been asleep, a crime punishable by
death while they are on assignment. To their amazement they
see that the large stone has been rolled back from the
entrance of the tomb. They rub their eyes again, thinking they
must still be dreaming. And then they see him. On the rock
sits an angel in a dazzling white garb. They put their hands
over their eyes and fall backwards from the light. Quickly
recovering themselves, they rush into the tomb. It’s empty!
They tumble over each other as they scurry to the Jewish
leaders to tell their astounding story.
The leaders, appalled and disturbed, call an emergency
meeting. This story must not spread! They summon the
soldiers into their quarters and offer them large sums of
money, telling them to say that they were overcome with sleep,
and while they slept, the disciples came along and stole the
body.
“But if the Governor finds out we were sleeping on the
job,” the soldiers protest, “we will be killed.”
“Don’t worry about that", the priests promise,
“we’ll handle the governor, but you must not spread around
that you have been bribed, or you’ll be sorry.” They shake
their fists at the frightened soldiers.
(The soldiers,
of course, kept their word, and for many years this report was
circulated among the Jews.)
Now back to the Believers: Mary Magdalene, and
Mary the mother of James the less, and Salome, the mother of
James and John, and other women, those last at Jesus’ tomb on
the day of the crucifixion, had not slept for the past two
nights. They had purchased spices and ointments to embalm
their Lord and Friend. And were restlessly waiting until the
Sabbath was over so that they could perform their loving care
on their Master, the last thing they will ever be able to do
for Him.
Now it is early morning on the first day of the week. The
women quietly slip out of their houses and head off for the
tomb, meeting up with each other on the way, as they had
prearranged to do. There is a chill in the air, and since it
is still not quite light, they are feeling their way along,
towards the tomb. They are nearly there when one of them
gasps, a thought suddenly bursting into her mind: “What
about the stone? Who will roll it away? It will be too heavy
for us.” The women know that a stone had been placed
there; but what they don’t know is that there are also Roman
guards watching the grave, and that the Seal of the Governor,
which no one dare break, under threat of death, has been
placed on the stone.
Now they are entering the garden. They are able to see a
little better now, as the dawn is slowly breaking. They gasp
again! The stone that they had been worried about is not in
front of the tomb. Someone had rolled it away. Quickly they
enter the vestibule of the tomb. And turning their heads at
the sound of a voice, they see an angel sitting on the
rock. “Fear not,” he said,
“for I know that you seek Jesus who was
crucified. He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come,
see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His
disciples and Peter that He is risen from the dead; and
behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see
Him; lo, I have told you.”
The women, trembling with fear and amazement, yet with
hearts that are filled with joy, start off on a run to find
the disciples to tell them the good news.
“Jesus is alive! Our Master lives!” they cry, out of
breath. “We saw an angel and he told us. He even showed us
the empty tomb. Jesus had risen!”
“Hmph! A likely story!” The disciples look scornfully
on the women. They know what gossips and storytellers women
are. “It was dark,” said one of them. “How could you
see? How do you know it was an angel? It could have been the
gardener playing a joke on you.”
“Jesus is alive!” I tell you. “Go see for
yourselves, if you don’t believe us.”
So Peter and John set out, slowly at first, but with hope
rising in their hearts, they hasten their steps. They start to
run. John, being younger, outruns Peter. Out of breath he
arrives at the tomb. Peter soon joins him, but goes on in,
ahead of John. Together they look at the place where Jesus
lay. The linen cloths lay still upon the cold stone, with the
napkin which covered His head, lying separately. They pick it
up and feel it, then start off on a run, away from the garden.
They must spread the word to the others. But as they go back,
again their hearts are filled with doubt. They slow their
pace. “It just can’t be! It just can’t be!” So, doubt
clouding their minds, they have to wait a little longer until
at last the truth breaks through. Jesus is alive! He is
risen!
“Up from the grave He
arose...
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes....
He
arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever
with His saints to reign.
He arose!...He
arose!...
Hallelujah! Christ arose!...
(a chorus)
© Helen Dowd
Continue
with Study 11