Passion Week – He is Risen?

As the sun rose that Sunday morning in Jerusalem, the ladies who had followed Jesus had one thing on their mind.  Their Lord deserved a proper burial, and so they set out for the tomb, carrying additional spices to anoint Jesus’ body. 

They knew that moving the stone would not be easy, but when they arrived, they found the stone had been moved and a man, dressed in white, who said, “Don’t be alarmed, he said, “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen! He is not here” (Mark 16:6 NIV84).  Those are some of the most powerful words in all of Scripture, but what did they mean to those women and to those who had loved and followed Jesus?

The Scripture tells us that the women were “trembling and bewildered” (Mark 16:8).  They fled from the scene, and “said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid” (Mark 16:8 NIV84).  Not all the women were terrified, and Luke tells us that “they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others” (Luke 24:9 NIV84).

Still, they didn’t understand the significance of the empty tomb.  After Peter and John went to the tomb to see for themselves, Peter “went away, wondering to himself what had happened” (Luke 24:12b NIV84).  John’s account tells us that, “They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9 NIV84).  When Mary Magdalene gave her personal account of her encounter with the risen Savior, Mark tells us that the Disciples did not believe her (Mark 16:11). 

Meanwhile, an empty tomb created a whole new set of problems for the Religious Leaders, so they conspired with the Roman soldiers to say that the disciples had stolen the body (Matthew 28:11 – 15).  Some still believe that story today.

That Sunday morning must have been one of mixed emotions among the followers of Jesus.  We can only imagine the grief mixed with joy, the hope coupled with apprehension, and the wonder tempered by caution.  The Victory had been won, but for many, that Sunday morning was filled with questions.

Read: Matthew 28:1 – 15; Mark 16:1 – 11; Luke 24:1 – 12; and John 20:1 – 18

Food for Thought:

• If you had been one of the disciples that Sunday morning, how do you think you would have responded when you saw the empty tomb?
• Many people still question that empty tomb.  How can we help them to see the truth that Jesus is alive?

For a fictional perspective on the events of that Sunday, read Chapter 21 of The Shepherd’s Quest, by Elaine C. Duncan, available on Amazon.