“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.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The resurrection…vividly recalled by different people! Luke told the story of the women. Did he talk to them? Did he ask them the questions that they loved to answer, to tell their story again and again? 

According to their culture, the witness of women was unreliable. Why did Jesus choose to reveal Himself first to women? John’s story is tender…delicate…intimate. Mary Magdalene, a woman sorely harassed, demonised…a prisoner of her sin…set free to love and serve her Redeemer…was the first to see Him! Perhaps it was His way of restoring authenticity and dignity to His crown of creation. 

Luke’s story…the women, loyal despite the danger of association with Jesus, were at the tomb at daybreak, eager to add their ministrations to the work of Joseph and Nicodemus. Forgetting the problem of the stone, they sped through the dark streets to the burial place to give their love- gift to Jesus. 

The stone…they hardly noticed that the stone was gone. They bent down through the narrow opening, groping their way into the cave. In the faint light of dawn…but…the tomb was empty. Where was the body? The stone slab held only a pile of grave clothes as though the body it had protected had mysteriously vanished. 

Two men, their garments glowing with supernatural light, suddenly appeared beside them. Their message was riveting. “He is not here! He is risen!” As they spoke, the truth slowly began to dawn on the frightened women. The words Jesus had spoken to them…the words they had ignored…dismissed as fantasy…forgotten through unbelief…were real! He had risen…just as He had told them!

They remembered…and they ran…back to the city, back to the upper room, back to the disciples cowering behind a locked door…to tell their fantastic story…to a bunch of skeptics!

“When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others…But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭9‬, ‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Only Peter…the impetuous, disgrace, heartbroken  Peter… ran to the tomb to see for himself…Could it be true? He saw…he looked…and he left, wondering, hoping…Was it possible that he would see Jesus again…fall at His feet and beg His forgiveness?

To be continued…