A SHOCKING DISCOVERY!

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ’You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid. (Mark 16: 1-8)

What a shocking discovery! It was nothing like these women expected when they arrived at the tomb. What did they expect to find when they got there? A cave in the rock, the entrance guarded by a huge stone which they were powerless to move? How would they get in? They thought about it and discussed it on their way through the quiet city. It was too early for anyone to be out and about to help them. It was a problem but it didn’t seem to bother them. They would make a plan when they got there.

Imagine their surprise and horror when they found a gaping hole at the entrance instead of a huge rocky barrier. What did they think? Were they afraid to go in for fear that grave robbers might still be inside? It seems that curiosity drew them into the tomb. Imagine their shock when they found, not a body but a person – a young man dressed in dazzling white, sitting on the edge of the slab! He spoke to them, and what he had to say shocked them even more.

‘He is not here.’ Well, that was pretty obvious! But where was He? Did they even hear the first words of the stranger? ‘He is risen!’ Preposterous! As far as they were concerned, no one gets up and walks out of a tomb. It was unheard of. There must be some other explanation.

The young man had a message for them to deliver to His disciples. What he had to say made no sense to them. Not only did he tell them the unbelievable news that Jesus was no longer dead; that He had got up and left the tomb; but he told them to tell His disciples that He would meet them in Galilee, as though He knew that they would be the first to arrive at the tomb, It was just too much for them to absorb.

Not waiting to hear any more, they turned and fled – back to the city to cower behind closed doors and try to process what they had just seen and heard. They were so frightened and overwhelmed by what they had just witnessed that they did not breathe a word to anyone in case it was all in their imagination.

If we put ourselves in their shoes, would we have reacted any differently? Perhaps we may be thinking, “What’s wrong with you women? Why didn’t you just believe him and do what he told you to do?” Of course, we are wise after the event. We know better because we have the whole story. But they were at the forefront of the sequence of amazing events following Jesus’ crucifixion.

There are still many who refuse to believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead. Other religions have created fanciful stories about dead gods coming to life again, but there are no historical facts or proofs to back up their stories. Well-educated scholars have fine-combed the evidence of the resurrection in the hopes that they can find errors to disprove its truth, but every single one has come up empty.

The fact is, whether people believe the evidence or not, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He is alive and at work in the world through His Spirit to transform the heart and lives of those who believe in Him. What other explanation can there be for the preservation of the world from the rot of sin which destroys wherever the influence of Jesus is not felt?

Religion, no matter how good or ethical it might be, can offer nothing but self-help which cannot work because the human heart is corrupt at best. Only the risen Jesus, who made forgiveness of sin possible through His sacrifice, can transform the hearts of those who believe and give them a brand new life. Because He lives, we will also live.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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