God-in-a-Box — your Inbox
It’s late Sunday afternoon. Two followers of Jesus are walking the eight miles home to Emmaus after being in Jerusalem for Passover. They’re talking about Jesus death, and their sadness and confusion over the news of the empty tomb.
They are joined by a stranger, but don’t realize that it’s Jesus. They’re intent on their discussion and somehow are kept from recognizing him.
He wants to be unrecognized so he can teach them about his mission through the prophecies. If they know him, they will be overjoyed and feel no need of anything more. He longs to comfort them, and replace their tears with joy, but first he wants them to understand the scriptures pointing to him. So he asks, “What are you discussing that makes you so sad?”
One of them, Cleopas, says, “Are you the only person who doesn’t know what’s happened in Jerusalem?” They tell him about Jesus, a prophet who healed and taught the people wonderfully, and how they had hoped and believed he was the Messiah.
“But our priests and rulers condemned him and had him crucified. This is the third day and some have seen his empty tomb.” They see his death as the end of hope, when it’s the opposite. The priests didn’t forget his words; why did they?
“Why are you so slow to believe? And foolish when it comes to understanding scripture?” Jesus asks. Now he has their attention! And beginning with Moses he explains all the prophecies concerning himself to show that Messiah’s suffering and death precedes his glory.
Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-27
Later that Sunday, Jesus appears to all the women and says, “Rejoice, My ladies, look, all of you! I am alive! Go tell the disciples, and Peter, to go to Galilee and I will meet them there.”
Jesus first appears to women! They were considered less than men, usually thought property, and Jesus honors and comforts them by allowing them to be the first to see Him alive.
Take this honor even further–Mary, the former prostitute, who has had demons cast out seven times, was the first to be honored. The sweetness and kindness of God shine through his treatment of women.
And then there is Peter. He has suffered the most of the eleven since Jesus’ death. That pain-filled, forgiving, loving look of Jesus on that awful night is always in his mind. He is tortured by his failure. He has seen the empty tomb. He aches to believe and know he is forgiven.
How comforting sound the women’s words to him! “We’ve seen Him and He said, ‘Tell my disciples, and Peter, to meet me in Galilee’.”
Peter catches the assurance for him, “He really said ‘and Peter’? Really?” His heart sings! He’s alive and I’m forgiven! He chooses to believe them, and gets his own encounter.*
But most of the disciples don’t believe them. They think they are suffering from delusion, never mind how unlikely that they all have had the same one.
They could be rejoicing with all of heaven that Jesus is alive! But they won’t give up their doubt. Don’t hang on to doubt!
Matthew 28:9-10, Mark 16:7-8, Luke 24:9-11, *24:34
Hearing Mary say, “His tomb is open!” Peter and John jump up and run to the tomb. She follows, and John, arriving first, stops at the doorway, but Peter runs inside. They see the folded grave clothes and Peter wonders, but John, in awe, thinks, he said he would rise again.
They walk back to Jerusalem passing Mary, shaking their heads.
She runs to the tomb, this time going in, her heart breaking. Mary sees the angels, and one says, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
“Someone’s taken my Lord, and I don’t know where he is.” She turns away, distraught, not even wondering or noticing who they are, focused on finding someone who can tell her.
As she goes outside, she sees someone else through her tears who says, “Why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?”
Supposing he is the gardener, she says, “Sir if you have taken him away, (if this rich man needs his grave) tell me where you have put him and I will take him away.” (Thinking of Lazarus’ empty tomb?)
“Mary,” Jesus says.
She recognizes that tone, that voice. She raises her head, It’s Him! Wiping her eyes, excitement flooding, she falls at his feet, exclaiming, “Master!”
“I waited for you.” Jesus says, “But I must go now, I haven’t seen My Father or heard His approval. Go tell my brothers I’ll see them soon; I’m ascending to My Father and yours.”
She runs to the others, feeling like she’s flying. “He’s alive! He’s alive! I have seen Jesus! I talked with him and he sent you a message!”
John 20:3-17, Luke 24:12
Very early Sunday morning women are on their way to Jesus’ tomb from different directions. They feel the earthquake and suddenly think of the huge stone doorway, unaware of what’s happening right then, a mile or so away.
Mary Magdalene reaches the grave before the others, and horrified at seeing it open, immediately sets off to tell the disciples. She forgets she’s meeting others, forgets his words about rising again; and takes off running… She obviously didn’t look inside, because angels must be there waiting as they are a few minutes later.
Meanwhile, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and Salome arrive with embalming spices and find that the stone, they were worried about moving, has been moved! The tomb empty! They see light and notice they’re not alone.
A glowing angel, appearing as a person so he won’t frighten them, says, “Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus. He isn’t here, come and see.”
They go inside and see another angel, who says, “Remember what he said to you, that the Son of Man must be crucified and rise again the third day? Go quickly and tell his disciples and Peter.”
The women look at the folded grave clothes, too stunned to say thank you, they turn to go, saying to each other, “He is risen! He is risen!”
They are afraid to tell the disciples saying, “They won’t believe us women.” But Mary has already gotten to them and told them about the empty grave.
“Where is Jesus?” is on every mind.
Matthew 28:1, 5-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-9, John 20:1-2
“Sir,” the spokesman says, “we remember that this deceiver said ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Command that his tomb be made secure until the third day, so his disciples can’t steal his body and say he is risen from the dead. That would be worse than his claim.”