Resurrection

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Resurrection

John 20:1-2

1 [de] The first [mia] day of the week [sabbaton] cometh [erchomai] Mary [Maria] Magdalene [Magdalene] early [proi] , when it was [on] yet [eti] dark [skotia] , unto [eis] the sepulchre [mnemeion] , and [kai] seeth [blepo] the stone [lithos] taken away [airo] from [ek] the sepulchre [mnemeion] .
2 Then [oun] she runneth [trecho] , and [kai] cometh [erchomai] to [pros] Simon [Simon] Peter [Petros] , and [kai] to [pros] the other [allos] disciple [mathetes] , whom [hos] Jesus [Iesous] loved [phileo] , and [kai] saith [lego] unto them [autos] , They have taken away [airo] the Lord [kurios] out of [ek] the sepulchre [mnemeion] , and [kai] we know [eido] not [ou] where [pou] they have laid [tithemi] him [autos] . KJV-Interlinear

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 And so she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, 'They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.' NASB

Matt. 28:4
4 and the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. NASB

Mark 16:1-4
1 And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they were saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?' 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. NASB

Luke 24:1-3
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. NASB

Early Sunday morning, there was an earthquake. This one was not a worldwide quake as was the earthquake which immediately followed the crucifixion and physical death of Christ, but was a more local quake in the immediate area of the tomb and/or the city proper.

The effect of the earthquake was to get the attention of the Roman soldiers guarding the tomb. Which it did. Then a mighty Angel of the Lord (a formal title therefore this was probably a manifestation of Jesus Christ) came down in their presence and the soldiers froze with fear as the angel rolled the huge stone door aside and then just sat on it, and probably starred at them for a while.

The soldiers left and some of them went straight to the chief priests, Matt. 28:11. We haven't quite made it that far in our study, but will be in that passage in about a week.

Now the women came to the tomb. They were ill prepared. There are three women mentioned in our passages. Matthew mentions two. John mentions only one. And Luke in 24:10 mentions the two Mary's and Joanna, and 'other women' who are not named.

So this small group of women set out in the early pre-dawn hours while it was still dark. They arrived at the tomb and found the guards gone, no one around, and the tomb door, the huge stone door, rolled aside. They peek inside and there is no Jesus. No body of Jesus.

Now imagine the emotions. First they have been following Jesus in His ministry for over three years. Though rarely mentioned in the scriptures, these women remained loyal and faithful to Jesus and performed whatever domestic functions were need by Jesus and the disciples. We assume that they did the washing, the cooking, and such other chores. We note also, that they listened more closely to Jesus as He taught. More closely than did the apostles, who have not bothered to come to visit the tomb of the one they once called the Messiah and the Son of God. Did they really think that Gods Son was killed? Of course not, but they did not connect the dots of reality obviously.

Just three days earlier they (the women) witnessed one of the most violent trials and executions in history, and all over a very short time frame. A matter of hours. They were no doubt still in shock. Now they came to the tomb and it is not only open, but the body is missing.

We will see in about six more lessons, that Mary Magdalene will have an emotional breakdown. She will be in tears after all the others have left the tomb. And who do you suppose will come up to her?

We will have five more lessons before we actually get to the first appearance of Jesus Christ. And again I ask, why do you suppose that is. Many will come to the tomb. Many will look inside. Some will even see angels inside. But there is a gap between their understanding of what they know and see, and what truth and reality are.

These people represent folks who have actually walked and talked with God, and for over three years. That part is difficult to grasp. Can you imagine having an opportunity to walk and talk with God, face to face, everyday for three years? How would you conduct yourself?

Yet at the first sign of trouble, they do not understand what life is really all about. The women were expecting to find a body (in the very early stages of decay). They were expecting to endure some foul odors, but were bent on performing a final burial ritual of applying oils and perfumes. Spices and ointments that do absolutely nothing but ease the emotions of the one who is applying them to the dead. They cannot stop death. They cannot reverse death. They cannot prevent death. Their application is purely out of love and probably provide some closure for the living.

These people also represent folks like you and me. We study our Bibles daily (or not). We try to remain in fellowship (whenever we think of it). We try to be good people (sort of). We expect that God will automatically bless us with the blessings that 'we' expect. And that is where disappointment enters into our life.

God has a plan. We have our plans and expectations. Guess which one will take precedence over the other?

When we do not study, and learn, and understand, because we do not approach Gods Word in the appropriate format, then we will lack comprehension about the things of life and Gods plan. We will ask ourselves, 'Why this?' Or 'Why that?' That is exactly what the apostles, the disciples, and the women who followed Christ, are asking themselves. 'Why?'

The short answer is that God has a better plan for us, than we could ever possibly have for ourselves in a thousand life times. If we approach life thinking only of our social life, our education, our career, our next paycheck, our retirement, our pleasures, our hobbies, our health condition or lack of any of these and more, and .... Generate all of our life's expectations from these things, and ..... Exclude God from our life, then we will end up among the biggest losers in history.

Now, there is nothing wrong with any of these things per se. The error is in the exclusion of God from our lives. 'Things' no matter what they are, will never fulfill your life. Never.

If your priorities keep God and your daily Bible study first in your life, then your fulfillment will come from Bible doctrine, and those above mentioned 'things' and more, will become enhancements to your life.

The women, the apostles, the disciples and such thought only of their own personal loss. They did not think of the impact these events had on the entire human race. Where is the mighty angel who was sitting on top of the stone door? Probably still there. Nobody saw Him. When you look to yourself, you cannot see God. When you look to God, then you will see everything.

The women went to find a body and they saw nothing. The soldiers weren't expecting anything, and God presented Himself to them, but they froze in terror. Soon Mary will come around in her understanding and then she will see the Lord. The rest of the apostles and disciples will take a bit longer before they come around.