Their hands cradling the precious spices, they remembered the stone. They had seen where they had laid His body. They knew about the stone that sealed the tomb. But driven as they were by their grief and desire to do one last service to Him Whom they loved, they had not considered how they would remove the stone.
And then the confusion. The stone had already been rolled away. Who had been here before them? What had happened to His body? Why would someone steal His body?
The revelation. The wonderful, incredible, mind-boggling revelation. Their eyes opened to the truth. Their minds opened.
He is alive! He is risen! Just as He had said would happen.
It all makes sense now. The rush to tell others: to share the Good News and to turn their tears to joy.
Jesus lives! Oh happy Resurrection Sunday.
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’
And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
Luke 24:1-9, NKJV
He is not here, but is risen! Hallelujah!
Christ, the Lord, is risen today,
Alleluia!
Sonds of men and angels say,
Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Alleluia!
Sing ye heavens and earth reply
Alleluia!
Love's redeeming work is done,
Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won,
Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise,
Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise.,
Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King,
Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Alleluia!
Dying once He now doth save,
Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave?
Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ hath led,
Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head,
Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise,
Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies,
Alleluia!
Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven,
Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given,
Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now,
Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection, thou,
Alleluia!
lyrics by Charles Wesley, 1739
