Reposting from several years ago ...
Streaks of pink and mauve in the sky slowly fading ... the sound of birdsong and a donkey braying in the distance ... the air fresh and clean. They'd been waiting for the dawn for ages, their grief preventing restful sleep. Now, as the women made their way to the tomb, there was no need for words. Their grief bound them together. They'd already talked over the events - again and again over previous days - and still no comfort. All they could do was this last act of love for their beloved Teacher and Friend - anoint His body which had been hastily buried before the Sabbath.
They had seen where they had laid His body. They knew about the stone. They hadn't thought through how they would remove the stone, driven as they were by their grief and desire to do one last service to Him Whom they loved.
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 eath, 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!
(All images from Free Bible Images contributed by LUMO Project.)
