DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!

Photo courtesy of Jonny Gios on Unsplash

This post is taken from my book, The Perfect Savior, a forty-day Easter devotional. Order from Our Daily Bread, Amazon, or BarneyCargile.com

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The first rays of dawn were peeking over the hills surrounding the city. Like reluctant children on the first day of school, four women trudged toward the tomb of Jesus. They held aloes and myrrh to anoint his burial wrappings. Their sandals felt lead-filled—a reflection of the burden on their hearts. Jesus was dead. Their messianic hope in Jesus had been crushed by a Roman cross.

Lumbering along, they discussed how they could move the huge stone blocking the entrance. Besides that, soldiers were guarding the entrance. Why did it even matter? Jesus was dead.

The women turned the corner, and the tomb came into view. They froze in their tracks. The tomb was open! Questions raced through their minds as they stood stunned. What happened? Where was the stone? Who could have done this?

They crept toward the opening, peeked inside, and were shocked to see Jesus’s burial wrapping lying fully intact—but completely empty. The stiff, wrappings maintained the shape and form of a human body—much like as mummy—only slightly caved in. Clearly no corpse was inside. Even more amazing, the cloth which had covered Jesus’s face lay by itself outside the sticky wrappings Somehow the facial cloth had passed through the wrappings! They knew this was impossible, but there it was, right in front of their eyes.

Suddenly, two men stood beside them in the tomb, wearing white glowing garments. The women fell to the ground, shaking. “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” the men asked. “He is not here; he has risen!” (Luke 24:5-6).

This Sunday we celebrate this earth-shaking, history-making, life-transforming event. The women left and told the disciples, who told others, who then told others, until eventually the message was “declared to every creature under heaven” (Colossians 1:23). The greatest movement, with the greatest message, about the greatest Messiah the world has ever known continues to be proclaimed today. 

Ponder:

• When and how did you first encounter the message of the resurrection?

• How has it transformed your life?

Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Luke 24:1-8.

Lord Jesus, as you surprised those women on resurrection morning, thrill me once again with the joy of the empty tomb.