Jesus Has Risen!
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Reflection: Yesterday we left off with the story of Joseph of Arimathea, who rolled into place the stone for the cave like tomb he had purchased for Jesus as an act of devotion. In similar fashion today, the three women go anoint Jesus' body for similar reasons as Joseph. But as they went to perform their act of devotion to their Lord, they had one very practical question on their minds that day. Who would roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb? We know from all accounts that this was a very large stone and Joseph had likely needed help to roll the stone into the tomb. But instead they saw the stone had been rolled away.
And when they went into the tomb (the tombs were very large so much so that you could walk into them) they saw a young man dressed in a robe. In other passages this is said to be an angel, but not this one in Mark. Generally the commentators think it is an angel because often angels appear to be male, young and vibrant. Some think is a representation of youth and vitality and the eternal state in heaven where nothing decays. Being dressed in white is also consistent with heavenly beings. The white being described as white as snow, just like we have been washed by Jesus and are whiter than snow.
Whatever the case the significance lies in the fact that he is not there and the angels tell them that Jesus the Nazarene (a reference to his human origin), who was crucified is now risen. And importantly they say, "He has gone ahead of you and will meet you in Galilee." I love the saying, "He is ahead of you." Jesus is waiting for the disciples to come to him after the women have told them the Good News. Notice he doesn't go straight to them, but calls them to go to him where they will see him just as he told them.
But it would take one thing for them to go. They would need faith to go and check out whether it was true. The last time they had seen Jesus they had betrayed him in fear. Now Jesus invites them to come to him. What would you have been feeling if you were the disciples? Peter? In other versions we find out that Peter runs to the tomb to inspect the evidence. Yet in this version it ends by saying, "the women were trembling and bewildered and said nothing to anyone because they were afraid!"
This would explain why Mary says to Peter in John 20, "they have taken The Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have laid him." What makes these resurrection accounts so believable is that women are the first witnesses of the resurrection. In those days women would have not have have been seen as reliable either personally or in a court of law. So having the women as the first witnesses gives these accounts even more reliability.
And the end of the day we like the disciples are given the challenge, "go and find Jesus, he is ahead of you just like he said." Jesus was excited to reveal himself to these disciples who had forsaken him and given up hope that Jesus was who he said he was. So Jesus invites them to come and see him, and see that He is risen just as he said he would.
Jesus today gives us the invitation to come and investigate whether he is risen from the dead. Many people have written wonderful reasons why the bodily resurrection of Jesus is the greatest proof that Jesus was who he said he was. That he was and is the Son of God. The evidence is there, and maybe like Peter others have reported to you that Jesus has been raised from the dead. But just as Jesus meets each of them as he has gone ahead of them, he meets us as we go to the tomb see it is empty and conclude, "He is Risen, He is risen indeed!"
No matter how much you have denied Jesus in this life, he waits ahead of you calling you to check out the evidence. And just as the disciples went to him in spite of their earthly denial, we too can go to him in faith knowing that he waits for us and welcomes us into His kingdom. Amen.
Reflection: Yesterday we left off with the story of Joseph of Arimathea, who rolled into place the stone for the cave like tomb he had purchased for Jesus as an act of devotion. In similar fashion today, the three women go anoint Jesus' body for similar reasons as Joseph. But as they went to perform their act of devotion to their Lord, they had one very practical question on their minds that day. Who would roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb? We know from all accounts that this was a very large stone and Joseph had likely needed help to roll the stone into the tomb. But instead they saw the stone had been rolled away.
And when they went into the tomb (the tombs were very large so much so that you could walk into them) they saw a young man dressed in a robe. In other passages this is said to be an angel, but not this one in Mark. Generally the commentators think it is an angel because often angels appear to be male, young and vibrant. Some think is a representation of youth and vitality and the eternal state in heaven where nothing decays. Being dressed in white is also consistent with heavenly beings. The white being described as white as snow, just like we have been washed by Jesus and are whiter than snow.
Whatever the case the significance lies in the fact that he is not there and the angels tell them that Jesus the Nazarene (a reference to his human origin), who was crucified is now risen. And importantly they say, "He has gone ahead of you and will meet you in Galilee." I love the saying, "He is ahead of you." Jesus is waiting for the disciples to come to him after the women have told them the Good News. Notice he doesn't go straight to them, but calls them to go to him where they will see him just as he told them.
But it would take one thing for them to go. They would need faith to go and check out whether it was true. The last time they had seen Jesus they had betrayed him in fear. Now Jesus invites them to come to him. What would you have been feeling if you were the disciples? Peter? In other versions we find out that Peter runs to the tomb to inspect the evidence. Yet in this version it ends by saying, "the women were trembling and bewildered and said nothing to anyone because they were afraid!"
This would explain why Mary says to Peter in John 20, "they have taken The Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have laid him." What makes these resurrection accounts so believable is that women are the first witnesses of the resurrection. In those days women would have not have have been seen as reliable either personally or in a court of law. So having the women as the first witnesses gives these accounts even more reliability.
And the end of the day we like the disciples are given the challenge, "go and find Jesus, he is ahead of you just like he said." Jesus was excited to reveal himself to these disciples who had forsaken him and given up hope that Jesus was who he said he was. So Jesus invites them to come and see him, and see that He is risen just as he said he would.
Jesus today gives us the invitation to come and investigate whether he is risen from the dead. Many people have written wonderful reasons why the bodily resurrection of Jesus is the greatest proof that Jesus was who he said he was. That he was and is the Son of God. The evidence is there, and maybe like Peter others have reported to you that Jesus has been raised from the dead. But just as Jesus meets each of them as he has gone ahead of them, he meets us as we go to the tomb see it is empty and conclude, "He is Risen, He is risen indeed!"
No matter how much you have denied Jesus in this life, he waits ahead of you calling you to check out the evidence. And just as the disciples went to him in spite of their earthly denial, we too can go to him in faith knowing that he waits for us and welcomes us into His kingdom. Amen.
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