We finally arrive at Easter, at the empty tomb. No one expected the tomb to be empty. No one expected to see a risen Christ. The Saturday Sabbath between Good Friday and Easter morning must have been solemn and long. Insert yourself into their experience. Feel the weight of Jesus’ death on Friday, and you will feel the impact of His empty tomb on Easter.

Below are some verses that stood out to me this morning as I read the resurrection accounts as well as a brief reflection on them. I invite you to set some time aside today to intentionally reflect on Christ and His resurrection.

Matthew 28:5-6

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where he lay.”

Mark 16:6-7

“Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.”

Luke 24:5, 12

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen… But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.”

John 20:18

“I have seen the Lord”

Reflection

Experiencing the empty tomb was surreal. The women had to be calmed down; they needed simple instructions from the angels. The reality of the empty tomb is that there was no body. But the tomb was not empty because of a hoax. Jesus’ body was not moved by somebody else. He Himself moved it after God breathed resurrection life back into Him. They didn’t understand to the fullest extent until later, but they quickly came to realize the body was not missing because of thievery. Mary did not continue believing in Jesus because it was the least-depressing option. She continued believing in Him because she experienced the resurrected Christ. This event caused her to tell the others “I have seen the Lord.”