Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. (John 20:1 NASB)
All was quiet, no sound, not even a whisper. The birds were still asleep as Mary and the other women made their way to the gravesite. A faint sniffling could be heard and the soft shuffling of feet as the sky turned a faint gray. Dawn had arrived! As the women peered at the tomb, they were shocked. The stone was rolled away -- the tomb was empty. Mary ran as fast as she could to tell the disciples the news. Was it good or bad news? Had someone come during the night and stolen the body of Jesus?
The disciples came and saw the empty tomb with the linen wrappings lying there along with a face-cloth folded neatly in a place by itself. The Bible says, "for as yet they did not understand the Scripture that he must rise again from the dead." (John 20:9) So they went to their homes.
Mary couldn't tear herself away from the tomb and stood outside weeping when she turned and saw two angels who said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do know where they have laid him." When she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
Immediately she recognized that it was Jesus and HE WAS ALIVE!
Yes indeed, HE IS RISEN, Hallelujah!
No comments:
Post a Comment