HE IS ALIVE!!!

“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.’ ”” (Luke 24:6–7)

They had all heard those words before – they had all heard Him say that He would rise again; but all who had followed Him, without exception, had been overwhelmed with grief over the death of their Teacher, Leader and Friend. No doubt this Saturday, the Saturday following His death – Passover on the Jewish calendar –  was a day of sorrow.

Sunday morning, some of the women who had followed Him – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of  James and other women (see Luke 24:10, Matthew 28:1) were returning to the tomb where two days earlier they had seen Joseph or Arimathea and Nicodemus lay the body of Jesus to rest – they were going to anoint the body of their dead friend not to celebrate their risen Lord (Mark 16:1).

But He wasn’t there.

They thought that someone had stolen it – stolen the body of the Lord (John 20:2):

“Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.””

The disciples did not believe the report of Mary and the women (Luke 24:11):

“And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.”

Two men, Peter and John went to investigate the claim of the women for themselves and wondered after having entered His tomb at the grave cloths in which Jesus had been laid to rest – the blood stained handkerchief which had been around His head and the linen cloths stained with the some of the blood which had flowed from His side on the cross neatly “folded together in a place by themselves” (John 20:5-10). They wondered most of all that Jesus was NOT in the tomb….

But after they had departed the tomb, Mary Magdalene, who had remained there, stood by it weeping. She peered into it and was greeted by two angels who asked her: “Why are you weeping?” (John 20:11) Then she turned and as she did another figure who seemed to her to be the gardener, greeted her saying:

 ““Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”” (John 20:15)

Then, that gardener spoke her name, “Mary!” and she knew it was Him! He spoke only a few words to her, He told her to tell the others including Peter, who had denied that He knew the Lord, to meet Him at the place in Galilee which he had mentioned to them before (see Mark 16:7).

In excitement she ran to declare the news to the disciples – she had seen the Lord – He is ALIVE!!!