9th April 2023
The empty tomb
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
Matthew 28:5-6 (NIV)
What must it have been like for the women to discover the empty tomb? Matthew 27:55 tells us that these same women had watched the crucifixion from a distance. They had followed him throughout, looking to care for his needs. They had witnessed Jesus’ trial before Pilate, perhaps praying under their breath when there seemed to be a chance that Pilate would release Jesus. Instead, the crowds cried out for the murderer Barabbas to be released (Luke 23:18-19).
When the procession was leading Jesus to the cross, they were following and would have seen the bruises and blood on his body from the savage beatings he received at the hands of both the Jewish leadership (Matthew 26:67) and the Roman authorities (Matthew 27:30).
They saw first-hand Jesus being raised on the cross, the nails being brutally driven through his hands and feet. They watched as he took his agonised last breaths, as the Romans soldiers pierced his side to confirm he was dead (John 19:34).
And yet… when they came to the tomb on Sunday morning to care for his body, the tomb was empty! The stone had been rolled away and an angel was sitting on top of the stone. For the women who had witnessed his death there would be no uncertainty. They knew what Jesus had suffered and they had watched in grief as the life had left Jesus’ body. For them, the empty tomb could not possibly have meant that Jesus had avoided death. Instead, a risen Jesus could only mean for them that Jesus had overcome death. Jesus had triumphed over the grave!
It is no wonder that Matthew 28:8 tells us the women were ‘afraid yet filled with joy’. The empty grave had changed an ending into a new beginning. It had transformed grief and defeat into joy and hope.
The Good News that the women received on Easter morning was not just for them. It is for us too! The Jesus we worship, and praise is alive. He rose from the grave for us and will return for us in the fullness of time (John 14:1-3). Hallelujah and praise God!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, fill us with the joy that those women felt when they discovered the Good News of the empty tomb. Help us to centre our lives on your Son – our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Let us no longer walk according to the pattern of this evil age, but instead live our lives in light of the resurrection and of our eternal future with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Study by Gavin Henderson
About the writer:
Gavin Henderson is a minister in Grace Communion International and is the National Ministry Leader for UK & Ireland.
Local congregation:
GCI Northampton
Ecton Village Hall
78A High Street
Ecton
Northampton
NN6 0QB
Local congregational contact:
Maggie Mitchell
Email: maggie.mitchell@btinternet.com
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church