The New Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Student Workbook, SW13

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T H E N E W T E S T A M E N T W I T N E S S T O C H R I S T A N D H I S K I N G D O M

murdered, falsely accused, betrayed by one of their own. Can any of us imagine what must have been going on in their hearts? Can you taste the bitter herbs they had chewed upon, hour after hour, filled with a mix of emotions–fear, regret, sadness, despair, blame, and on and on and on. “What on earth is happening? What is God up to? We thought he was the Messiah–we had such hopes, such longings. Now all of that is gone. Dashed, crushed, ruined.” As it is, the sisters within our churches possess a special empathy and love. The Marys come early on the day after the Sabbath to anoint the body of the Lord. With hearts so heavy they must of seemed like stones, these dear sisters came to the tomb where the Lord lay with an intent to prepare his body with the love and care only known by those who cherished him from the first day of their meeting. In conversation on the way, they comment to one another about the problem of the stone. It was such a large stone, and they do not have the power to move it. Maybe they shared different possible solutions with each other on how to get the stone moved away. They were concerned about its weight and size. “We won’t be able to anoint the Lord unless we get some help moving the stone . . .” How strange, it must have seemed, to come upon the tomb’s entrance, and to see that the very large stone had already been rolled back. What must have gripped their hearts at that moment? Horror? Excitement? Fear? The Scriptures declare that they immediately entered the tomb, and to their amazement saw a young man sitting on the right side of it, and he was dressed in a white robe. They were alarmed, but the young man said to them words which still ring out through time, as clear as a bell. He said to them, “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.” After this, he told them to go and tell his disciples and Peter that Jesus would meet them in Galilee as he told them. The biblical record says that they went out, fleeing from the tomb, being completely seized by trembling and astonishment, and said nothing to anyone because they were afraid. The words of the young man were so concise, yet in his brief statement he summarized the most powerful and important truth in all Christian doctrine. Seeking the crucified Jesus of Nazareth in the tomb will always be a futile search. He is not in the tomb any longer; he is not there. The Lord of all is alive, he is risen. The place where they laid him proves it to be so. Let the power, wonder, and impact of that statement sink into your spirit, ignite your soul, and illumine your mind. The ancient promise of God for a Savior and Lord who will reign on David’s throne has

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