At the Grave

Jesus's body was buried on Friday and remained in the tomb on Saturday. But before the sun had risen from its bed on Sunday morning, the Lord had risen from the dead. The Light of the world emerged from the tomb, illuminating life and immortality, inaugurating a new week and a new era. Was it possible for the Lord of Life to remain in a setting grave? The Apostle Peter truly expressed this: "Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it" (Acts 24:2). A sweet fragrance wafted, and in the place of death, life sprang forth, and in the place of sorrow, melodies of joy rose.
Very early on the first day of the week, after purchasing spices, the women came to anoint the dead body. This was a final act of loyalty to the One who loved everyone, even those He loved not. It was fitting for them to echo that love to the wondrous One. They wondered how they would enter the huge stone and whether they would find someone to roll it away for them, but their fears were quickly dispelled when they found the stone had been rolled away. Here, at the moment of truth, they found not the body but only the shrouds, and so there was wonder and astonishment. It wasn't trembling and fear, as happened to the guards at the tomb when the angel rolled away the stone and they became as if dead. The women needed encouragement, and suddenly two angels comforted them, saying, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and on the third day rise again'" (Luke 24:75).

Those sweet, encouraging words were enough to prompt the virtuous women to rush to tell their brothers in the shared faith. The Lord used these sisters to proclaim the sweetest news and glorify his name, for women were the last to support him at the cross and the first to come to see him after the resurrection. When the apostles were told, Peter and John quickly came to the tomb, "But John ran ahead of Peter and arrived at the tomb first.
He stooped down and saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not enter in. Peter came after him and entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. Then John entered after him, and he saw and believed" (John 8:2-20).

It is amazing that the disciples did not understand and even forgot what the Lord said repeatedly about His resurrection: "The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again."

God touched hearts to believe in His resurrection from the dead. The prophets of old had pointed to Christ's resurrection from the dead, and Christ himself had even announced it. But now it has begun to be planted in hearts and will soon bear fruit. Yes, only the linen cloths remained, and the Lord of the universe rose.

By Brother/ Makram Mashreqi