When the women went to the tomb following the Sabbath, they expected to find the body of Jesus in a tomb, the entrance covered with a heavy stone. They had no way of knowing how they would get inside, but they went ready to anoint Jesus with the appropriate burial ointments. What they saw when they got there must have been a remarkable site.
An angel announced to them, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay.” While the guards were frightened by the site, the women were filled with panic and great joy at the same time as they returned to tell the disciples what they had seen.
Jesus would later reveal Himself to the disciples before meeting with them in Galilee to eventually give them their great commission to go into all of the world and make more disciples.
We can understand how the women felt when they went to visit the tomb. We have all likely suffered the loss of a loved one. The shock is overwhelming. It’s almost impossible to deal with the reality that we won’t see the person we love again. We seek closure and we return to the tomb to say our goodbyes, trying to find the way to accept the truth that they are gone.
The empty tomb, however, changed everything. My late great predecessor, Dr. John DeBrine, used to say, “Christians die differently.” When we lose someone we love, as long as they are a confessing believer, we can be assured that we will see them again. This is due to the power of Christ and the resurrection. We too will be raised with Him. There should be no fear in death, and our mourning should come with a new reality.
The empty tomb is what gave the disciples and martyrs from every generation of the Church the confidence to live boldly for the Kingdom of God. Missionaries have traveled to unknown lands in order to fulfill the Great Commission. The Church has withstood all forms of tyranny in the face of persecution. Because Christ is living, we can live for Him without fear, knowing that He has all authority and He has promised to be with us, even until the end of the age.
Today is a day for celebration. We celebrate the empty tomb, victory over death, and the power of the resurrection. With boldness, we are motivated to live as witnesses of God’s saving grace. May the Great Commission be our marching orders as we seek to live for God.