Too Good to be True
TRANSLATION
(1) On the first day of the week, early in the morning, the women took the spices which they had prepared and came to the tomb. (2) They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, (3) but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (4) While they were wondering about this, two men suddenly stood by them in dazzling garments. (5) In their fright, the women bowed their faces to the ground. The two said to them, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? (6) He is not here but has risen. Remember how he told you when he was still in Galilee (7) that the Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and the third day rise again?” (8) And they remembered his words.
(9) Returning from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to everyone else. (10) Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, (11) but they did not believe them because their words made no sense to them. (12) However, Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen strips of cloth lying by themselves. He then went away, wondering what had happened.
OBSERVATIONS
Luke’s account of that first Easter morning included several repetitions for emphasis: “tomb” (occurring four times in vss. 1, 2, 9, & 12), “men” used first to refer to the angelic beings (vss. 4 & 5) and then to those who crucified Jesus (vs. 7), “rise/risen” (vss. 6 & 7), “remember(ed)” (vss. 6 & 8), and “told” (vss. 9 & 10). Several proper names specifically identified those taking part in the discovery of the empty tomb. It was the women who came first, encountered the angels, and heard their astonishing message. Then they reported the news to the unbelieving disciples. This motivated Peter (along with John according to John’s Gospel) to hurry to the tomb to see what the women had described. Like the women, he came away from the tomb wondering what had happened.
OUTLINE
I. Several women, hoping to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial, found the tomb empty, heard the angelic message, and rushed to tell the other disciples who doubted their report. (1-11)
II. Peter then ran to the tomb and marveled at what he found. (12)
IDEA STATEMENT
It took some time for the followers of Jesus to become fully convinced of his resurrection.
APPLICATION
On that first Easter Sunday morning, everything was a surprise. The women went to the tomb ready to prepare Jesus’ body for permanent burial but, instead, were surprised to find the stone rolled away, the body gone, and two angels reporting that Jesus had risen from the dead. When they hurried to tell the rest of the disciples, no one would believe them. Peter then ran to the tomb to see for himself and was also amazed at what he found there. The words which the angels had spoken reminded the women that Jesus had foretold his resurrection while still with the disciples in Galilee. Luke noted that “they remembered his words” even though they had not understood nor believed them at the time.
This same reluctance to embrace the good news of Jesus’ resurrection afflicts many today, both believers and unbelievers. Our Savior’s rising from the dead to conquer humanity’s last and worst enemy seems too good to be true. However, if his bodily resurrection did not literally take place, then, as Paul wrote, our faith is futile, and we remain guilty before a holy God.
Over the following days, the reality of Jesus’ bodily resurrection gradually penetrated the hearts of his followers as they saw him, ate with him, and heard the truth from his own lips. What seemed too good to be true proved so true and transforming that those who had once been cowering and confused became courageous and committed to the great task of making known the message of eternal life in Christ to the whole world. That “surprising” news should have the same impact on us as we come to grips with the truth that Jesus has indeed conquered death by rising from the grave and that he lives forever.