Mark 16:1-6. Luke 24:3-10. Matt. 28:9, 10
ONE morning very early, when Jesus had been dead only two days, the women came into the garden. It was not yet quite light, for the sun was just rising.
As the women walked along with their ointment, they said to each other, ‘How shall we get into the grave? The men put a large stone in front of it, and the stone is so big that we cannot roll it away.’ The women did not know what to do.
At last, when they came to the grave, they found that the stone was rolled away already. The women were quite surprised. Then they were afraid that some wicked people had rolled it away and stolen the body of Jesus. This made them very sad. They looked into the grave, and saw that Jesus was not there.
But soon they saw two beautiful angels standing by them. Their faces were bright like the sun, their clothes whiter than snow.
The women trembled when they saw the angels; but the angels spoke sweetly and kindly to them, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; we know that you are looking for Jesus. He is not here now; He is alive. Do you not remember how He said that He would come to life again after He had been crucified?’
‘Come,’ said the angels, ‘and look at the place where Jesus lay. Run quickly, and tell His disciples that Jesus is alive, and that they shall see Him very soon.’
The women were very glad indeed. They ran as quickly as they could to tell the disciples. But as they were running, who do you think they saw?
It was Jesus Himself! He did not look as He once had looked. There were no tears on His cheeks; they were all wiped away.
He was not weak and faint as when He carried His cross. He could never die again.
How pleased the women were to see Him! They knelt down on the ground and held His feet, so that He might not go away. They called Him their Lord and their God. Still they felt a little afraid, but Jesus told them not to be afraid.
Jesus said, ‘Go, tell My brothers that I shall soon see them again.’
Whom did Jesus call His brothers?
His disciples. He had forgiven them for having run away when the wicked men took Him.
The women ran, as Jesus had told them, to the disciples. They said, ‘We have seen angels! We have seen the Lord Jesus! He is walking about, and you will see Him soon.’ But the disciples would not believe the women.
Behold, how swift those women fly!
Both fear and joy are in their eye.
Ah, sure they’ve seen some glorious thing,
Or haste some glorious news to bring.
An angel’s voice they have just heard;
To them the Lord has just appeared;
With fear their hearts are beating fast;
With joy the news to tell they haste.
They once wept with their dying Lord;
Now to their eyes He is restored.
He for their sakes has shed His blood,
And now is proved the Son of God.
I wonder not their joy is great,
For what could greater joy create?
Have they not found that matchless Friend,
On whom their hopes for heaven depend?
Questions
When did the women come to the grave?
Why did they come?
Who rolled away the large stone?
How did the angels look?
Were the women pleased when they saw them?
What did the angels tell the women?
Who did the women run to tell what they had seen?
Who did the women see as they went along?
What did the women do when they saw Jesus?
Did Jesus forgive His disciples for having left Him alone?
Did the disciples believe that the women had seen Jesus?
Christ’s words after He rose from the dead
A verse from the Bible for you to learn:
“I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” Rev. 1:18.