Jesus' Resurrection

I saw where Joseph had taken Jesus’ body to be laid in the tomb and that he had wrapped him in cloths so I got up really early after the Sabbath and went with Mary, James’ mother and Salome to anoint his body with oils and spices.  We were all so devastated still and walked quickly in silence until we began to approach the place where he was laid.  ‘How are we going to move the stone in front of the tomb’ said Mary quietly. We all stopped short for a moment but then pressed on figuring that we would work it out when we got there but as we arrived we could see that the stone had already been moved.  I ran towards the opening, my heart beating fast, my anxiety rising. Where is he, where have they taken him?  I ran to find Simon Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved ‘they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have put him!

 

Peter jumped up at once and we were all running, by the time I reached the tomb they were both standing over the strips of linen cloth seeing for themselves that it was true.  Then they left and went back to where they were staying.

 

I couldn’t.  I just couldn’t leave, my legs just didn’t want to leave the spot where I had last seen Jesus. As I stood i wept bitterly, tears for the loss of my friend, tears for the only one who ever really understood me, tears the one I loved, tears of anger against those who had taken him from me not only once but twice.  I could not even give him an honourable burial.  Then through my tears I saw two people where his body had been, I blinked hard thinking I must be imagining things but one spoke and asked me why I was crying.

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‘They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him’

I saw them looking behind me and turned to follow their gazes and there was someone standing behind me. He said ‘woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for?  I thought he must be the gardener so I said ‘sir if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’

Then he said my name: ‘Mary’

I was stopped in my tracks. My hairs on my skin stood up. I would know that voice anywhere. The only one who said my name in that gently admonishing, patient way.  Mary.

‘My Lord?’ I ran towards him. 

But he stopped me telling me not to hold onto him. He said that he hadn’t yet gone to his father but he would.  He asked me to go and tell his brothers that I had seen him.

I stood for a while just staring at him, not understanding, not wanting to leave but then went to Jesus’ disciples with the news. ‘ I have seen the Lord, he is risen.’ He is alive!

 

Questions:

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• How would you have felt if you had seen Jesus standing in front of you?

 

• What would be the first thing you would do?