On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
We call it Easter Sunday. The day when the tomb where Jesus was buried was found empty. Just like today when things occur, conspiracy theories were plentiful in Jesus’ day, and even today regarding the empty tomb.
Did Jesus really die? Did the disciple’s steal the body? Did the Romans move the body? The conspiracy theories are often debated today even though they have been debunked many times over.
While today we celebrate Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning, that was not the case on that day. As we read further in John 20 (verses 8-9) we see that, “The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead.”
What did the one disciple believe? He believed that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb. Verse 9 tells us that they did not understand about the resurrection and that Jesus was truly alive, risen from the dead as He raised Lazarus not long before. Jesus wept when He spoke to Mary and Martha when Lazarus was dead, not because Lazarus was dead, but because the ones closest to Jesus still did not understand what He was teaching them and what they would experiencing on this day when they found the empty tomb.
It can be difficult fully understanding what God is doing as we live it each day, but as we study the Scripture and look back on our lives, we can see how God had a hand in many aspects of our lives.
The people who found the empty tomb did not fully understand what had happened at the time. Mary said (v. 13), “… they’ve taken away my Lord, … and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” She did not understand that Jesus had risen from the dead at that time. It was not until Jesus had shown Himself to her that she understood and believed.
Today we look back with full knowledge and understanding of what Jesus had taught beforehand and how He had truly conquered death and risen from the dead.
This was the plan from the beginning, ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned. Jesus would be the perfect sacrifice and “seal the deal” as He rose from the dead. Easter is a time that we focus on and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection in a special way, though we should celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection everyday; for that my friends is what the Gospel is all about.
Discussion Questions:
- How you celebrate Easter?
- How do you think you would have reacted seeing the empty tomb?
- What is the Gospel?
- Do you believe that Jesus died and rose again?
End in prayer thanking God for Jesus dying as the sacrifice for us and that He rose again as He said He would conquered death.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (memorized by children in the Awana Sparks program)
