HOW IS YOUR RESPONSE?

THERE IS NO GREATER EVENT IN HISTORY THAN THIS STORY. It’s the theme of the New Testament.

Because of the resurrection we have the beginning of the first day of the week for worship.

The resurrection is the Christian believer’s HOPE, and FOUNDATION FOR LIFE. John 11:25.

THE RESURRECTION FROM THE WOMEN’S VIEW

Matthew recorded the reaction, attitude, emotion and feelings of the women who came to the tomb of Jesus and how the women experienced the resurrection of Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior.

Mary  and Mary Magdalene  found Jesus’ empty tomb

·         The sun had not yet risen in the east, but Mary Magdalene was awake. She had not been able to rest or sleep since Jesus had been crucified She had seen him after he had been beaten and then forced to carry his own cross up the hill to Calvary. That was where they killed him. Now here she was slowly walking toward the tomb where Jesus had been buried. She thought she had run out of tears, but still she cried.

·         When she finally reached the tomb, she discovered the heavy stone that had sealed the entrance had been rolled away. Mary carefully stepped into the cold, dark hole that had been carved out of the rock.

1 In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (the mother of James and Joses) to see the sepulchre. (grave, tomb) Matt 28:1.

Sometime very early Sunday morning, the third day since  Jesus had been put in the tomb. At the breaking of light, at the first appearance of daybreak".   Thus our Lord rose on the third day; having lain in the grave part of Friday, the whole of Saturday, and part of the following First day.

The Sabbath day, the old covenant came to an end with the resurrection of Jesus on Sunday.. This was the beginning of the new covenant. We begin with the first day of the week not at the end.

WHAT NOW WILL BE THE REACTION OF THE WOMEN WHO COME TO THE GRAVE BELIEVEING THAT JESUS IS DEAD, AND FOUND THAT HE IS GONE.

1A       THE EMOTION OF SYMPATHY:  Mark 16:1  Luke  23:54 -56

           WHY DID THE WOMEN COME TO THE GRAVE?  TO BRING SPICES? WHY?

            A group of women came to the grave where Jesus was laid.  They came not to see the risen Lord but to bring spices and to anoint Him. They had purchased them immediately after the Crucifixion, on the Friday evening, during the short interval that remained to them before sunset, when the sabbath rest began; and that they had only deferred using them to anoint the body till the sabbath rest should be over.

          Jewish tradition wrongly held that the spirit of a dead person left the body four days after death because by that time the body had become so disfigured by decay that the spirit could no longer recognize it

          So before it came to that they came on the 3^rd day to show their love. They didn’t have faith in the resurrection, just devotion, love and sympathy, kindness.

WHAT DID THEY DO WHEN THEY CAME TO THE GRAVE? Mark 16:3

“And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?”

They may not have had faith, but they had devotion, and courage.