Unsuspecting Witnesses

Introduction

God invites investigation and true faith requires it.

The Bible makes historical, evidentiary claims not merely claims of feeling or personal experience.

Paul was quite clear in 1 Corinthians 15:13-14 of the factual importance of the resurrection event.

The Bible does not explain the process of crucifixion.

It gives us unsuspecting eyewitnesses who beheld the empty tomb.

They are given proofs to conclude Jesus had been raised.

Other than the creation, this is the single most important historical event ever to have occurred.

The people who became the eyewitnesses did not expect they would be.

They were just going about their lives.

The Witnesses Identified

Every gospel account includes the presence of Mary Magdalene.

She is important along with her companions because they had watched Jesus die and seen where they had buried him.

Mk. 15:40-47.

Accompanying her were Mary the mother of James and Salome who, based upon Mt. 27:56 most likely was the wife of Zebedee and mother to James and John.

The Unsuspecting Witnesses

Although Jesus taught regularly about his resurrection, his disciples did not understand what he meant.

Here, we find evidence that Jesus’ disciples expected only to find the normal, a deceased body hastily buried and in need of proper care.

They purchased aromatic spices for anointing his body.

They came to the tomb early that morning intending to give him a proper burial.

Their conversation focused upon accessing the tomb not whether Jesus’ body might not be there (Mk. 16:3).

When they arrived, the stone had already been removed for them.

An Unexpected Encounter

How to understand what they found at the tomb comes from the young man, one of two angels present at the scene.

Mark offers a consistent description of him consonant with the other accounts.

He sits on the right side.

He wears a white rob.

He speaks to the women

The women react with alarm and amazement.

Stop being alarmed/amazed.

Have we quite being amazed?

Do we expect this from God?

Jesus said this would occur.

Why should we be shocked?

God’s love and power are amazing, but it is not surprising for him to fulfill his own word.

An Unexpected Invitation

When the angel speaks to the women, he does so inviting them to investigate.

He explains that:

The Jesus they knew to be crucified “was raised.”

He is not here.

He then calls their attention to investigate the place where they laid him.

These women knew the place.

Instead of being amazed, the women were to speak to his disciples and specifically to Peter.

They would find Jesus in precisely the place where he said he would lead them.

They would see Jesus there.

He would fulfill his word.