Is Your Testimony Believable?

Matthew 28:1 ESV

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

English Standard Version Luke 23:54–24:3

It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

The Resurrection

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Luke describes the witness of the women when sharing why they came to the tomb. They observed the slight preparation of Jesus's body when he was taken to Joseph's tomb and knew the anointing was not properly completed so they prepared spices and fragrances, but had to wait before they could go to the tomb because of the sabbath (preparation). No work is done on the sabbath and travel is limited. Luke describes when the women came to the tomb the stone was already rolled away and they observed that Jesus body was gone,

English Standard Version Luke 24:10–12

Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

The women told the apostles their testimony and as it would be in the first century, who was believed. Not the women. Since the apostles thought the women's information was a fabrication Peter ran tot he tomb and upon arriving, looked in and saw the linens that were used to wrap Jesus. So now they had to believe something because they did not see what they expected. Jesus was gone but now what? Later on the road to Emmaus the disciples see a man but do not recognize it was Jesus. The talk about the events of the past week and the death of Jesus.

The Gospel according to Saint John John 20:29

Authentic faith is based on testimony and the Gospel narrative itself, with its witness to Jesus’ signs, including his resurrection, makes such faith available to later readers.

Knowledge gained from the testimony of the gospel. The jury makes a determination from the testimony.

Mary and Mary (27:15-17) came early to the tomb, the angel opened the tomb and said Jesus was not there. The first witnesses were women , but there were also guards at the tomb. Those guards were afraid even though they had done nothing but experience the earthquake and learn Jesus was gone, but their life was in jepoardy. Will these guards support the testimony of the women and tell what happenened? No way! The guards are worried about their life and we are talking 1st century. It took till the 20th century for women to have the right to vote. What do think those women experienced in the first century. Would their testimony be believed? Of course not!

John 20:25 ESV

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”