Unlike Any Other Day

Today is a day unlike any other day. Today we remember a miracle in Jerusalem a couple thousand years ago. Today instead of mourning hearts of the teachers students… the disciples… today will be unlike any other day because the mourning and sadness of loss will be changed forever… Because today unlike any other day… the crucified Jesus our savior, the messiah who died a few days earlier… has risen! Jesus Christ has risen and He has conquered sin and death.

Today we join Mary and Martha are on their way to the tomb of their teacher, their rabbi, their friend… Mary, and Martha, are going to the tomb to prepare Jesus’s body with the embalming spices. But today is unlike any other day, and will be remembered forever… Let’s read together the recounting of this early morning in the book of Luke chapter 24:

[Luke 24:1-12 NLT] 1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day." 8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples--and everyone else--what had happened. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn't believe it. 12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

We celebrated Palm Sunday last week and that was the beginning of Holy Week with Jesus riding into Jerusalem with the crowds getting bigger and louder… They were all cheering and saying “Blessing to the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”

[Luke 19:38 NLT] 38 "Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!"

The disciples even up to this morning with Mary and Martha going to the tomb still don’t understand what just happened. Their teacher has just been crucified, and even though Jesus told them that he would be sacrificed they did not understand what he was talking about. They were getting ready for a new kingdom to take a stand against Rome. Jesus was taking the role of the King they longed for… Finally. They were discussing who would hold the higher political office in Jerusalem when Jesus took the throne. They were about to be witnesses to the most incredible moment in history to ever take place! If you think about it… if they believed that Jesus was going to conquer death… they would have been first to the tomb today.

Today we see Mary and Martha the first to go to the tomb… not expecting to see an empty tomb but to embalm their teacher’s body. They did not understand what Jesus was offering either. When Jesus was laid in the tomb on Friday there was no time to properly prepare the body of Jesus.

[John 19:38-42 NLT] 38 Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus' body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. 39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. 40 Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus' body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. 41 The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. 42 And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

They would have to prepare His body. They believed the body of Jesus was in the tomb. They expected to see Jesus’ body lying on the stone bench with the burial clothes over him. They had no idea that they were going to be the first to hear the good news that Jesus conquered death, and walked out of the tomb. The scriptures tell us that they were perplexed. They were confused why is the stone rolled away? Where is Jesus? Did someone steal the body of Jesus!? They were still in dis-belief, and did not understand what Jesus had taught them in His ministry.

[Luke 24:4 NLT] 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

It is interesting that the announcement of the birth of Jesus was delivered by an angel to a few humble shepherds outside Jerusalem, and the resurrection of Jesus was delivered by a couple angels to two humble women. There was no big clarion call to all the world! But today unlike any other day the power that raised Jesus from the grave started a blaze that nothing could stop.

So, they arrive at the tomb where Jesus was laid to rest. They find two angels there and the angels seem perplexed too. But they were perplexed asking why are you looking for the living among the dead. What are you doing here with embalming spices?? They were perplexed at the lack of faith, and understanding. See the angels knew Jesus’s ministry. What a cool picture that creates for us. Just as the angels gave the good news of Jesus’s birth, we have angels giving the news of Jesus conquering death! We know angels walk among us because the scriptures tell us that.

[Hebrews 13:2 NLT] 2 Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

The angels were as confused as the Mary’s were. Why are you looking for Jesus here!?

[Luke 24:5 NLT] 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?

Great question from the angels! Why do you seek the living among the dead?

Just a couple of items here. First is that the tomb stone at the entrance did not have to be rolled away for Jesus’ sake. The angels did not need to roll the stone away to release Jesus. The angels rolled away the stone for our benefit, so we would see that the tomb was empty. The stone was only an obstacle to the people coming to actually see with their eyes the truth that Jesus had risen! The stone was not an obstacle for our God and Savior Jesus! He escaped the tomb without the need for the stone being rolled away. Jesus could have passed through with ease.

[John 20:19 NLT] 19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! "Peace be with you," he said.

You see it was for our benefit that the stone was rolled away. The angels knew Jesus wasn’t there because they knew he was God, and they knew he told everyone he would not be there. That stone was rolled away to help us to build our faith that the Lord has risen! In Jesus’ ministry here on earth he showed us many miracles for our benefit. It was for our spiritual growth to understand His love and compassion for all of mankind.

The disciples had unbelief that Jesus was risen from the tomb. In Luke they make this very evident.

[Luke 24:11 NLT] 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn't believe it.

This in itself is evidence that the disciples did not steal the body of Jesus in the night. The Jewish leaders would later in this day start spreading the word that the Jesus’s disciples stole the body of Jesus. They were surprised at the resurrection. Even Peter ran to the tomb to see if it really was empty. There are many conspiracy theories that even the Jewish leaders and or the Roman soldiers took the body of Jesus.

Pilate would not have wanted to create this conspiracy. He just wanted it to be done. The Jewish leaders this would have been the last thing they wanted to do. Why would they want to fuel the thought the Jesus in fact did raise Himself from the dead? And if they did take the body… when the disciples would boldly claim the resurrection of Jesus in a week or so… why would they then not have produced the body of Jesus to stop them from talking about the resurrection?

Could grave robber have taken the body? Doubtful as if they would have been willing to charge a small battalion of Roman soldiers who were chosen to guard the tomb through the night. And even if they did rob the grave, why just take the body and leave behind the wrappings and spices behind?

How about the women going to the wrong tomb? First is that they saw Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea put Jesus’ body in the tomb. And if they had looked in the wrong tomb why wouldn’t the Roman Soldiers guarding the tomb or the Jewish leaders simply show them the right tomb and prove Jesus had not risen from the grave?

Jesus did indeed conquer death! He is indeed RISEN. Jesus had over 500 witnesses to His resurrection.

Today the tomb remains empty for you. The tomb is for the dead… It is a reminding symbol that we have victory and are alive with Jesus! Family we don’t need to seek OUR God among the dead. Let us rejoice today that the stone was rolled away for our benefit… So I could see the remarkable freedom from sin once and for all. You are free, you are alive in Christ, you have an inheritance in Christ, you are loved by Christ! I love you all, and hope you find amazing grace, and joy in this day we celebrate JESUS! God bless you…. Happy Easter!