Breaking the Word

Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."  While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. They assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.' And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy (him) and keep you out of trouble."  The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present (day).  (Mt 28:8-15)

 

 

They went away from the tomb and this only goes to say that there was nothing there in the tomb. If the body of the dead person were to be there in the tomb then they would have stayed there to pray or to sit near the tomb to recollect the past etc. They ran away fearful yet overjoyed. They were fearful because something has happened to the body of the dead person but overjoyed because he is risen. So the joy of the resurrection and belief in the resurrection come from the empty tomb.

 

Their joy and belief were confirmed by the greetings of Jesus. Only those who believe in the resurrection of Jesus were given the chance of encountering the risen lord. They were strengthened by the greetings (Do not be afraid) and commanded to communicate the experience to the disciples for further experience of him.

 

Those who do not believe and those who base their arguments on the material proofs will only invent stories that do not communicate the resurrection.  Belief in the resurrection as well as non-belief in the resurrection will coexist always even until this day. It all depends on where we place ourselves. If we place ourselves on the external, material things then the belief in the resurrection will not be a gift to us. 

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him."  So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead. (Jn 20:1-9)

 

 

Mary Magdala went to the tomb, probably as the custom was at the time of Jesus. People went to the tomb of the dear and near ones to spent time there; to pray for the diseased; to recollect the memories of the past and so on. The first information that is given to reader is that the person who went to the tomb was shocked. She could not believe her eyes. She found that the stone was removed which implied that something has happened to the tomb and what was within it.

 

The other disciple (John) ran faster than Peter but did not enter the tomb and found the burial cloths. The second information that is given is that the cloths were there but something has happened to the body of Jesus. All the material things associated with the dead person were intact. But something has happened to the body that is to the dead person.

 

Peter entered the tomb and found that not only the burial cloths were rolled up and kept somewhere but also the cloths that covered the head. This only goes to say that the dead person removed the head cloths by himself or someone assisted him to remove the cloths (those who wanted to steal the body would not have cared for these details). So the third stage of information is that he is alive or he is made to be alive. He is risen. The other disciple saw this and believed.