Come and see. That’s what Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were told to do by the angel in our reading today. There was something special, something vitally important to look at and to take in, and so they had to come and see. Come here till you see this!
And what was it they were to come and see? It was the empty tomb. This wasn’t what they were expecting to see as they made their way to the tomb at dawn that first Easter Day.
You see, they had been there on Friday afternoon. They had watched as Jesus had died on the cross; they had seen where Joseph of Arimathea had placed Jesus’ body; they had seen where the stone was rolled in front of the entrance. They had seen all that happening on Friday. So now, after the Sabbath rest, they retrace their steps. ‘To look at the tomb’ as Matthew tells us.
They just wanted to see where Jesus was laid to rest. Perhaps you’ve been feeling the pain of not being able to visit a loved one’s grave this Easter, due to the current restrictions. What the women saw that day at that tomb brings hope and comfort. So what did they see?
‘There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. HIs appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.’ (2-4)
What a lot to see, and to take in! They saw (and felt) the earth shake under their feet. They saw this angel of the Lord, all brightness and fearsome, rolling back the stone and using it as a seat. And they saw the guards lying on the ground in fear.
The guards were there because the chief priests and Pharisees had remembered what Jesus had said - ‘After three days I will rise again.’ And so, to make sure that the disciples couldn’t steal the body and pretend that Jesus had risen, a guard was sent to the tomb, to seal it and guard it. But the guards proved useless against a risen Jesus and an angel of the Lord. They are afraid, and become like dead men; whereas the dead man they are guarding is alive!
It turns out that religious leaders had listened more carefully to Jesus than the disciples. The religious leaders knew that Jesus had said something about rising on the third day. But the disciples hadn’t remembered that at all. And so the women weren’t there to witness the resurrection - they were there to see the tomb.
While the guards are afraid, the angel speaks to the women and says this: ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’
Jesus who was crucified has now risen. And they are told to come and see the empty tomb, the place where he lay. This is the very heart of the Christian faith. It stands and falls on the empty tomb. And we can be sure and certain that this is historical fact. The two Marys came and saw where Jesus had lay, which was now empty.
Come and see the place where he lay. The women provide the eyewitness testimony. They have seen that the tomb is empty. And that’s important. And it’s great. But it’s not enough.
You see, the angel has something more for the women to do. Having came and seen, the women have to do something else as well: ‘Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.” Now I have told you.’
Having witnessed the fact of the empty tomb, they now have to go and tell. They are sent to tell the disciples - the followers of Jesus, who are now locked in their homes, afraid to leave the house. they have good news to share - the best news ever - that Jesus is alive.
The disciples will in turn be sent to tell that news to the whole world, as they’re sent to preach the gospel in the Great Commission at the end of Matthew 28. And that news will turn the world upside down.
Because Jesus is alive, death is not the end. All who trust in him will live with him in his new heavens and new earth. So while we mourn the loss of loved ones; and while we feel the pain of not being able to visit their graves, we have this assurance, that we will see them again, and live with them again.
Because Jesus is alive, we have hope. Real hope. Not the wishful thinking kind of hope, but the rock solid absolutely certain hope that Jesus will raise us to live with him. It’s a message that the disciples needed to hear. It’s a message that we need to hear. It’s a message that the world needs to hear.
While we’re social distancing this Easter, and maybe even self-isolating, we do not need to be afraid. We can come and see the empty tomb, and go and tell the news. So who could you tell?
Let’s pray.
Father,
we thank you that the tomb is empty
and Jesus is alive.
Help us to come and see, and be sure of the message,
and help us to go and tell, as we share this great good news.
Show us who we can tell, and how we can tell them,
for we ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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