Title: The First News of the Dawn
Contents
Jesus died on the cross. He was nailed to a crucifix and died in such a tragic way (if you've seen the Passion of Christ, you can imagine, I haven't actually seen it). According to Jewish custom, Jesus' body was wrapped in burlap and placed in a tomb in a cave on Golgotha Hill.
And two days later, there were those who found the tomb of Jesus at dawn. All four Gospels record this event, but the details are slightly different. The Gospel of John we read today says that Mary Magdalene went alone, but in other Gospels, several women went together to anoint the body with perfume. They go up to the tomb, worrying about how to roll the big stone blocking the entrance, and have a great experience there. The stone has already been removed and Jesus' body is not in the tomb. The tomb is empty. In the text we read today, Mary Magdalene saw the stone being rolled and reported it to Peter and another disciple. When Peter heard the news, he went to the tomb and found that the body of Jesus was gone. Then they go back to where they were, and the writer of the Gospel of John kindly explains that they have not yet understood the scriptures that “Jesus will rise from the dead”. And while Mary weeps outside the tomb, she meets an angel. And say. “Who has taken the Lord?”
The Gospel of Mark tells more about the condition of the women. Apparently, the angel said, “Do not be afraid, he is risen,” but they ran away from the tomb, trembled and fainted, and said nothing because of fear. In the Gospel of Luke, the angels even tell the women, “Remember what Jesus said, that he will rise from the dead on the third day”, but the disciples and women all do not believe and are just amazed.
The dead Jesus had to lie in a tomb with his body on burlap. When the tomb where the body was placed two days ago was empty, the common-sense reaction is that someone stole the body. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John, the general reaction to the news that the tomb was empty that morning is this. 'Someone has stolen the body of Jesus.' The angel said that he had risen, but Jesus had already told the disciples that he would rise again on the third day according to the scriptures. only.
The Gospel of Matthew tells a slightly different story. After Jesus died, the chief priests and the Pharisees conspire again. Ironically, it was these people who remembered the words of Jesus that he would rise. And he asks Pilate to seal the tomb and to guard it with guards. If they say that they stole the body and survived, they say it's a big deal. And after Jesus' body is removed from the tomb, they bribe the guards to spread the word that Jesus' body was stolen by the disciples. And it is said that the word had spread to the Jews until this time.
The first news of Jesus' resurrection was that the tomb was empty. When the tomb is empty, common sense means that the body has been moved by someone. It is beyond rational understanding that the dead are raised to life. That is why even the followers of Jesus in front of the empty tomb react by saying who stole the body and tremble with another fear.
In front of the empty tomb, those who followed Jesus and those who believed in Jesus had to remember Jesus' words. But, ironically, only those who did not have faith, those who rejected Jesus, only remember those words and spread false rumors to shake their faith.
It would have been amazing if the man who was crucified with the ridicule of all Jerusalem was brought back to life in the sight of all the people. If no one has ever risen from the dead, but the dead are raised to life in front of everyone, that would have been a good way for everyone to believe, but rather, He is resurrected in a way that makes you tilt your head, 'Did Jesus really resurrect?' How does a dead person come to life, a dead body really breathes again, and a stopped heart beats? Seeing how they appear here and there as if they are using Chukjibeop, maybe only the spirit has been revived? Our brains try to understand by imagining and explaining. It's as if proof doesn't make you a liar.
But the empty tomb news teaches us a faith of memory and humility that goes beyond rational judgment and rational explanation. Before the empty tomb, Jesus' followers had to remember his words rather than try to understand and understand why the tomb was empty and how the dead came to life. “On the third day he will rise from the dead.” And I had to show the faith to humbly accept that promise.
I hope that the disciples who are embarrassed and trembling in fear in front of the news of the empty tomb this Easter morning, and the religious leaders who tried to deny the resurrection by any means, are not what we are. Jesus is resurrected. This news is of greater joy to those who remember the words of Jesus and humbly believe in them. I hope you and I can enjoy this joy together.