The Epic Scene at the Tomb

By Danny Saavedra

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 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. The angel said to the women, ‘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. 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.’ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’”—Matthew 28:1–10 (NIV)

Today’s passage is Matthew 28:8–10; however, I decided to include verses 1–7 to remind us why “the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy.”

How many women? Well, when you consider the four Gospel accounts, it seems there were at least six:

1. Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was the household manager of King Herod Antipas

2. Mary of Magdala, a follower of Jesus from whom He cast out seven demons

3. Mary, the mother of Jesus, James (author of the Book of James), Joseph, Simon, and Jude (author of the Book of Jude)

4. Mary, the mother of James the younger (an early church leader) and Joses

5. Mary, the wife of Clopas, Jesus’ aunt on His dad’s side

6. Salome, the wife of Zebedee, mother of the disciples James and John

To recap: Some of the women came to anoint His body with oil and spices (Mark 16:1), wondering how the stone would be moved to allow them to get inside the tomb. But when they arrived, “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.”

Can you imagine this? No wonder they went away both excited and scared! As they went to share the amazing scene, something even more amazing happened: “Suddenly Jesus met them.”

I love what Charles Spurgeon said: “Saints running in the way of obedience are likely to be met by Jesus. Some Christians travel to heaven so slowly that they are overtaken by follies or by faults, by slumber or by Satan; but he who is Christ’s running footman shall meet his Master while he is speeding on his way.”

What were His words to them? “Greetings!” This was the normal Greek greeting. Think of it like a casual, friendly, “Hey there!” This was a big difference from the whole scary earthquake arrival of the angel. But what else would we expect from Jesus, the literal King of the universe who stepped out of glory and lowered Himself to become a servant, who was tortured, broken, bloodied, and killed to pay the debt of our sins?

And what else could these women, including His mother, do but fall at His feet and worship? Think about it: Just a few minutes prior, they thought everything was lost because their Messiah was dead. But they knew everything changed and they didn’t have to weep or fear anymore because “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed” (Revelation 5:5 NIV).

And then look at the rest of Jesus’ words: “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Did you know this was the first time Jesus used this term of endearment for the disciples? You see, no longer was Jesus just their rabbi, He was now their kinsman-redeemer! What’s that? A kinsman-redeemer is a male relative who, according to several laws of the Torah, had the privilege to act on behalf of a relative in need.

We see this clearly in Ruth, where Noami’s relative, Boaz, marries Ruth, who was married to one of Naomi’s sons who passed away. Ruth 4:14 (BSB) tells us, “Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a kinsman-redeemer.’” By His birth, life, death, and resurrection, Jesus became their (and our) Kinsman-Redeemer. Hence, the church is called the Bride of Christ!

There’s no doubt that upon hearing the news that Jesus had resurrected, the disciples may have thought He was going to chew them out for abandoning Him and denouncing Him. But by using this term (you better believe the women recounted all that had happened word-for-word), Jesus was giving them full assurance, with this tender term, that they had been forgiven and restored!

My friends, I know this devotional is longer than usual. I felt the need to give you all I could regarding this, the most important moment in human history, the moment Jesus resurrected and changed everything! I wanted to show you how from that very moment, He had overcome sin and death, that He had forgiven us, that He had redeemed and restored us, and that He has made us children and “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17 NIV). What glorious, beautiful news these women got to share!

Pause: What do these contextual details and interactions show us about who Jesus is and how He loves us?

Practice: What must it have been like to witness what these faithful women witnessed? Today, do something interesting . . . Try to imagine yourself in the sandals of the women and the disciples. Try to picture the moment of the earthquake, the stone being rolled away, the angel speaking to them, their encounter with Jesus, and how the disciples felt being told by the women of all they saw and heard! I promise that this exercise will give you a new, deeper appreciation of Jesus!

Pray: Father, what an incredible, beautiful, glorious reality to experience the moment of Your Son’s resurrection. I could only imagine what it was like to be there in person. But I thank You for Your Word that allows me to read about it and be moved and overcome with joy, love, and gratitude! Jesus, thank You for being my Kinsman-Redeemer as You conveyed to Your disciples. Thank You for the compassion, love, and kindness with which You approach us as You did the women at the tomb, and thank You for being the King and Messiah who has power over death! In Your name, I pray. Amen.