Advent Devotional: Day 20

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  And they found the stone rolled away from them tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”  And they remembered His words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them as idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.”   Luke 24:1-12 ESV

The women went to prepare his body; Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna wife of Chuza-Harod’s household manager, the rest are not named.  In their grief they had a job to do and that job changed the minute they stepped into the tomb.

So lost in grief the women forgot what Jesus had said. So lost in their grief they had to be reminded. The women were the caretakers of the followers  (see Luke 8:3), their focus was to care for his Body for entombment. Then they remembered what he had told them.  Have you ever been so lost in grief, words of loved ones were lost to you?

Peter.  His grief was more than sorrow for a lost brother. His grief was compounded by the guilt of his denial.  His hurt and grief must have been heavy. He heard a fantasy story from the women, one in which he could not believe. He had to see it with his own eyes.

The story of the resurrection plays out during an incredible moment of grief for His followers. Each felt the loos deeply, how could they not. They did not understand all Jesus had told them.  He tried to prepare them, but until they saw the empty tomb and were reminded of the words he had spoken, and only then did they understand. He was truly the Messiah. The life He came to give was not as they had expected, it was so much more.