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The Greatest Victory: The Resurrection of Jesus
The sun had barely risen over Jerusalem on that Sunday morning, three days after the saddest day the world had ever known. Jesus, the kind teacher who had healed the sick and showed people God's love, had been crucified on a cross and laid in a tomb carved from rock. His followers' hearts were broken, and they could hardly believe their beloved friend was gone.
Mary Magdalene walked slowly toward the tomb in the early morning darkness, carrying sweet-smelling spices to honor Jesus' body, as was the custom in those days. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered his gentle voice and the miracles she had seen him perform. She wondered how she and the other disciples would ever move the massive stone that sealed the entrance to the tomb.
But as Mary approached the garden tomb, she stopped suddenly and gasped. The enormous stone had been rolled away! The tomb stood open, its dark entrance like a surprised mouth. Mary's heart pounded with confusion and fear as she peered inside the shadowy opening.
The tomb was empty! The linen cloths that had wrapped Jesus' body lay neatly folded, but Jesus himself was gone. Mary didn't know whether to feel frightened or hopeful. She turned and ran as fast as her feet could carry her, her robes flowing behind her in the cool morning air.
"Peter! John!" Mary called out breathlessly when she found the disciples. "Someone has taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they've put him!" Peter and John looked at each other with alarm and immediately rushed toward the garden, running through the narrow streets of Jerusalem.
John, being younger, reached the tomb first, but he stopped at the entrance, too amazed to go inside. Peter, bold as always, rushed right past him into the tomb. There were the burial cloths, exactly as Mary had said, lying empty as if Jesus had simply passed through them. The cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded separately, placed carefully to one side.
Peter and John stood in wonder, their minds racing to understand what had happened. Could it be possible? Could Jesus really be alive? They remembered how Jesus had told them he would rise again on the third day, but in their grief, they had forgotten his promise. Now, seeing the empty tomb, hope began to flicker in their hearts like a candle in darkness.
After Peter and John left, Mary returned to the garden, weeping beside the empty tomb. She bent down to look inside once more, and this time she saw something extraordinary—two angels dressed in brilliant white, sitting where Jesus' body had been. "Woman, why are you crying?" they asked gently. Mary answered through her tears, "They have taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they have put him."
As Mary turned around, she saw someone standing in the garden. Through her tears, she thought he must be the gardener. "Sir, if you have carried him away, please tell me where you have put him," she pleaded. Then the man spoke just one word: "Mary."
