Jesus Is Alive!

WHEN The women find Jesus' tomb empty, Mary Magdalene runs off to tell Peter and John. However, the other women remain at the tomb. Soon, an angel appears and invites them inside. Here the women see yet another angel, and one of the angels says to them: "Do not you be fearful, for I know you are looking for Jesus who was impaled. He is not here, for he was raised up, as he said, come see the place where he was lying. And go quickly and tell his disciples that he was raised up from the dead." So with fear and great joy, these women also run off.

By this time, Mary has found Peter and John, and she reports to them: "They have taken away the Lord out of the memorial tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Immediately the two apostles take off running. John is fleeter of foot-evidently being younger-and he reaches the tomb first. By this time the women have left, so no one is around. Stooping down, John peers into the tomb and sees the bandages, but he remains outside. When Peter arrives, he does not hesitate but goes right on in. He sees the bandages lying there and also the cloth used to wrap Jesus' head. It is rolled up in one place. John now also enters the tomb, and he believes Mary report. But neither Peter nor John grasps that Jesus has been raised up, even though he had often told them that he would be. Puzzled, the two return home, but Mary, who has come back to the tomb, remains.

In the meantime, the other women are hurrying to tell the disciples that Jesus has been resurrected, as the angels commanded them to do. While they are running along as fast as they can, Jesus meets them and says: "Good day!" Falling at his feet, they do obeisance to him. Then Jesus says: "Have no fear! Go, report to my brothers, that they may go off into Galilee; and there they will see me."

Earlier, when the earthquake occurred and the angels appeared, the soldiers on guard were stunned and became as dead men. Upon recovering, the immediately went into the city and told the chief priests what had happened. after consulting with the "older men" of the Jews, the decision was made to try to hush up the matter by bribing the soldiers. They were instructed: "Say, 'His disciples came in the night and stole him while we were sleeping.' " Since Roman soldiers may be punished with death for falling asleep at their posts, the priest promised: 'If this [report of your falling asleep] gets to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and will set you free from worry." Since the size of the bribe was sufficiently large, the soldiers did as they were instructed. As a result, the false report about the theft of Jesus' body became widely spread among the Jews.


Next time: Conclusion of Jesus Is Alive!

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991