“Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”
On the first day after the Sabbath, at dawn, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James the younger, were on their way to the tomb. In the aftermath of Jesus’ death, their immediate concern was simply who would roll away the stone for them. It seemed as if they had already grown accustomed to His unjust death, as though they could bear even more pain. The acceptance felt too quick, almost apologetic to Jesus for moving on so soon.
After Jesus died, Mary gathered money with the other women to buy spices, and they promised each other to go to the tomb after the Sabbath to anoint His body. She had told the other disciples about this, but out of fear of the people, they locked their doors and refused to come outside. Not even Peter, nor James and John—the sons of Salome—nor James the younger, the son of the Mary who was now with her, were willing to help. At times, Mary felt hurt by the disciples’ refusal, but she couldn’t really blame them. After all, she herself was preparing to say goodbye to the One who had cast out seven demons from her and given her a new life, as if she could let Him go so easily. What comforted her was the belief that Jesus would rise again on the last day. Mary Magdalene found hope in the thought, “Since He was sent by God, surely God will take responsibility.” With that faith, she pressed on along the mountain path in the pale light of dawn.
In truth, Mary Magdalene herself could not believe Jesus’ words that He would rise again after three days. But in this moment, there was not a single disciple who truly believed those words, so it was not just her struggle alone. The other women—Mary, who was with her now, as well as Salome and Joanna, who were to meet them at the tomb—had all served Jesus since their days in Galilee. Yet they, too, were going to the tomb to anoint His body for burial, not because they expected to meet the risen Lord.
Because of this, even when another earthquake shook the whole city—just as one had shaken all Jerusalem at the moment of Jesus’ death—the women did not realize it was a sign of the Lord’s resurrection. They simply thought it was an aftershock from the unusually strong earthquake before, and were completely unprepared for what was about to happen. So when the two women arrived at the tomb and saw the scene before them, they could only be shocked. The enormous stone that had blocked the entrance had already been rolled away, and the ropes that had sealed it were snapped and thrown aside. The two women hurried into the tomb, but the body of Jesus, which should have been there, was gone.
* * *
“Wait for Salome and Joanna. I’ll go to the disciples.”
Mary, the mother of James the younger, nodded in response to Mary Magdalene’s words. Though she briefly considered going to the disciples herself, she realized that Mary Magdalene, being younger and quicker, was better suited to deliver the news.
After Mary Magdalene hurried away, the remaining Mary waited in fear, trembling until the other two women arrived. Before long, Salome and Joanna appeared, but when they heard what had happened, they too were completely at a loss. They were so overwhelmed that they couldn’t even decide whether it would be better to wait for the disciples or to go and tell them themselves—their minds went blank from confusion. In the end, they decided to go back into the tomb to check once more.
Inside, they found a stranger they had not seen before—a man dressed in white, sitting on the ground. The man spoke to the women.
“Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him! But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’”
His tone was gentle, yet his presence was awe-inspiring. As the women bowed their heads in fear, another voice spoke, stronger than the first:
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He isn’t here, but is risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again?”
The appearance of the second figure truly filled the women with fear. Looking again, they saw that both men were dressed in white and softly glowing, and their voices seemed to echo from all directions. Realizing that these were angels, the women trembled in terror. The second angel, as if realizing he had startled them, spoke again, this time in a quieter and gentler voice.
“Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here. As He said, He has risen. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of them to Galilee. There you will see Him. This is what I tell you.”
Although the second angel repeated the same message as the first, and even though his voice was softer, the awe and fear inspired by his earlier words still lingered. The women nodded quickly and, almost fleeing, rushed out of the tomb. As they hurried away, the first angel gave the second a friendly pat on the back and smiled warmly, as if to encourage him for his effort.
* * *
“They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”
Hearing Mary Magdalene’s words, Peter and John rushed off toward the tomb. Mary wanted desperately to catch up with them, but she was already exhausted from coming this far and could no longer run. As she caught her breath and slowly made her way to the tomb, she saw, in the distance, Peter and John—the very ones who had run ahead—now returning. They were not heading toward the tomb, but coming back the other way.
“Why are you coming back? Did you find His body?” she asked, but they only shook their heads, worry on their faces. They invited her to return with them, but Mary declined, saying she needed to meet the other women.
Who could have taken Jesus’ body? If even Peter and John did not know, then it must have been someone they themselves were not aware of. Perhaps it was the two Pharisees who had buried Him, or maybe someone had moved the body to another tomb. But who could have done such a thing, and why? Perhaps Mary, Salome, and Joanna, who were waiting by the tomb, might have heard something. She needed to hurry and ask them.
Exhausted, Mary Magdalene summoned the last of her strength and ran to the place where the women had been waiting. But when she arrived, there was no one there. She called out loudly for them, but there was no answer. The emptiness made her longing for Jesus even more unbearable, and sorrow welled up inside her. Overcome with grief, she stood there and wept bitterly for a long time, her tears flowing without end.
After what felt like an eternity, Mary finally managed to quiet her sobs. Slowly, she approached the tomb once more, still unable to believe what had happened.
Mary thought, Perhaps I am trapped in a long, unending nightmare. Maybe, when I finally wake up, Jesus will be there again, just as gentle as before, sitting with me and the other disciples, telling stories. I can see Him—as He was on the day He cast out seven demons from me—comforting the outcast and the suffering, assuring even the worst sinners that if they believe, they will be saved, and gently healing their broken bodies and hearts. Yes, perhaps all of this is nothing but a dream.
But contrary to Mary Magdalene’s desperate hope, the tomb still stood before her, and the cold morning air brought her back to reality. Tears streamed down her face. Without even wiping them away, she bent down and looked into the tomb. There, she saw two men in white, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been. Their surroundings shone brightly, but to Mary, whose eyes were filled with tears, everything appeared blurred.
One of them asked her a question.
“Woman, why are you weeping?”
The second angel, as if trying to make up for having startled her before, spoke in an even gentler voice. Perhaps it was his gentle tone, or perhaps Mary was so overwhelmed by sorrow that she no longer felt fear. In a voice choked with tears, Mary replied,
“Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.”
She mistook them for workers in the garden, not angels, and answered accordingly. This misunderstanding continued when she saw the risen Jesus Himself. As she turned around to wipe her tears, she saw Jesus standing behind her but did not recognize Him, thinking He was the gardener.
“Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?”
“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
Mary wept again, overcome with grief. Jesus looked at her with gentle, loving eyes.
“Mary!”
“Rabboni!”
Although Jesus had repeatedly told His followers that He would rise again, none of them truly believed it would happen. No one else had ever performed miracles like Jesus, and after His death, they thought there was no one who could possibly bring Him back to life. Even the prophets of old were the same. Moses, the most revered among the Jews, did not rise after his death, nor did any of the other great prophets who had performed mighty wonders. Not a single prophet had ever returned from the grave to stand again before the people. But Jesus kept His promise—He rose again, not with anyone’s help, but by His own power. And so, with profound awe in her heart, Mary could only call out, “Rabboni”—my teacher.
Overwhelmed with joy, Mary instinctively reached out to embrace Him. At that moment, Jesus said,
“Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
After saying these words, Jesus disappeared from Mary’s sight, together with the two angels who had been at the tomb. Gathering herself, Mary hurried to where the disciples were, now running not with tears of sorrow, but with tears of joy.
In this way, after rising at dawn on the first day after the Sabbath, Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene. Then He went to find the other women, who were still in shock, and greeted them,
“Rejoice!”
Startled, the women approached Him, took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him. This time, unlike before, Jesus did not refuse their touch—as if He had been somewhere else in the meantime. He gently raised them up and said,
“Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Mary Magdalene and the other women each ran to the disciples, eager to share the news of the risen Jesus.
* * *
“I still cannot believe that Jesus has risen.”
Even after the women delivered the news of the resurrection, none of the disciples believed them—not even by evening. The other disciples may have had reason to doubt. But for James, John, and James the younger, their own mothers’ testimony should have been enough to inspire faith. Still, the despair they experienced at the cross and their fear of the people left no room for hope. Their disbelief was only reinforced by the testimony of Peter and John, who had gone to the tomb early that morning. Peter had even run back to the tomb a second time, but all he saw were the linen cloths and the burial cloth—there was no sign of the two men in white or of the risen Jesus, as the women had described.
Thus, even the disciples could not believe that Jesus had risen without any evidence. If those who had spent years with Him so easily dismissed the testimony of the faithful women, then the chief priests had absolutely no reason to bribe the guards to spread falsehoods.
It was in this state of doubt and fear that Jesus suddenly appeared among them. He did not come through the door—the door was firmly locked and had not been opened since the women had left. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there in their midst, and said,
“Peace be to you.”
Jesus stood before them like a vision, His voice just as it had always been. The disciples were so startled that they thought they were seeing a spirit. Jesus looked around at them and said:
“Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”
Jesus showed them His hands and feet, where the nails had been, and His side, where He had been pierced by the spear, revealing to them the reality of His resurrection. Some of the disciples believed immediately, but others, overwhelmed with joy and astonishment, found it hard to accept what they were seeing. Looking at them, Jesus spoke again,
“Do you have anything here to eat?”
One of the disciples offered Him a piece of broiled fish, and Jesus began to eat it in front of them all. As they watched each bite disappear, the disciples finally realized that Jesus had truly risen from the dead.
While they were rejoicing, Jesus said to them,
“These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled. Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
He declared that they would be witnesses of the resurrection.
“Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”
When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”
Jesus looked at His disciples and smiled gently. Then He spoke again,
“Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”
After this, Jesus vanished. While the disciples were calling out for Him, Thomas knocked at the door. When he entered, the others testified to the resurrection of the Lord.
“We have seen the Lord!”
However, Thomas refused to believe what they said.
“Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
The others tried to persuade him, but he stubbornly shook his head. Just then, there was another knock at the door—it was the disciples who had gone to Emmaus.
The disciples who had remained in the house strongly declared to the latecomers, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon!”
The disciples from Emmaus then shared their own story: how they had met Jesus on the road and had only recognized Him when He broke the bread. As more and more disciples arrived, those who had not yet seen the risen Jesus were all hesitant to believe, just like Thomas. But no one could blame them, for none of them had believed until they saw Jesus with their own eyes. Even when the women had urgently shared the news of the resurrection, the others could not bring themselves to believe—it was only a short time ago. Who could blame anyone else for doubting now? All the disciples who had witnessed the resurrection could do was hope that Jesus would appear to Thomas and the other doubting disciples, and prove that He was truly alive.
* * *
After eight days, the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them.
At first, Peter and the other disciples had hoped that Jesus would return soon and prove His resurrection to everyone. However, for some reason, Jesus had not appeared again. Peter and the others had simply been waiting in the city because of the instruction to stay there, but Peter began to think that perhaps the instruction didn’t mean they had to remain there immediately. After all, the first message they received through the women was to go to Galilee. So, Peter thought that perhaps they were meant to meet Jesus in Galilee first and then return to Jerusalem to wait. With this in mind, he resolved that, come morning, he would set out for Galilee with the other disciples.
Having made up his mind, Peter turned to Thomas, who was sitting beside him, and asked,
“Thomas, are you coming with us?”
Thomas shook his head, his face troubled.
“What would I do there? I can’t just go fishing like you. I need to find my own way now.”
Peter tried to reassure him.
“The Lord is waiting for us there.”
But Thomas’s expression only grew more doubtful.
“You keep insisting that Jesus has risen, but there’s still been no sign of Him. If He truly rose, shouldn’t He be with us as He was before? But He isn’t. That alone is proof that He did not rise. I’m sure you all just had some kind of group hallucination after eating something bad.”
Peter tried again.
“Maybe Jesus has something else He needs to do...”
But Thomas only frowned more deeply and shook his head, making it clear he would not believe.
At that moment, a clear voice echoed in the room:
“Peace be to you.”
Just as before, Jesus suddenly appeared in the midst of the group. Thomas was so startled at the sight of Jesus that he could only open and close his mouth in shock. Seeing him, Jesus smiled gently and said,
“Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”
Jesus’ voice was gentle, yet firm. Yes, this was truly the living voice of Jesus—the very voice Thomas had refused to accept.
“My Lord and my God!”
Thomas fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
“Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”
Thomas’s sobs filled the room, his lament echoing throughout the room. Jesus gently reached out and comforted Thomas, softly patting his back. Then, turning to the others, He spoke:
“Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
After this, Jesus promised to meet them again on a mountain in Galilee, and then left their presence. The next morning, Peter and the other disciples set out for Galilee.
The passages from Matthew 28:5-10, Mark 16:3, 6-7, 15-18, Luke 24:5-7, 34-49, John 20:2, 13-29 quoted in this narrative are taken directly from the World English Bible (WEB) translation. Of the parallel passages, I have combined them into a single version that includes all the content.
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