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Luke 24:1–12 (ESV)
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 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? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 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, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 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.
There are some events that really stick with us. They are these memories that are etched in our brains, and we’re able to recall what happened with great, vivid details, even years later.
We can easily imagine that for the women in our passage, this was a morning that they never forgot.
Hopelessness, shock, and fear have overwhelmed the hearts of these women since Friday, when Jesus was crucified and died. They were there. They saw Jesus placed in the tomb. They knew Jesus was dead.
I’m sure they were wondering how in the world this could have ever happened.
Just a week before, people were shouting and praising God at Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem.
But now, just a week later, they are coming to the tomb with no hope; they are coming to grieve and to mourn.
The other gospels tell us that the women are carrying spices so that they can more properly attend to Jesus’ burial, but they hadn’t quite worked out the details.
Mark’s Gospel tells us that they weren’t sure how they were going to roll away the large stone that was placed in front of the tomb. It was heavy, too heavy for them to handle.
All of it was just so overwhelming, and all the women wished to do was to care for Jesus’ body properly and to mourn their loss. Their grief is so great that they’ve forgotten what Jesus said.
Several times, Jesus had spoken to them about His crucifixion and death, but they had forgotten the other part, the part where Jesus spoke about rising.
In their sorrow, all they can focus on, all they know, is that Jesus is dead.
The Romans made sure of that. They were masters at power and brutality. They loved law and order, and they knew how to enforce it and make people comply.
That’s why they used crucifixion. They didn’t invent the practice, but they mastered it and used it with great fluidity. Crucifixion was the most painful, humiliating, and horrible way to die. It was so bad that Roman citizens were usually exempt from death by crucifixion, except in the case of treason.
But crucifixion was always the first option for everyone else. They used it on slaves and conquered people. Romans used crucifixion as a public announcement for all to see: “We are the true power.”
That was the case with Jesus, and Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, had been present when Jesus died. They saw Jesus die; they saw Jesus placed in the tomb and the stone rolled in front of it. They knew there was no hope, and so they’ve come to tend to Jesus’ body, to be near Jesus, just to grieve and to mourn in the quiet of the morning.
But in a moment, the quiet of the morning is about to be shattered, and their overwhelming grief is about to be turned upside down. Taking all the Gospel accounts together, we have an incredible look at what happens when the women arrive at the tomb as darkness gives way to the first light of day.
There is an earthquake, angels, guards who are frozen in place like dead men, messages given to share with other broken hearts, and an encounter that would be forever etched in vivid detail in the hearts and minds of these women.
The stone was rolled away, but not so that Jesus could get out; the stone was rolled away so that the women could get in and see that Jesus wasn’t there (and soon Peter and John would see for themselves as well)!
Can you picture this moment? Can you picture the women dropping their spices and hurrying to the disciples to tell them this incredible news?
It’s interesting to note that the disciples don’t believe the good news; they dismiss it as an idle tale…, and yet Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, is moved to action and runs to see for himself.
Defeat turns to victory, death turns to life; sorrow, grief, and mourning turn to joy as God, who apparently was silent on Good Friday, now has the last word.
What we learn here is that Jesus is—indomitable.
My friend and pastor, Henry Greene, called Jesus indomitable, and it’s always stuck with me.
Words mattered to Henry; he would study them and know their origin, importance, and impact when spoken. In a sermon, Henry would often trace the origin of a word. And he had an incredible knack for picking out the right word to fit the situation.
“Jesus,” Henry said, “is indomitable.”
I looked up the word indomitable; it means impossible to subdue or defeat.
It means that something is invincible, unconquerable, unbeatable, unassailable, impregnable, unsurpassable, and indefatigable. There’s a long list of words to describe indomitable, as just one word won’t do.
My personal favorite from the long list is Lionhearted.
I picture a great lion roaring in victory when I think of indomitable.
Jesus is, in one word, indomitable, and His roar of victory is heard throughout history when, in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary one simple word, “Greetings”.
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers!
Scott
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