What was it like that Easter morning when Jesus rose from the grave? Was there a lot of fanfare? Did Jesus' resurrection happen with television cameras focused, pyrotechnics exploding, a smooth-voiced announcer giving play-by-play of this most important event in human history?
Let’s read the account of Jesus’ resurrection the Apostle John gives and find out, “Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, ‘They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!’ Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed- for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home. Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. ‘Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.’ She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. ‘Sir,’ she said, ‘if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.’ ‘Mary!’ Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, ‘Rabbi!” (John 20:1-16 NLT).
Not even a respectable crowd gathered! There was only an alarmed word from Mary Magdalene about Jesus' body being gone. Her proclamation produced a panic among the disciples and a foot race between Peter and John. John, having won the race to the tomb, looked in and saw that it was empty. Now things were really confusing, and the disciples just went home. It was to a broken-hearted Mary Magdalene who stayed at the tomb that Jesus revealed himself. Mary was the first to behold something the world had never seen before, a resurrected, transformed life. Yes Lazarus and others in the Bible were raised from the dead, but they got old and died again. But Jesus was changed into what will be the final destiny of all who believe in him.
Easter, Jesus’ resurrection day, is a foretaste of a resurrection of masses of people when this era of the history of the world is drawn to an end. What God promises to those who belong to Jesus is not the loss of self into a nothingness, but the resurrection and re-making of everything that is right and good in the world He has created. And until then, He invites us to begin living transformed lives now, continually shaped and changed by the hope of the redemption of all God has made. The reality of Jesus’ resurrection should change us. It should have a powerful effect on us each day that we’re alive as a Christian. Christ is risen! And because He has, we no longer have to fear death but can look forward to eternity where we will be God’s people and God himself will be with us. He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 20: 4). Where in your life do you need the resurrection power of Jesus at work this Easter?