Soulbridge Retreats

Friday, evening in Jerusalem

• After Jesus died, the Bible mentions that some specific women were still at the Cross. They included Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleophas (probably a 1st cousin to Jesus’ mother Mary) and the mother of the disciples James and John. Mary the mother of Jesus is not mentioned here. Jesus had delivered his own mother into the care of John, who had most likely gotten her to safety and rest just after the Crucifixion.
• These women were there when a man named Joseph came to them. He was described as a “rich man from Arimathea” who had visited Pontious Pilate just after Jesus died. Arimathea was a town in Judea. He was probably a member of the Jewish High Council who had condemned Jesus to death. (He had the title “counselor” in the gospels which usually means membership on the Council.) He had voted against it but was overruled. Joseph asked for Jesus’ body, which Pilate granted. Joseph returned to Golgotha and the place of the cross. Nicodemus was there too with about a 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes to dress the body. Myrrh is an aromatic gum resin, generally believed have been obtained from the low-growing thorny shrub or tree. Aloes is also a tree resin described in the scriptures as a perfume. Probably from the “eagle wood tree.” Both were used as burial spices as well as additives to wine (myrrh) or perfume (aloes). BTW, aloes were extremely expensive but Nicodemus was a wealthy man. Still it was a generous gift.
• Both men spoke with the women there and told them and the guards that they had received permission to bury Jesus. Both men had the body taken down, wrapped in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in Joseph’s own new tomb that had been cut out of the rock in a nearby garden. He had a big stone rolled in front of the entrance to the tomb. The women followed him through all this because the Bible says that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary – probably Mary of Cleophas, Jesus’ cousin – seated themselves just outside the tomb. They must have been rocking and wailing as they sat, but eventually they had to leave because Sabbath began that evening.
• At home the women began to prepare the spices and perfumes they would need to anoint the body themselves once Sabbath was over. Nicodemus’ gift had already been used but the women wanted to honor Jesus in this way as well. Note that Nicodemus had time to buy the spices beforehand because he knew exactly when the High Council condemned Jesus to death – he was a member!

Saturday, evening in Jerusalem

• Sabbath was over so the women bought the remaining spices they would need to anoint Jesus’ body. They intended to go to the tomb as early as they could, which meant leaving Jerusalem at dawn.
• What the women didn’t know is that the chief priests and Pharisees – the same ones who had condemned Jesus — remembered that He had said He would rise by the 3rd day. So they went to Pilate and asked permission to post a guard by the tomb lest disciples steal the body, and pretend that Jesus had risen. Pilate gave permission and the Council posted guards, probably Roman soldiers.

Sunday, dawn in Jerusalem

• The next morning at dawn Mary Magdalen, Mary of Cleophas – also called Salome — and Joanna, who was probably the mother of James and John, left to go to the tomb, bearing the burial spices and perfumes. The women were worried that they could not roll the stone away as it would be too heavy for them. They came anyway.
• Shortly before the women arrived at the tomb, something happened to the guard detail. Right in front of the tomb where they stood guard there was a violent earthquake, just as there had been when Jesus died. An angel of heaven caused it. He was glowing like lightning and his clothes were blinding white. The guards shook and fell down and couldn’t move as the angel rolled back the stone and sat on it! When they could get to their feet they ran back to Jerusalem. The women may well have seen them coming, and likely got off the road to let the soldiers pass by.
• When the guards got to Jerusalem and the Temple, they told the chief priests what had happened. The priests paid them to lie and say that the disciples had stolen the body that night while the guards slept. The ruse worked, and many people believed exactly that.
• Meanwhile the women arrived at the tomb – to see the stone down. They ran back to Jerusalem where many of the disciples were hiding together in an upper room.
• Peter and John decided to go look for themselves. Followed by Mary Magdalen and Mary of Cleophas, they hurried to the tomb. They outran the two Mary’s and found the tomb empty. They saw no angels and came back to Jerusalem.
• Meanwhile the two women finally make it back to the tomb. It was their second trip back and forth today, no wonder they were tired! They may have met Peter and John coming back. Who knows what they thought just then. Peter and John may have thought the body was stolen because they did not yet dare to believe.
• The women arrived. Mary Magdalen might have gotten there first since the Synoptic Gospels say “them” and John says only Mary at first. They saw two glowing angels filling up the tomb. “Don’t be afraid,” the angel who sat on the tombstone said. Note that he didn’t say the same thing to the frightened guards! The angel told the women that Jesus wasn’t here. He had risen and they would see him in the region of Galilee! He  told them to tell the rest of Jesus’ disciples what they had just heard.
• The women exited the tomb where they saw the risen Christ! Mary was probably the one to say something first to the man she thought was the gardener. She was crying, I imagine they all were. Luke reports that it was Mary Magdalen who saw Jesus first! She did not recognize Him… and then He said her name and she knew Him. Then the other women came too and fell at his feet and worshipped Him. He told them to go and tell the disciples that He is risen!
• Shortly after the Lord appeared to the rest of the women with Mary and they go back to the upper room again. Instead of being frightened they are delirious with joy!

Afternoon between Jerusalem and Emmaus

• It doesn’t matter anymore that the men didn’t believe them, because Jesus would soon appear to them. He appeared on the road from Jerusalem to two very discouraged disciples who were returning to their home in the town of Emmaus. Like Mary Magdalen, they didn’t recognize him at first. That evening He revealed Himself to the and disappeared.
• The disciples ran back to Jerusalem! There was a lot of excited running that day!

Evening in Jerusalem

• The Emmaus couple told the disciples they saw Jesus. The disciples are not convinced, not even John and Peter who had seen the empty tomb. Maybe they did not dare to believe.
• But in the middle of all this, Jesus appears to them! They’re scared, thinking they saw a ghost. Just like they thought He had been a ghost when he passed them a few years before – they were in a boat at the time and He was walking on the water! He showed them His wounds and spoke to them about what happened.
• However, of the remaining Eleven (Judas had left the group and was dead by now) Thomas was not there. He refused to believe when they told him later. Eight days later Jesus appears to them again – and this time Thomas is there. And he believed.

Rest of 40 days

• Jesus appears to many more people in the next 40 days in Jerusalem and Galilee. People who see him include the women who followed him, large groups of believers, and the remaining 11 core disciples.
• In Bethany, Jesus leads disciples to Mt. Olivet and from there ascends into heaven!
• The disciples return to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit… who comes like a mighty wind. We celebrate that day as the Day of Pentecost.

Tags: Easter, resurrection