Early morning, three days after HIS death upon the cross, some women came to Jesus' tomb bearing fragrant ointments and spices, along with linen wrappings to properly prepare the body for burial. Mary Magdalene led the way, and as they walked the women asked one another, "Who will roll away the great stone they have placed at the mouth of the cave?" The High Priest had requested that the tomb be sealed and guarded by soldiers, because he feared the Disciples and followers might try to steal His body, and say he had risen from the dead.
When Mary Magdalene approached the tomb she saw that the rock had already been rolled away from the entrance and the soldiers had already departed. They did not know that before they had journeyed to the tomb, Jesus had already emerged from the cave without the soldiers seeing Him. The women did not know that before their arrival, an angel came down from the heavens, and sit on top of the large stone, away from the entrance to the cave. A great light shown from the angels face, lite up the entire area. The Roman soldiers keeping watch, and were asleep, were awoken and amazed and were as dead men and ran away.
But when Mary Magdalene and the other women arrived at the tomb they saw only that the stone had been rolled away. Mary Magdelene immediately ran to tell the chosen disciples, and the other women entered the tomb. They saw two angels sitting where the body of the Lord had been.
"Do not be afraid," one of them said. "Are you looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified? He is not here. HE IS RISEN... just as He said. Come and see where Jesus had laid, then go and tell His Disciples, and tell Peter too, that Jesus will go before you into Galilee, and you shall see Him there!"
The women left, afraid but joyful, to tell the Disciples what the angels had said. Mary Magdalene, in the meantime, had found Peter and John and told them the tomb was empty. They came to see for themselves, and then they too left. When Mary Magdalene returned alone to the place where Jesus had been buried she was weeping; she entered the tomb and saw the two angels, one at the foot and one at the head of where Jesus' body had been.
"Woman, why do you weep?" one of the angels asked Mary.
"Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him." Mary answered. Then she turned and saw Jesus standing near her, but she did not recognize Him. "Sir." she said, "if you have carried Him out of this place, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away."
Then Jesus said to her, "Mary." At the sound of her name she knew it was Jesus standing there, no longer dead, but living. She threw herself to the ground and cried, "My master," and reached to embrace the feet of the Lord.
But Jesus said to her, "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God, and to your God."
And still weeping, Mary Magdalene, the first to see Jesus after he had risen from the grave, hastened to tell the Disciples what she had seen and what Jesus had said to her.
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