The First Easter Sunday

The first Easter Sunday

The guards run away

Early on Sunday morning, the whole earth shook. The heavy stone rolled away from the grave, and an angel sat on the stone. This filled the guards with great fear and they seem to have run away.

An empty grave

The women went to the grave very early, to finish the proper preparation of the body. They saw that the grave was open. The body was not in the grave. Mary Magdalene seems to have run back to Peter and John immediately. Then she returned to the grave.

Meanwhile, the other women saw two angels. The angels told them that Jesus was alive. The women were to tell his disciples (Matthew 28:5-8). Then, they should all go to Galilee.

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene told Peter and John and then they ran to the grave (John 20:1-10). John saw how the cloths lay there. He seemed to realise even then that Jesus was actually alive (John 20:8). But Peter and John did not see Jesus before they returned home.

Mary Magdalene returned to the grave after Peter and John. She remained there and she wept. Then Jesus appeared and spoke to her. At first, she did not recognise Jesus. She was so sad and her eyes were probably full of tears. Then she recognised Jesus and he told her not to hold him. He was not going to return to God his Father yet. He also told her to tell the disciples about him.

Jesus is alive!

At this time, some women were going to tell the other disciples. (These disciples were probably still in Bethany.) On this journey, Jesus appeared to these women (Matthew 28:9-10).

On that same day, Jesus appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34). Later that day, he appeared to ten disciples in a room. He even ate with them and they touched him. Jesus told them that he was not merely a spirit. Then he taught them from the Bible. He showed them that the Messiah had to suffer (Luke 24:36-49). Prophets had said that Jesus would die on the cross. But now, these events had happened. The words of the prophets had come true. And now, Jesus was alive again. The prophets had also written that this would happen. Jesus explained all these things to them. It was a wonderful Bible study meeting!

Thomas' doubt

Thomas was not there on that occasion and he refused to believe. He said that he would have to put his hands into the nail marks. Then he would believe.

A week later, after the festival of the unleavened bread [a Jewish festival], he was there with the other disciples. [A festival was a special time of worship and happiness. At the festival of unleavened bread, the Jews remembered that God had rescued them from Egypt.] Jesus appeared and spoke directly to Thomas. He told him to put his finger into his injuries. Thomas then fell down before Jesus. Thomas called Jesus, ’My Lord, and my God.‘ (John 20:26-31). Jesus replied: