4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" 8 Then they remembered his words.
Setting out very early in the morning with their prepared perfumes to anoint His body and sweet spices to scatter around Him, these women were astonished to discover that the stone had been rolled away. Mark tells us that they had discussed on their way to the tomb who would roll away the stone for them to perform their labor of love:
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" Mark 16:1-3 (NIV)
When they arrived at the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away this was, of course, a great wonder to them. How had it happened? Who would have moved it? Matthew tells us:
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. Matt 28:2-4 (NIV)
This is quite amusing to me. These great, brave Roman soldiers placed to guard the tomb of Jesus and make it as secure as they knew how – even to the point of placing a seal on the stone - shook and became like dead men at the presence of the angel of the Lord. Admittedly, it must have been an awesome sight. Indeed, throughout Scripture when flesh comes in contact with the glorified there is an incredible demonstration of awe mixed with great fear. While this is certainly a supposition, I wonder if the angel of the Lord took a bit of delight in scaring these guards half to death. Once so pompous and sure of their ability to guard the tomb of our Lord now we find them here terrified.
“All the powers of death and darkness are under the control of the God of light and life. An angel from heaven has power to break the seal, though it was the great seal of Israel, and is able to roll back the stone, though ever so great. The angel’s sitting on the stone, when he had rolled it back, is very observable. There he sat, defying all the powers of hell to roll the stone to the grave again. The angel sat as a guard to the grave, having frightened away the enemies’ black guard; he sat, expecting the women, and ready to give them an account of His resurrection.” Matthew Henry
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?" Job 26:14 (NIV)
The angels reproach he women in the futility and absurdity of their search for Jesus – why indeed would they be looking for the living among the dead? Testimony is therefore given by the angels that Jesus is indeed living. Just a Job exclaimed:
25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 (NIV)
“God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus; He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died, to buy my pardon. An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives! How sweet to hold a new-born baby, and feel the pride, and joy he gives; but greater still the calm assurance, this child can face uncertain days because He lives. And then one day I’ll cross that river, I’ll fight life’s final war with pain; and then as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the light of glory and I’ll know He reigns. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone; because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives!” Gloria and William Gaither
The angels remind the ladies of Jesus’ words to them that He would be delivered into the hands of sinful men, crucified and raised again – then, Scripture tells us, they remembered His words.
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33 On the third day he will rise again." 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. Luke 18:31-34 (NIV)
“To know a crucified Savior as having crucified all my sins, is a high degree of knowledge; but to know a risen Savior as having justified me, and to realize that He has bestowed upon me new life, having given me to be a new creature through His own newness of life, this is a noble style of experience: short of it, none ought to rest satisfied. May you both ‘know Him, and the power of His resurrection’. Why should souls who are quickened with Jesus, wear the grave-clothes of worldliness and unbelief? Rise, for the Lord is risen.” C.H. Spurgeon