The Book: "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes." - John 20:1-10
The Land: Two locations contend for the hearts of the faithful as the site of the tomb of Jesus, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb. While the Garden Tomb is a wonderful place to pray and remember the Easter story, most scholars confer on the church the mark of authenticity.
Given the status and role of women in the first century, the identification by John of Mary Magdalene as the first witness to the resurrection is certainly reckless if not true. In fact, other women (see John 20:2) accompanied Mary Magdalene that first Easter and joined her as the first witnesses. While Mary is the first to encounter the risen Jesus, all of the women discover the first evidence of the resurrection, an empty tomb and grave clothes that are no longer needed.
The Land: Two locations contend for the hearts of the faithful as the site of the tomb of Jesus, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb. While the Garden Tomb is a wonderful place to pray and remember the Easter story, most scholars confer on the church the mark of authenticity.
Given the status and role of women in the first century, the identification by John of Mary Magdalene as the first witness to the resurrection is certainly reckless if not true. In fact, other women (see John 20:2) accompanied Mary Magdalene that first Easter and joined her as the first witnesses. While Mary is the first to encounter the risen Jesus, all of the women discover the first evidence of the resurrection, an empty tomb and grave clothes that are no longer needed.
The Lessons for Preaching: Christian apologists offer many causes for belief in the resurrection of Jesus. Among them are the transformation of the disciples, their newfound boldness, and 2,000 years of continuous history of the Jesus' movement.
However, the empty tomb was the evidence for resurrection trumpeted by the gospel writer. Seven times John references the tomb, the empty tomb. While the empty tomb has been explained away, the fact of the matter is that no body was ever produced.
Yes, there is much to proclaim as confirmation of the Easter hope grounded in resurrection, but
the earliest proclamation of the first witnesses was that the tomb was empty. The tomb was empty. The Lord is risen!
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