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48
A Call to Stand Apart
came. Ultimately, as the soldiers turned to leave, Caiphas found his
voice and said, “Wait! Don’t tell anyone what you saw.”
Then the priests made up a lie for the soldiers. “Report that His
disciples came during the night and stole His body while you were
asleep.” What an unbelievable lie! If the soldiers were asleep when
the disciples stole the body, how could they have known? And if
the disciples had stolen His body, surely the priests would be the
first to condemn them! The soldiers were horrified at the thought
of bringing upon themselves the charge of sleeping on duty. That
was a crime for which they could pay with their lives. To pacify the
soldiers, the priests promised them protection and hush money if
they followed their instructions
Back at the garden tomb very early that Sunday morning the
women who had stood at the cross made their way to the tomb, car-
rying spices to anoint Jesus’ body. The thought that He might have
risen from the dead didn’t enter their minds. As they approached
the garden, they asked each other who would roll away the great
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stone that blocked the entrance. They knew they couldn’t. Then
they felt the earth begin to tremble beneath their feet and saw the
sky illuminate with glory. When they reached the tomb, the stone
already had been moved, and they found no body inside.
Mary Magdalene, who had reached the tomb first, wasted no
time in running to tell the disciples. Moments later, when the other
women arrived, they sensed they were not alone. Looking around,
they saw someone sitting by the tomb. It was the angel who had
rolled away the stone.
The brightness surrounding the angel frightened them, and they
turned to leave. The angel’s words stopped them in their tracks.
“Don’t be afraid; I know you are looking for Jesus. He isn’t here!
He’s alive! Come and look at the place where His body rested. Then
go quickly, and tell His disciples.”
Only then did the women recall His words about rising from the
dead, and they realized they had no need of the expensive anointing
spices they had brought.
Mary, not having heard the news of Jesus’ resurrection, reached
Peter and John before the other women and shared the shocking
news that someone had taken the body of Jesus. So the three of them
