Yeshua’s Resurrection & Appearances ~ Part 1

In our last post, we concluded Yeshua’s Crucifixion. We will now begin to examine His Resurrection & Appearance.

Introduction

The Good News of His Resurrection surpasses the importance of Yeshua’s death! The events which follow are nothing short of marvelous. They confirm Yeshua’s credibility and are nothing short of marvelous. They provide us, as Believers, the assurance of life after death.

The Stone Is Rolled Away

¹ After Shabbat, as the next day was dawning, Miryam of Magdala and the other Miryam went to see the grave. ² Suddenly, there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of Adonai came down from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it.

The words imply not that they witnessed the earthquake but that they inferred it from what they saw. The form of the angel is described in Mark 16:5 as that of a “young man” in white or bright (Luke 24:4) raiment. This was the answer to the question they had been asking as they came, “Who shall roll away the stone for us?” (Mark 16:3 below). That would have been beyond their strength.

³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so terrified of Him that they trembled and became like dead men. ^[1]

The angel’s appearance identified him as a heavenly being (see Daniel 7:9; 10:6).

Women Come to the Tomb

¹ When Shabbat was over, Miryam of Magdala, Miryam the mother of Ya’akov (James), and Shlomit (Salome) bought spices in order to go and anoint Yeshua. ² Very early the next day, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb. ³ They were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” ⁴ Then they looked up and saw that the stone, even though it was huge, had been rolled back already. ^[2]

Resurrection Announced

⁵ On entering the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right; and they were dumbfounded. ⁶ But he said, “Don’t be so surprised! You’re looking for Yeshua from Natzeret, who was executed on the stake. He has risen; He’s not here! Look at the place where they laid Him. ⁷ But go and tell His talmidim, especially Kefa, that He is going to the Galil ahead of you. You will see Him there, just as He told you.” ^[3]

The stone was not moved to let Yeshua out but to let witnesses enter. That the women entered the tomb confirms it was a large family tomb.

Go and tell are the two things that all followers of Yeshua are to do. Kefa is given special mention only in Mark as an encouragement following his denials of Yeshua (Mark 14:66–72). The message for the talmidim to meet Yeshua in Galil recalls Yeshua’s prophecy in Mark 14:28.

The Women Reminded of Prophecy

⁴ They were standing there, not knowing what to think about it, when suddenly two men in dazzlingly bright clothing stood next to them. ⁵ Terror-stricken, they bowed down with their faces to the ground. The two men said to them, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has been raised. Remember how he told you while he was still in the Galil, ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be executed on a stake as a criminal, but on the third day be raised again’?” ⁸ Then they remembered his words; ⁹ and, returning from the tomb, they told everything to the Eleven and to all the rest. ^[4]

Yeshua’s body was nowhere to be found, and the women had no answer for why it was missing. The two men who suddenly appeared and terrified them were angels (Mark 24:23; Yochanan 20:12). (Matthew 28:2–3 and Mark 16:5 mention only one angel.) The angels announced the resurrection of Yeshua to the women and reminded them that He had predicted this would happen. They remembered His words when they were reminded of Yeshua’s assertion that He would rise on the third day. Now they were better prepared to understand and believe Yeshua’s radical words.

In our next post, we will continue to explore Yeshua’s Resurrection & Appearances.

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^[1]  Mattityahu 28:1–4.
^[2]  Mark 16:1–4.
^[3]  Mark 16:5–7.
^[4]  Luke 24:4–9.