“After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God’s angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn’t move.” Matthew 28:1-4 MSG
The women, who were followers of Jesus, would have gone to visit the tomb because they wanted to properly bury Jesus' body and mourn his death. They may have also wanted to pay their respects and say goodbye to Jesus. Additionally, according to the Gospels, they were also curious to see if Jesus' body was still in the tomb and if the tomb was still sealed, as some of them were present at the time of Jesus' burial and were aware of the Roman seal on the tomb.
So, These women were headed to the tomb, it would have been "Sunday" morning. Jesus's crucifixion happened on Thursday, Because of the holiday Jesus's body had to be quickly buried, they would not have had time to properly prepare it for burial. I am sure they took time and consideration to do a good job with their time constraints. I found this interesting article about Jewish burial customs - Jewish ritual and mourning.
“The angel spoke to the women: “There is nothing to fear here. I know you’re looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.” Matthew 28:5-6 MSG
This is the culmination of this entire book and the Gospel. If this part right here is not true then the entire book is nothing but stories and proverbs. a guide for moral living to make an attempt to attain righteousness through ones own efforts. But if this is true, then Jesus was conquered death. Death has been defeated and all we have to do is look to Jesus and we become His righteousness, Don't worry, we will explore this a lot when we get further along in the new testament.
here is a really interesting interpretation of the cross
So here is the thing, In Jesus day the concept of death and resurrection was not uncommon in Mythology. Tho it was that, Mythology - Mythology refers to a collection of traditional stories, beliefs, and customs that explain the beliefs and practices of a particular culture or explain the natural phenomena and origins of a people. These stories often involve gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters, and may seek to explain the origins of the world and humanity, as well as the customs and rituals of the culture that tells the stories. Mythology can also be used more broadly to refer to the study of such stories across cultures and throughout history.
Here is a list of some mythology death and resurrections.
Osiris in Egyptian mythology: Osiris was killed by his brother Seth and dismembered, but his wife Isis reassembled his body and brought him back to life using magic. He then became the god of the afterlife.
Adonis in Greek mythology: Adonis was killed by a wild boar, but was brought back to life by the goddess Aphrodite.
Dionysus in Greek mythology: Dionysus was killed and torn to pieces by the Titans, but was brought back to life by Zeus.
Tammuz in Mesopotamian mythology: Tammuz was killed by the underworld goddess Ereshkigal, but was brought back to life by his mother and lover, the goddess Ishtar.
Baal in Cana'anite mythology: Baal was believed to die and be resurrected every year, in a cycle of death and rebirth that represented the changing of the seasons.
Inana in Sumerian mythology: Inana died and went to the underworld, but was brought back to life through the help of other gods.
So, when this message was brought to the world as we will explore in acts, this idea of a deity returning from the grave was not unheard of! However the why behind it suggest something entirely new.
Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity according to Christian belief, whereas in other religions the characters may have died for different reasons such as to defeat a enemy or to gain enlightenment.
Jesus' resurrection is seen as a demonstration of his divinity and the promise of eternal life for believers, whereas in other religions the characters coming back to life may have a different significance such as showing their spiritual attainment or their power.
Jesus' resurrection is a central tenet of Christian theology and is considered to have a profound impact on salvation and the forgiveness of sins, whereas in other religions the characters coming back to life may not have the same emphasis or importance.
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The angels then send the woman to go and tell the others what they have seen and are informed that Jesus has been sent on ahead of them. As they head to tell the disciples, Jesus meets them and they fall to their knees and begin to worship Jesus. He gives them instructions and sends them on their way.
The guards who had ran away from the tomb end up explaining what has happened to the high priest, They decide the best approach is to bribe the guards to lie about what they have seen, They are to tell anyone who ask's that the disciples had come and stolen Jesus body. Now this is a big deal, because if one of the guards had fallen asleep on the job and failed to do exactly what they were there to do. which was prevent His body from being stolen, they would likely have been killed for not doing what they were supposed to do. The high priest promise to protect them from such a fate.
Matthew cuts the story pretty short as to what all happens after Jesus rose from the dead, some of the other Gospels will explain what happens in greater detail. It's important to remember that each of these books were eye witness accounts, written to different audiences and have very different writing styles. There are variations in their accounts but overall the meaning and message is the same. I am not going to reveal anything new and marvelous in my blog that others before me have not already come to understand or articulate in a much better manner than i can. it's important to remember that this blog is mainly for my own learning purpose and it's public domain is because i am open to correction and discussion on these topics as it is not something i am afraid to talk on.
Matthew finishes off his book with Jesus commission:
“Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”” Matthew 28:18-20 MSG
Job 38
““Do you know where Light comes from and where Darkness lives So you can take them by the hand and lead them home when they get lost? Why, of course you know that. You’ve known them all your life, grown up in the same neighborhood with them!” Job 38:19-21 MSG
This is such a beautiful concept of who God is! He is sovereign over all creation! If we can really look at God this way then we can have a much deeper respect for Him and creation.'
““Have you ever traveled to where snow is made, seen the vault where hail is stockpiled, The arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness for times of trouble and battle and war? Can you find your way to where lightning is launched, or to the place from which the wind blows? Who do you suppose carves canyons for the downpours of rain, and charts the route of thunderstorms That bring water to unvisited fields, deserts no one ever lays eyes on, Drenching the useless wastelands so they’re carpeted with wildflowers and grass? And who do you think is the father of rain and dew, the mother of ice and frost? You don’t for a minute imagine these marvels of weather just happen, do you?” Job 38:22-30 MSG
I asked ChatGPT "If God is sovereign over nature then why do we have natural disaters?" and it gave me this response.
The concept of natural disasters and the existence of evil and suffering in the world is a difficult and complex topic. One perspective is that natural disasters are a result of the fallen state of the world due to the sin of humanity. While God is sovereign and has control over all things, he has also given humanity free will, and the choices and actions of humanity can have consequences. Additionally, some believe that God uses natural disasters and other difficult circumstances to bring about a greater good or to reveal his glory. Ultimately, the full understanding of why natural disasters occur is beyond our human comprehension, and we must trust in God's goodness and sovereignty.
Good answer robot. I can agree that it is outside our human comprehension, pretty sure that was just laid out in Job.
Does God state that there is a cosmic clock that can affect things on earth? (this is also why the bible says not to give mind to mans attempts at astrology, such as start signs and astro charts)
““Can you catch the eye of the beautiful Pleiades sisters, or distract Orion from his hunt? Can you get Venus to look your way, or get the Great Bear and her cubs to come out and play? Do you know the first thing about the sky’s constellations and how they affect things on Earth?” Job 38:31-33 MSG
Job 39
The Message
26-30 “Was it through your know-how that the hawk learned to fly,
soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts?
Did you command the eagle’s flight,
and teach her to build her nest in the heights,
Perfectly at home on the high cliff face,
invulnerable on pinnacle and crag?
From her perch she searches for prey,
spies it at a great distance.
Her young gorge themselves on carrion;
wherever there’s a roadkill, you’ll see her circling.”
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