The Body Is Gone!

Luke 24:1-11

Late Thursday night or early Friday morning, Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus finished preparing Jesus’ body and closed up the tomb. The women had observed what they had done and made arrangements to prepare more spices during the day Friday, then meet early Monday to apply them to the body.

Sometime Friday, the chief priests and Pharisees contacted Pilate to get a guard posted to be sure that no one stole the body, according to Matthew 27:62-65. Early Sunday morning, sometime before dawn. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb to spend time with Jesus’ body before the other women arrived. An earthquake happened and the angel of the Lord rolled back the stone, panicking the guard.

John is the only one who records Mary’s first comint to the tomb and finding it empty. She then found Peter and John who ran back to see for themselves. John 20:1-10 describes their contact. “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.”

Peter and John left without having seen the angels or the Lord, although they believe something is definitely going on. Mary, on the other hand waited around, really upset because the body was missing. John 20:11-18 describes her experience. “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary.

She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.”

At some point the other women arrived, discussing who they would ask for help to roll the stone away, not knowing that the angel had already done so. They saw and talked with the two angels that Mary saw, but not the Lord himself.

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” (Luke 24:1-7)

Only when the angel reminded them how many times Jesus had warned them he would be killed and raised again did the women remember what he had said. Once again we are reminded how hard it is for us to accept a different concept than we are used to. Until we actually see it or experience it or the Holy Spirit makes us understand, the words just don’t compute.

“And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.” (Luke 24:8-11)

Even when the ladies told them what the angels had said, the apostles and other disciples didn’t believe it. It just seemed impossible. If they were like modern guys, they probably assumed that the ladies had gone to the wrong tomb or imagined the whole thing.


Unlike John, Luke did not accompany Peter to the tomb. As a result he gives far less detail than John, both about the timing, and what Peter saw.

“Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.” (Luke 24:12)