After the death of Jesus, his disciples were devastated. They had followed him closely, witnessed his miracles, and believed that he was the Messiah.
However, their hopes were shattered when he was crucified on the cross. But then, something incredible happened – Jesus rose from the dead! But who told the disciples about this miraculous event?
According to the Bible, it was Mary Magdalene who first discovered that Jesus’ tomb was empty. She had gone to visit his tomb on the third day after his death and found that the stone had been rolled away. She immediately ran to tell Peter and John, two of Jesus’ closest disciples.
Peter and John
When Peter and John heard what Mary had to say, they went to see for themselves. They found that Mary was telling the truth – Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb!
The Bible says that “they saw and believed” (John 20:8). Although they didn’t yet understand what had really happened.
Mary Magdalene sees Jesus
Mary stayed at the tomb weeping because she thought someone stole Jesus’ body. Eventually she turned around and saw a man who she thought was a gardener but it turned out to be Jesus himself!
He spoke with her for a while before revealing himself as he said “Mary.” She recognized him quickly which showed how well she knew him.
Jesus appears to other disciples
Jesus then appeared several times over a period of forty days to many people including his disciples at different places like Emmaus where he broke bread with them (Luke 24:13-35), Galilee where he met them after they went fishing without any catch (John 21:1-14), and finally Jerusalem where he ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-11).
The Great Commission
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave his disciples a mission to preach the good news of his resurrection and salvation to the world. This is known as the Great Commission, which is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. The disciples were instructed to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it was Mary Magdalene who first discovered that Jesus’ tomb was empty. She then told Peter and John who went to see for themselves.
After this event, Jesus appeared several times over a period of forty days to many people including his disciples before ascending into heaven. Before leaving, he gave his disciples a mission to spread the good news of his resurrection to all nations. This event is one of the most important moments in Christianity and continues to be celebrated today as Easter Sunday.