15. The First Easter Day

(John 20)

Very, early on Sunday morning, the third day after Jesus had died, some Roman soldiers were guarding the tomb where the body of Jesus lay. Just as the first faint streaks of dawn appeared, suddenly there was a noise and a shaking of the ground, as a beautiful angel came down from heaven and rolled away the great stone from the mouth of the tomb. The face of the angel was like lightning, and his garments were like snow. At the sight of the angel and the opened tomb, the Roman soldiers shook with fear and ran away as for their life. Just as they were running out of one gate of the garden, three women, friends of Jesus, were coming into the garden by another gate. They were walking slowly and sorrowfully and saying one to another, “Who will roll away the stone from the tomb?” They were bringing fresh cloths and spices to put around his body. It was still dark in the garden, with only a small streak of light in the east; but what was that bright, shining light in front of the tomb? They hurried forward and looked—the great rock had been rolled away and a strange and beautiful angel was sitting upon the stone in front of the tomb. The tomb they could see was empty. The women were trembling with fear and surprise. But the angel said: “Be not afraid, I know ye seek Jesus. He is not here. He is risen. Go, and tell his disciples that he goes before you into Galilee, and ye shall see him as he said unto you!” Full of joy the women hurried back and told the friends of Jesus that he was alive.

Another friend of Jesus came to the garden just as soon as the women had gone. Her name was Mary. She came to the tomb all alone, and when she looked into the empty tomb she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the foot, where the body of Jesus had lain. These angels were strong and beautiful, with garments dazzling white like the sun, but she was so sad that she hardly noticed them until one of them said, “Woman, why weepest thou?” She said, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” Then she stepped back a little distance into the garden and saw a man she thought must be the gardener. He said, “Woman, why weepest thou?” She said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him.” In a low, sweet voice the man said, “Mary.” Then she knew Jesus spoke to her, and brushing her tears away quickly, she said, “Teacher!”

So Jesus came to all his disciples, one by one, or two or three together; until at last all knew he was risen from the dead—that he was alive again.

This is the story of the first Easter Day. And this is the reason that in Russia on Easter morning, the peasant people say, “The Lord is risen!” and their friends reply, “The Lord is risen indeed!”