Before the church was built…
Before a sermon was preached…
Before a single disciple fully understood what had happened…
God chose a group of women to carry the greatest news the world has ever known.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was not first announced in a palace, a synagogue, or a crowded marketplace. It was entrusted to faithful women who showed up at a tomb grieving, devoted, and expecting to anoint a dead body. Instead, they encountered an empty grave, a heavenly message, and a life-altering assignment. Their story is not just history, it is a blueprint for every believer today.
Let’s look closely at three powerful truths from their experience: what they saw, what they were told, and why their response still matters for every follower of Jesus today.
What They Saw
The women came to the tomb carrying spices. They weren’t anticipating a miracle. They weren’t looking for a risen Savior. They were coming to honor the body of Jesus after His crucifixion. But what they saw disrupted everything.
They saw the stone rolled away.
They saw an empty tomb.
They saw evidence that something supernatural had taken place.
The place that once held death was now marked by absence. Instead of finding death, they encountered life!
Before they understood it…
Before they could explain it…
Before they could even process it…
They saw that Jesus was no longer where death had left Him. And that’s still where faith begins for us: with the reality that the tomb is empty. The resurrection confronts us with a question: What do we do with the evidence of an empty grave?
Because if the tomb is truly empty, then everything changes:
- Death is not the end
- Sin does not have the final word
- Hope is not wishful thinking; it is anchored in a risen Savior
The women didn’t fully understand yet, but they saw enough to know something had changed forever. And sometimes, that’s where God meets us too. Not with full clarity, but with undeniable evidence that He has moved.
What They Were Told
In the midst of their confusion, fear, and awe, the women received a message from heaven: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen.” Without that message, the empty tomb could have led to confusion, fear, or even false conclusions. But God didn’t leave them guessing. He spoke. And what He told them revealed three powerful truths:
1. Jesus is alive
Jesus, who had been crucified, buried, and sealed in a tomb, was physically alive. The resurrection is a victorious beginning to a new reality.
2. God keeps His Word
The angels reminded them that Jesus had already told them this would happen. “He is risen, just as He said.” In their grief, they had forgotten.
In their confusion, they had lost sight of His promises. But God had not failed. And this is so important for us: God’s promises are not dependent on our ability to remember them; they are fulfilled by His faithfulness.
3. The message was meant to be shared
They weren’t told to stay.
They weren’t told to process privately.
They weren’t told to keep it to themselves.
They were told: “Go and tell.” From the very beginning, the resurrection was never meant to be hidden; it was meant to be proclaimed.
Why Their Response Still Matters Today
Here’s where the story turns from observation to invitation. Because the women didn’t just see and hear… They responded. And their response still speaks to every follower of Jesus today. They went, even when they didn’t have all the answers. Scripture tells us they left the tomb with a mixture of fear and great joy. They didn’t have it all figured out. They couldn’t explain everything. They hadn’t yet seen the full picture. But they moved. They obeyed. They went and told the disciples what they had seen and heard.
And that matters, because so often we wait:
- Until we feel ready
- Until we understand more
- Until we can articulate it perfectly
But the first messengers of the resurrection remind us: You don’t need full understanding to walk in obedience. You just need to respond to what God has revealed.
They were faithful, even when they weren’t immediately believed. When the women told the apostles, Scripture says their words seemed like nonsense. They were dismissed. Doubted. Not taken seriously. Can you imagine? Carrying the greatest news in history… And being met with skepticism. And yet they still delivered the message. They didn’t adjust it to make it more palatable. They didn’t soften it to gain approval. They didn’t withhold it out of fear of rejection. They were faithful to what they had been entrusted with. And that is deeply relevant for us. Because sharing the hope of Jesus doesn’t always result in immediate acceptance. But our responsibility is not to control the response. Our responsibility is to be faithful with the message.
They were entrusted because they showed up. This is one of the most powerful parts of the story. These women were not chosen because of status, position, or recognition. They were chosen because they were present. They stayed when others fled. They came when others hid. They showed up when it was still dark. And because of that, they became the first witnesses of the resurrection. This is such a powerful reminder: God often entrusts His greatest assignments to those who are simply willing to show up.
Not perfect people.
Not platformed people.
But present people.
The resurrection was never meant to be a moment we celebrate once a year. It is a message we are called to carry every day. Just like those women at the tomb, we have been entrusted with life-changing truth: Jesus is alive! Sin has been defeated! Hope is available and new life is possible!
So here’s the question: Who in your life needs to hear that message right now?
- The friend who feels stuck in shame
- The family member who feels far from God
- The coworker who is searching for meaning
- The woman sitting quietly next to you in church
Just like the first messengers, you don’t need to have all the answers. You don’t need perfect words. You just need a willing heart. A heart that says: “I’ve seen what God can do.”
“I’ve heard His truth.”
“And I can’t keep it to myself.”
The first messengers of the resurrection were not theologians, preachers, or leaders. They were women who had encountered Jesus… stayed close to Him… and responded when He called. And their story reminds us of this simple but powerful truth: The same God who entrusted them… is still entrusting us. So this Easter, and every day after, don’t just celebrate the empty tomb. Carry the message of it. Live it. Speak it. Share it. Because the world is still searching among the dead… And we’ve been given the message of the Living One!