Station fifteen: Jesus rises from the dead

Bible reading

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
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Mark 16:1-8 (NIV)​

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Pause

Mark leaves us with this breathless end to his gospel. The women arrive at the tomb and wonder where Jesus is. They encounter an angel who reminds them that Jesus told them that he would rise from the dead and that he would meet them in Galilee. The women run from the tomb afraid. We know that this is not the end of the story, because the other gospels include lots of accounts of what happens when the disciples meet the risen Jesus. You can read some of these stories in the gospel of Luke and the gospel of John. They both tell us that Jesus met with his disciples a number of times and ate with them. He was living and breathing and bore the scars in his hands, feet and sides. The gospels go on to tell us of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. This image created by the children of St Nicolas CofE School, Nuneaton, shows the connection created between the earth and heaven by Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. The book of revelation tells us that when Jesus returns and renews the earth Jerusalem will come down from God shining like precious jewels. Can you imagine what that would look like?

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Ponder

Prayer
Lord Jesus, you were dead but now you are alive:
transform the world, that we may see your radiant glory.
You were raised from death to life:
may the power of your resurrection live in us, that we may be channels of your life beyond measure.
Amen