(Un)believable: No Body at the Tomb
Luke 24: 1-12
“He’s not there. He has Risen.” These are the words of the two men dressed in clothes that gleam like the lighting. We love these words. We cherish these words. An entire faith community has been built on these words. Year after year, we shout into a frenzy when we think about these words. Yet, while these words matter to the foundation of the Christian faith tradition, could it be that the most crucial detail of these words is in the emphasis for who first heard these words as opposed to who said them? In Luke’s Gospel, the focus on these infamous words is not placed on who said that Jesus is risen, as much as it is on who heard it and shared it.
Our text begins with Luke sharing that very early on Sunday morning, well before the sun had made its appearance, several women had made their way to the tomb. These women, as recorded by Luke, are Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary (the mother of James), and other unnamed women. Why Luke does not name the other women could be because he did not know their names or because he did not believe that their role in the larger narrative was not as significant to be named. In any case, it should not be forgotten that a group of women with care, concern, and consideration, prepared spices for the state-sanctioned, lynched body of Jesus, early in the morning
Culturally, in these times, women typically traveled in groups, as it was not safe nor customary for women to be out alone in the daylight without a man present, serving as protection. Yet, these women went to the tomb anyhow with their spices as they were determined to perform a sacred embalming ritual on Jesus’s dead body. These women knew that it would not be practical to wait for the other men to assist them with traveling, along as they had each other. If the disciples would hide at the crucifixion, while the women were publicly present, what makes these sisters believe that the disciples would be dependable to arrive at the place of burial to perform a ritual.
Isn’t that like women today? Mothers, aunties, big mamas, girlfriends and sisters alike, weeping over the bodies of dead black men. Ancestor James Cone would argue that Jesus is ontologically black and lived a black experience and to see these women gathered at the tomb in continuation of their mourning in the morning is no different from that of Lesley McSpadden, Lucy McBeth, Sybrina Fulton, Samaria Rice, Virginia Davis, Voletta Wallace, Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King, Afeni Shakur, and Mamie Till. These women have all had to endure the spilled blood of black men they will never get to hold again. So here we are at the tomb of Jesus with Mary, Mary, Joanna, and their sisters going to see about a body that has bled to death while the public watched.
We cling to these words that proclaim the resurrection because they remind us that death, nor man, did not win. When the women arrived at the tomb, the saw, unexpectedly, that the stone had been rolled away from the grave. Surely these women had expected for the tomb to be sealed and in their minds, they were going to muster up the strength they could get as a collective to roll the stone away themselves. They were determined to get inside the tomb because they could not bear to leave Jesus’s cold, deteriorating, bloodless, body alone another day. These women were on a mission to preserve what was left of their beloved Jesus, a man they had come to love and adore.
But no. The stone was already rolled out the way. The stone had been moved, but who moved the stone? Surely it was there on Saturday, so who could be bold enough and strong enough to push the stone before the daylight? Walking into the tomb, the women looked around and did not find the body. The panic these women must have felt to not only see the stone rolled, but to walk into a dark, cold, and funky smelling tomb and not see whom they are looking for. There was nobody. Not only did they have to see him die, but to find his body missing brings about a new level of trauma.
It’s already painful to say “goodbye” once, but the trauma of not being able to at least look upon the face of Jesus one more time had to be enough to send these women over the edge in pain. Where was the body of Jesus? Surely, these women had seen where he was laid after the crucifixion.
Yet, two men, clothed and glowing with light appear out of nowhere, startling the women in fear. They already weren’t supposed to be there at the tomb, and now they could be framed for stealing the body and tampering with what is now the property of the state. The body of Jesus did not belong to them, and these women had no business being at the tomb unaccompanied. Immediately, the women fell to the ground as they were terrified and filled with fear. They did not want these men to look upon their faces, nor could they state these men in the face. These men could have been anyone and being in their presence could have been dangerous for the women. These men, whom we have now considered to be angels of the Lord, declared those words: “Why do you look for the living among the sea” He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’” (Luke 24:5b-7, NIV). They remembered.
The calling forth of memory is key to this passage. The women remembered what Jesus had told them while he was with them only after the angels bring it to their attention. In the moments of trauma and in disbelief, calling forth memories of promises is not the first thing that people do. These women were not thinking about the commitment that Jesus had made to resurrect. These women were traumatized, yet this moment of encounter with the divine helps them to recall the promises that Jesus established. Jesus promised them that he would raise himself, even after being handed over to the government to be crucified. Jesus continuously spoke about how he is the Son of Man, who has come to be the example for all of humanity, which is the thesis of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus is the Son of Man, who lived, died, and resurrected on his own accord, leading all into full access to God. Jesus did what he promised, and these women now remember how Jesus always makes right on a promise. Jesus had made the impossible, possible.
After leaving the tomb with hearts filled with The Good News, the women ran to tell the other eleven disciples, who were trying their best not to be out and about in fear that someone would kill them by association. It was no secret to who the disciples were, yet there is still something unsettling about their hiding, considering how the women risked their lives to be present not only at the crucifixion but also showing up at the tomb. They too could have been persecuted by association.
When the women told the other eleven what had taken place at the tomb, they were in disbelief and complete shock. The disciples did not believe the women and thought their words to be complete nonsense. While one could argue that the disciples are also traumatized and in denial that Jesus is gone, that is still not an excuse as to why they did not believe the women when they proclaimed that Jesus has risen. Could it be that the disciples felt that they should have been the first ones to know this information? Could it be that they are disappointed because they knew that they, too, should have been at the tomb to see about Jesus? One would believe that the eleven did not believe the women because they are women. This pathology has spanned across time and seeped into modern times. It is still typical in some instances for some men to believe that it is impossible for women to actually have access to critical information from God. It is still typical in some instances for some men to think that women are crazy for proclaiming to the good news. Yet is not only possible, but it is also factual. These women had access to first-hand information that Jesus resurrected his own body as he said he would, thus making these women the first preachers, ever.
Peter, also in some disbelief, yet more out of curiosity, goes to the tomb himself. Peter’s presence is important. While he comes with his own set of insecurities and issues, he still goes, because there is a piece of him that knows that the women are right. Everything that the women reported was true. The stone has been rolled away. The burial linens were left behind. The body was not there. The evidence was there and the women were correct in their proclamation. Walking away from the place, Peter was in wonder about what happened. He probably wondered, how’d Jesus get out the tomb and where had he done? Had the women also seen Jesus and not mention that part? What all happened that morning?
In conclusion, the women were the ones, who learned of the resurrection before anyone else. It was not their intention to become preachers of the Gospel, as much as it was for them to see about a man they loved and trusted. However, that’s exactly what God wanted: God, who is always concerned about the least, decided that the ones who were worthy to bear such news would be the ones who are dependable: the women. Believe the words of the women. He’s Risen.
Reverend Porsha D. Williams is the Pastor of Youth and Children of the Bethany Baptist Church of Newark, NJ. She holds degrees from Spelman College and Yale Divinity School. In addition to her work in parish ministry, Rev. Porsha is also a digital theological storyteller through podcast production (Porshanality Podcast and Just 2 Pearls Podcast), blogging, poetry, and graphic art. She is currently a RISE Together Fellow at Union Theological Seminary, a member of the inaugural Prophetic Preaching Lab Cohort (led by the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III in partnership with Auburn Seminary), and a former Transition into Ministry Pastoral Resident . While Rev. Porsha enjoys reading, writing, and traveling, her favorite moments are the ones she spends with loved ones and her Yorkie-Poo, Paris.