The Testament Spectator - Story: Jesus Alive

Sample Story

Jesus is alive!

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, crucified and entombed in a recently-chiseled cave just three days before, rose from the dead and has vacated His sepulchre.

That’s what several women discovered on the first day of the week when they went very early in the morning to complete anointing Jesus’ Body.

“He has risen! He is not here,” announced one Angel, sitting on the rolled-away stone which was positioned to the right side of the open and empty burial cave.

“See the place where they laid Him,” declared the other Angel, looking and pointing where Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus of Jerusalem wrapped Jesus’ Body in yards of linen and laid Him in the cave a little over 72 hours before.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of James were astounded by this Angelic announcement, a story corroborated by Salome and Joanna plus several other women. They described the Angels as majestic, beautiful and radiant in embodiment. Their garments were so white –– the brightness of the white gleamed like intense lightning, they described. Just a few hours before, the women were mourning, emotionally drained after witnessing Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Out of love and devotion for Him, they left very early in the morning to His tomb, transporting spices so they could complete the ritualistic process of anointing His Body.

“We asked each other ‘who would roll the stone away from the entrance of the cave,’” one of the women said.

The women acknowledged that they didn’t know why no one thought to ask some men to accompany them because the Roman Guards would not assist in removing the heavy boulder.

But as events would reveal, they didn’t need their brethren nor the assistance of soldiers to roll back the heavy stone.

“When we approached the tomb, we saw that the stone already had been rolled away,” said one woman, puzzled at finding Jesus’ burial cave open and vacant.

“Then we entered and saw this young Man, dressed in pure white sitting on the right side of the large stone,” she said.

The women weren’t only perplexed at seeing two majestic Angels at the cave’s opening. Fear enveloped them as well –– particularly upon finding the four Roman soldiers not guarding, as they had expected, but lying inexplicably motionless on the ground.

Entering the cave, the women bowed their faces pressed to the ground.

“Yes, yes, yes,” another woman recalled. “That’s when the two Angels told us not to be alarmed –– but we were still afraid,” she confessed.

The four-member Roman squad, posted by government and religious officials to ensure security against graverobbers, were cowering so much in fear on the dew-saturated ground they became like dead men.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead,” the Angels asked the women inquisitively, declaring that “Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified, is not here but risen.” The women said the two Angels reminded them what Jesus told them about the Son of Man being arrested, placed “into the hands of sinful men, crucified and on the third day, raised again.”

Even though now the women remembered what Jesus told them, they still trembled. Rising from the ground, they started to flee the tomb in bewilderment.

“Tell His disciples and also Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you,’” said the other Angel while the women were leaving.

The women departed the premises trembling, yet still very excited and buoyant at witnessing and stumbling upon this miraculous discovery.

“We didn’t want to say anything to anybody –– because we were so afraid,” they confessed. “But we just couldn’t keep the news to ourselves any longer.”

While the women scampered away, they discussed whether the disciples would actually believe in this Angelic-announcement-empty-tomb-Jesus-resurrection story.