It was NOT what they were expecting.
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
The tomb was sealed but they went, hoping somehow they could get to Jesus that they might anoint him. It was part of the burial tradition and process. But instead of a closed tomb, they saw the stone rolled away. And a young man sitting in a white robe on the table where Jesus had been laid. He is an angel.
The angel informs him that Jesus has risen, and they will see him again. Remember, these are the very three women who just a few days previous were eye-witnesses to the death of Jesus. They saw it with their own eyes. And now they were being told he was alive. And the fact that they had seen an angel.
It all was terrifying.
But in this they were commissioned. They were the first ones to go spread the good news that Jesus was alive. That he was no longer at the tomb, his body was not there, but they were to meet Jesus in Galilee according to the angel.
There is one statement that must have really hit them.
“You will see him, just has he told you.”
They had been there when Jesus had told them that he would be crucified and on the third day be raised to life. I’m sure they didn’t understand as it wasn’t everyday that someone was raised from the dead. But here it was happening. Could it be?
That’s the question even today.
The resurrection is central.
Paul even said that if there is no resurrection our faith is futile.
But if he did rise from the dead???
That changes everything.