The empty tomb

¹ Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. ² Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky and came and rolled away the stone from the door and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men. ⁵ The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying. ⁷ Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”

⁸ They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. ⁹ As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!”

They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”

¹ But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they and some others came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³ They entered in, and didn’t find the Lord Jesus’ body. ⁴ While they were greatly perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling clothing. ⁵ Becoming terrified, they bowed their faces down to the earth.

The men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ He isn’t here, but is risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying that the Son of Man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again?”

⁸ They remembered his words, ⁹ returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with them told these things to the apostles. ¹¹ These words seemed to them to be nonsense, and they didn’t believe them. ¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened.

¹ Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”

³ Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb. ⁴ They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. ⁵ Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he didn’t enter in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. ⁸ So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed. ⁹ For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

¹¹ But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, ¹² and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. ¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn’t know that it was Jesus.

¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?”

She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Teacher!”

¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.

(35) But during the night before the Lord’s day dawned, while the soldiers were watching two by two as guards, there was a great voice in heaven. (36) And they saw the heavens being opened, and two men descended from there, having much radiance, and they approached the tomb. (37) But that stone which had been placed at the door rolled away by itself, and made way in part, and the tomb was opened, and both the young men went in.

Emerging from the Tomb

(38) Then those soldiers seeing it woke up the centurion and the elders, because they were there too, keeping guard. (39) And while they were explaining to them what they saw, again they saw three men coming out of the tomb, with the two supporting the one, and a cross following them. (40) And the heads of the two reached as far as heaven, but that of the one being led by them reached beyond the heavens.

(41) And they heard a voice from the heavens, saying, "Have you proclaimed to those who sleep?"

(42) And a response was heard from the cross: "Yes!"

Reporting to Pilate

(43) Then those men decided to go with each other and report these things to Pilate. (44) And while they were still considering, again the heavens were seen being opened, and a certain man descended and went into the grave. (45) Having seen these things, those with the centurion hurried by night to Pilate, having left the tomb they were watching, and described all that they saw, being greatly distressed, and saying, "Truly he was the Son of God!"

(46) In response Pilate said, "I’m clean of the blood of the Son of God, and this is clear to us."

(47) Then all who came were begging him, and encouraging him to command the centurion and the soldiers to say nothing about what they saw. (48) "It’s better for us," they said, "to be guilty of a great sin in front of God than to fall into the hands of the Jewish people and be stoned." (49) So Pilate commanded the centurion and the soldiers to say nothing.

Mary Magdalene Goes to the Tomb

(50) Now at dawn on the Lord’s day, Mary Magdalene, a disciple of the Lord, afraid because of the Jews (since they were inflamed by anger), had not done at the Lord’s grave what women are accustomed to do for their loved ones who’ve died.

(51) Taking her friends with her, she went to the grave where he was laid. (52) And they were afraid lest the Jews might see them, and were saying, "If on the day he was crucified we weren’t able to weep and mourn, even now we might do this on his grave. (53) But who will roll away for us the stone that has been placed at the door of the grave so that we might go in, sit by him, and do our duties? (54) Because the stone is great, and we’re afraid lest someone sees us. And if we aren’t able, at least let’s place at the door what we’re bringing in memory of him, and we’ll weep and mourn until we return to our house."

Encounter at the Tomb

(55) And having gone, they found the tomb had been opened. And having approached, they bent down and saw there a certain young man sitting in the middle of the tomb. He was beautiful, having clothed himself with a long, shining robe. He said to them, (56) "Why did you come? Whom do you seek? Not that one who was crucified? He arose and went away. But if you don’t believe, bend down and see where he was lying, that he’s not there, because he arose and went to where he came from."

(57) Then the women were afraid, and fled.