This post is Day 15 in a series of studies about “Mary’s of the Bible”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Mary’s of the Bible – Day 15

The two Marys who were sitting by the empty tomb that day must have been pondering all these things. They had been with Jesus for many months, and had much to think about. They would remember all they had witnessed, and must have wondered why Jesus had not saved Himself.

Matthew 27:61

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Thought

This verse stands very much alone in a long chapter describing the death of Jesus in great detail, as well as the amazing things that happened at the moment of His death. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The rocks split, and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life (Matthew 27:51-52).

Those verses leave us with lots of unanswered questions! Who were these people? Why do we hear nothing else about them? How long did they live, and did they die a second time, or were they just raptured one day? And who repaired the curtain? Was it replaced, and was there a discussion about how it got torn? And who tore it? If the tear began at the top, then no human was pulling it apart!

The two Marys who were sitting by Jesus’s empty tomb that day must have pondered all these things. They had not been far from Jesus for many months, and had much to think about. They would remember all they had witnessed, and must have wondered why Jesus who had resurrected others had not saved Himself from the cross.

Action

Think today about some of these events, and imagine yourself in those situations.

How would you feel if someone whose burial you had witnessed appeared at your door telling you that they had been raised from the dead?

If you happened to be in the temple the day that the veil was torn, how shocked would you be? Would you close your eyes so that you could not see what was hidden, knowing that “unclean” people must not enter that Holy Place, or would your curiosity get the better of you?

Pray for those you know who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead.

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