Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
“Come and See!” Those are the words that greet the women who first discovered the empty tomb. They come Sunday morning with spices, but without a plan to move the stone. As they wonder about what they’re going to do about the stone, they are greeted by not only the stone moved, but an angelic visitor.
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”
Matthew 28:5b-6
“Come and see!” The angel challenges the women to test his words. If the massive stone being rolled away, the visit with a brilliant angelic visitor, the struck-dumb guards and Jesus’ own words were not enough – the angel invites the women to test his words. Look where Jesus’ body ought to be. See that it is not there. Later, Luke records the women reporting the good news to the disciples; and notice Peter’s response.
“But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.”
Luke 24:11-12
Peter doesn’t just take the women’s words at face value. Their words can be tested, so he does test them.
Christianity often faces criticism because so much of it relies on faith. That’s true, it does. However, much of it does not. Faith can be a crutch answer to hard questions, but many aspects of the Bible can be tested. Upwards of ten people saw the stone rolled away and the empty tomb. Six saw and heard the angel. Hundreds of people saw the risen Jesus. Those people were around for decades after Jesus’ ascension. While every single book of the New Testament was written and distributed, there were people around who said, “Yup, I saw Jesus after his crucifixion.” Followers of Jesus need faith; but often we are challenged to “come and see.” Test it out. See for yourself that what you were taught and believed holds water. The evidence for the empty tomb is everywhere. Even today, the evidence for the empty tomb is in every changed life among the followers of Jesus.
