This may be very simple, but when Mary and the others were confused and did not know what to do, they went to the last place they saw Jesus. When Peter heard something he could not believe, he went to the place where he heard others had encountered Jesus.

Sometimes, like Mary, we do not recognize Christ. We pray and present our requests, but oftentimes, He answers us in practical ways we may not expect.

Out of all the things He said to us that day, I remember the look in His eyes when He confronted our pride and unbelief in Him and the others. I will never forget that day. I should have listened to my heart. I knew Mary was not a liar, and the Emmaus guys have never given me a reason to doubt their integrity. Now I understand.

Have you ever had really good news that you couldn’t wait to share with someone, and when you finally did, their response was disappointing? Maybe they were not as excited, or it was just bad timing?

If I were Jesus—and let’s all be thankful I’m not—the first thing I would do after rising from the dead is make an early morning trip to Pilate’s house. I would walk through the walls of his bedchamber, sneak to the side of his bed, shake him awake, and say, “Hi! You just thought you could wash your hands of me.” Then, I would visit each Pharisee that contributed to my death. But, I am not Jesus.

Mary and the others went to cover Jesus with spices. They did not have a command from the Lord to do it, they simply wanted to. However, a large and seemingly immovable stone stood between their intentions and desires to honor Him and His physical body. Sound familiar? Have you ever desired to know Jesus more deeply, but there seemed to be a hinderance. Perhaps a personal failure, wound, or disappointment?

She finally arose from the mat that was supposed to be her bed, but there was no sleep for her this night. She could not stop thinking about Him.

In a cool, dark room lies a corpse wrapped in linen cloth. His spirit has gone into Hades and brought back the keys of death and hell, freeing many who had trusted God in the Old Covenant. Only Jesus can go through hell victorious. Now it is time to display the greatness and unconquerable spirit of Jesus.

To understand the impact the resurrection of Jesus had and still has, we must try to understand it initially from a first century disciple’s perspective. The disciples had been following Jesus for about three years. They were astounded and perplexed by Him. He was their hope of a life beyond their existence as fishermen and tax collectors. They believed that Jesus was going to restore the kingdom back to Israel.