Cover Up
Two different stories were about to be told after the resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus met Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You must say, `His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day. - Matthew 28:9-15
The two Marys were told to tell the disciples what they saw, while the soldiers were being paid off to tell a different version of the story.
In Mark's Gospel, the two women were afraid to say anything to anyone at first, so the coverup orchestrated by the chief priests may have been the first story anyone heard.
But Jesus chooses to hang around for a while, giving people a chance to see him alive, displaying the wounds of his crucifixion. He knew people would have a hard time believing unless they saw for themselves, and that is the time we are in right now, the time of seeing and believing.
The coming weeks will bring us more and more proof that Jesus is risen, and that changes everything.
It is not merely about squashing a movement, as the chief priests assume. It is about revelation of something new and unique, something you have to see to believe.
This is why Jesus says those who believe without having seen are truly blessed. He is talking about us.
But if we look closely at the goodness around us, especially now, we can see Him in it.
He is alive, and we can believe we are not abandoned. We are in Him and He is in us.
More to come...