Their grief turned to joy

You have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. (John 16:22 ESV)

Jesus’ disciples knew what it meant to mourn and grieve. They had seen Jesus crucified and His body laid in a tomb. One day He was with them, and the next He was gone—or so it must have felt. They’d no doubt had their fair share of tests during the three years they had spent with Jesus. But the test they endured right after His death must have been one of the most difficult.

When He was crucified and laid to rest, they wrestled with doubt. They had seen their Master perform miracles of resurrection, but now here He was entombed himself.

Mary Magdalene found them in this dejected, melancholic state of mind on Easter Sunday. When she came running to them with the news of finding the tomb empty and seeing an angel who told her that Jesus had risen, at first they didn’t believe her. That is, until Peter and John went and saw it for themselves.

 When Jesus manifested Himself to them, they discovered that He was more than just “alive.” He could do truly amazing things like appear and disappear, even when doors were shut.

 Through these and many other signs, He convinced His grief-stricken followers that He had indeed been resurrected, and their grief turned to joy, just as He’d told them it would. [1]

The great gift of Easter is hope—Christian hope which makes us have that confidence in God, in His ultimate triumph, and in His goodness and love, which nothing can shake. - Basil Hume

[1] Anchor Overcoming Grief in Times of Loss