Some women who had come with Jesus from Galilee…had seen Jesus die on the cross.  They had followed Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who had laid Jesus in a new tomb.  They had seen how those two men had prepared the body of Jesus for burial.  They knew where Jesus had been buried.  But did they?  (Luke 43:55-56) 

  (NASB) Luke 24:1 “BUT ON the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” 

  As the women went to that tomb…it was not sealed after all.  They could at least offer their grief and mourning by providing their spices for the body of Jesus.
  What was this?  Where was the body of Jesus?  When did they take His body away?  And who would have done such a thing?  Who had done this last act of desecration?  Why?
  Did tears overflow and stream down their faces?  We don’t know, Scripture does not say.  This is covered in silence about the overwhelming emotions of that time. 

  Think about the horror that they had already suffered as they watched the long hours of Jesus on the cross.  They had been there when darkness “fell over the land.”  They had watched as Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross.  They had observed where His body had been taken.  Then they observed the Sabbath rest.  What of these women and their emotions?  Probably their emotions were roiling inside of them and copious amounts of tears had resulted.  They had suffered a great loss for their hopes had been in Jesus. 

  When you have suffered because of a death of a loved one, how have you ‘coped’?
For some people the following has helped in such times…
  ‘Father, have mercy.  Jesus, have mercy.  Holy Spirit have mercy.’
  For others, paraphrasing Proverbs 3:5-6: ‘I trust You Lord with all my heart even in the middle of my grief.  I come to You, not trusting in my own understanding for this time.  I acknowledge You…You are still God.  Please show me the path You have for me.’
  Perhaps you have said the Lord’s prayer from Matthew 6:9-13…
or Psalm 23. 

  That first day of the week did not begin as those women had anticipated.  Their grief possibly became greater, their confusion and consternation adding to their sorrow. 

  When you are going through the grief of the death of a loved one…turn to God and His words for your comfort, strength and help.
  For the followers of Christ, we have the assured hope of heaven!
(NASB) John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.  Do you believe this?’” 

Let me ask you… ‘Do you believe this?’