It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed like idle tales, and they did not believe them

 And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing spices which they had prepared.  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "  And they remembered His words.  Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

- Luke 23:56b-24:11

Yesterday we read that at Christ's crucifixion,  it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' "  Having said this, He breathed His last.  So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"  And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.  But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.  Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.  He had not consented to their decision and deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.  That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.  And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.  Then they prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

 And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing spices which they had prepared.  Those who rested on the Sabbath are the women who had come with Christ from Galilee; on Friday (the Preparation) they had prepared spices and fragrant oils for anointing His body for burial, against corruption.  The first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath; that is Sunday.  In Christian tradition this is called the Lord's Day, the day of worship (in Greek, Κυριακή/Kyriaki).  See Acts 20:7.

But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  My study bible says that the stone is rolled away not because Christ needed to be let out, but rather so that we can witness His Resurrection.

And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  These men in shining garments are angels.  We note the similarity to the shining garments of Christ at His Transfiguration (9:28-36).

Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "  And they remembered His words.   My study bible says that in order to cast away any doubt, the angel confirms the message by recalling Christ's words to them.  In calculating the third day, the first day is Friday, the day on which Christ died before sundown.  The second is Saturday, which is the Sabbath on which He rested in the tomb.  The third day, which begins after sundown on Saturday, is the day of Resurrection, Sunday.

Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed like idle tales, and they did not believe them.   Some Church Fathers teach that Mary the mother of James was the wife of Alphaeus, and this James was one of the Twelve (6:15).   But most hold that this Mary is the Virgin Mary, who is in fact the stepmother of another James, called "the Lord's brother" (see Matthew 13:55; compare Mark 15:40, 47).

The text tells us that the apostles did not believe the women when they told of what they saw, that their words seemed like idle tales.  Once again we have to be impressed by the Gospels.  Our Book does not gloss over mistakes!  It does not gloss over poor behavior, it does not gloss over the failings of the followers of Christ.  It gives us the whole story, the real deal.  Let us remember that the angels, as reported by Luke, repeat Christ's own words to the women to affirm the Resurrection.  They say, "Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "   Seemingly everyone has forgotten this.  The women need to reminded again, and the apostles don't believe a word the women say, it all sounds too fantastical.  But at least, in the people who form the cast of characters in the Gospel and the story of the Church, we have the reality of all of us given to us.  That is, we all begin in faith from the place we know, the worldly.  There is nothing left out here.  The assumptions of the apostles and of the women going to the tomb are the same as all of us, the same as those who find faith in this story impossible, preposterous, foolishness and stumbling block (see 1 Corinthians 1:22-25).  We are there with them, they are there with us -- the Gospel takes us through this story of faith right from where we all start.  It does not gloss over the difficulties and "foolishness."  It does not constrain us to say that there is something wrong with us if our faith is not immediately perfect.  It takes us as we are -- as they are -- and leads us through the story of our faith, the story of life and Resurrection, of that which is raised from the dead and also has the power to bring life to the places where we feel we are dead, hope is lost, despair our only choice.  The Resurrection is not simply the good news of Christ as the One who lives.  It asks us to come along with Him, to a life in which our own dead ends are nothing of the sort, but may be simply a crucifixion before Resurrection.  It asks us to come along to the place where there is life, and in our own lives, to stop seeking the living among the dead.  It asks us, like the apostles and the women, to find the life He holds for us -- and to continue although our own story might feel like it's done.  This is the reality of the empty tomb, and the disciples who cannot believe the women.  We are all here in this world with its dead ends and its finalities, its certainties, only that's never really the end of the story.  He brings us life, and where we least expect it.