Having bought burial spices and ointments, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary set out to go to the tomb on Sunday morning. As they walked into the garden they wondered who would roll back the stone for them from the doorway of the tomb, for they didn’t know a guard had been posted earlier, since the guards had already fled. Upon reaching the tomb, the two Marys were surprised to find the stone already rolled back. And when they looked inside they saw …

While Jesus’ disciples were hiding in Jerusalem, afraid for their lives, the women had followed and seen where Jesus was laid to rest on Friday. The women rested on Saturday, the Sabbath day, according to the Mosaic Law. But the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate the morning of the Sabbath day and asked for a guard to be placed at the tomb for three days, remembering that Jesus had said …

Immediately after Jesus gives up His soul to God while on the cross, the earth quakes and the curtain of the Holy of Holies in the Temple—which blocks the entrance to God’s presence—is torn in two from top to bottom. This signified that the way into God’s presence was now open to all people through a new and living way, Jesus Christ. As the book of Hebrews says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God” …