A Refund for the Women
The three greatest events in human history are 1) God incarnating as a human and being born in Bethlehem like the rest of us; 2) God in human form dying a substitutionary death for the redemption of all who would believe; 3) that same God’s resurrection from the dead. The gospel accounts vary as to the specifics on the resurrection of Jesus because each writer decided which information to include and which to withhold. Mark tells us that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, plus Salome the wife of Zebedee, all approached the tomb with some sweet spices they had bought – probably at the Jerusalem Mall — to anoint the body of Jesus (16:1). But instead of finding a body to anoint, they found an angel waiting for them with some startling news: there’s no body to anoint, just an empty tomb. Eventually, they informed the apostles and other interested parties about what they had found – nothing but thin air. We all rejoice over their inability to carry out the mission – no dead body of Jesus to anoint – but what about all these spices they’re stuck with? The spices of no use now. For their sake, we all hope somebody kept the receipt. After all, you need the receipt for a refund, and a refund is better than bottles & bottles of dead body spices that are no longer needed. Praise God that the women never did get the opportunity to use those spices. If they had, then we are all yet in our sins,
I Corinthians 15:17.