“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:1-5) They ran back and told the apostles and, “…these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.” (Luke 24:11) Isn’t it fascinating that the first reaction of the Eleven to news of the resurrection was unbelief because the account from the women “seemed to them like nonsense.” These were the apostles! The ones who would later call themselves eyewitnesses to the resurrection!
Their initial dismissal of the resurrection is surely a reflection of just how unexpected and miraculous the resurrection is. It also probably had something to do with the fact that the messengers were women, and at that time, the testimony of a woman was not highly regarded. (Does raise the question as to why God chose all the first witnesses and proclaimers of the resurrection to be women.) Regardless of the reason, the point is that the initial reaction to someone proclaiming the gospel of the resurrection was rejection because it seemed like nonsense.
Jesus told the disciples repeatedly He would rise on the third day (after He was crucified), and none of the disciples or other followers really believed He would come back to life. Proof of this is right here in this passage. Remember how the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb:
“…suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them…the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “WHY DO YOU LOOK FOR THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD? He is not here; He has risen! REMEMBER HOW HE TOLD YOU, while He was still with you in Galilee…” (Luke 24:4-6)
Now, we may think; they were with Jesus, how could this seem like nonsense to them? Well, how do we feel about this very important truth for Jesus? “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me WILL DO THE WORKS I HAVE BEEN DOING, and THEY WILL DO EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN THESE…” (John 14:12)
The devil tempts us to believe that this must be nonsense, how do we know that? Let me answer…we are not doing “greater things”!
Dear Lord please help our unbelief, this is not nonsense… –Bill Stockham