When Jesus rose from the dead, the first people to discover the empty tomb and see the risen Lord were not the twelve Apostles. They were a group of women.
All four Gospels record this detail. Mary Magdalene is named in every account, often joined by other women such as the other Mary, Joanna, and Salome. They came at dawn expecting to anoint a corpse. Instead, they became the very first witnesses to the resurrection.
In first-century Jewish culture, a woman’s testimony was not accepted in court. If the early Christians had invented the resurrection story, they would never have chosen women as the primary witnesses. The fact that the Gospels openly report it is strong evidence that the account is true.
This detail carries deep significance. It proves the story’s honesty because a made-up tale would have featured respected male disciples rather than women whose testimony could be dismissed. It shows God’s pattern of using the unexpected and the overlooked. Throughout Scripture, God chooses the faithful to announce His greatest works. It also affirms women’s value in the kingdom. Jesus consistently honored women, and their devotion at the tomb was rewarded with the first glimpse of the risen Christ. In God’s Kingdom, faithfulness matters most, not gender or status.
The women did not hesitate. They listened to the angel, obeyed the command to go and tell, and Mary Magdalene’s joyful words, “I have seen the Lord,” became the first Christian sermon.
Happy Easter! Jesus is risen!
