Now we’ve looked at two of the words of the angel’s message. We’ve looked at the invitation to come and the imperative to see. We’ve seen some of what that implies for us. The third word is “go” (v. 7). It’s a reminder that, blessed as it may be to stay near the tomb, nevertheless there is still work to do and we should not linger around the tomb.

The third reason we should come and see the tomb is that we might be reminded that we also will lie there. Unless the Lord Jesus Christ comes for His own before we die, we too must die. There is a time when we will be separated from all that we know now. We will leave friends and loved ones. We’ll leave all our material possessions; we’ll leave all that we know behind. So we look to the tomb and we say, “What does this have to teach us of our mortality?” It teaches us that we are mortals and that there is a life beyond for which we must prepare.

Or again, there was the edict of Rome. The tomb had been sealed by Pilate’s order. The soldiers were stationed at the tomb in order to guard it. Now, something had happened: the stone had been removed, and that meant that the seal had been broken, and Rome had been disobeyed. The women might have said, “Oh, but Rome forbids us, we can’t come closer. We can’t look in.” They might have failed to come for that reason.

Can you imagine how these exact words must have been impressed on the minds of these women? They could never forget them. Remember, they had come to the tomb on that early Easter morning, certainly not expecting what they found. They were preoccupied with one thing, and that was to anoint Jesus’ body with the spices they had bought.