For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
A friend named Joseph asked for permission to take Jesus' dead body down from the cross and bury Him. After His body was wrapped in special cloths, they placed Him in a tomb, or cave. A huge stone, requiring several men to move it, was rolled in front of the entrance. The religious leaders asked Pilate to assign armed soldiers to guard the tomb day and night. (Matthew 27:57-65)
Suddenly, on the third day, there was an earthquake! An angel came down from Heaven and rolled the stone from the door! The guards shook with fear and fell down as if they were dead. A few women, who were Jesus' friends came to visit the tomb. They brought spices to put on Jesus' body, but when they arrived, the women were surprised to see a shining angel sitting on top of the stone! The tomb was empty! Jesus was gone! (Matthew 28:1-4)
The angel said, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. . . . go quickly and tell His disciples he has risen from the dead . . ." (Matthew 28:5-7). The women ran to tell the disciples.
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