0328 THIS. CHANGES. EVERYTHING.

 

nobody ate. Nobody slept. Nobody talked. Nobody left. We all just layed low on the Sabbath, listenin for the sound a soldiers’ footsteps, thinking a ways to sneak outa town, whatever.

 

on that Sabbath day, Martyr come up with an idea, n she talks to the other women:  somebody orta honor the body a Jesus, n give Him a proper send-off. Things had been so hasty n sloppy on Friday. She don’t want to say it out loud, but you know, it was men what done that preparation, n you know no man ever done a job like that proper. So her and the three Marys make a plan to take about 75 pounds a spices to do the job right. First thing Sunday mornin, before the sun comes up, they head for the tomb with their heavy loads. 

 

they was expectin nothin, a course. They’d alreddy lost it all. But on the way, they’s talking about some practical matters:  who’s gonna move that huge stone? who’s gonna break the seal? how would them four squads a soldiers react to em? would they hep, or would they block em? don’t rightly know, but this seems like the right thing to do. Overlookin whate’er fear’s in em, they keep goin.

 

sudden-like, there’s a violent earthquake!  knocks em all down. They spill some a the spices. Get a few bruises. But they’s okay. All right, they’s now on Plan B. Petrified, but determined. Keep goin to the tomb, n see what kinda damage mighta been done.

 

in the early mornin light, as they arrive at the tomb, the ladies are shocked to see that all them guards—sixteen mighty men—look like they all been killt. Layin down, scattered about. What could of done this? the earthquake? marauders? grave robbers? musta been a big army of em, if so. Now the women are on Plan C. No soldiers to hep or harm.

 

what’s that? the tomb ain’t even sealed no more!  the stone’s rolled away!  Plan D. They rush in, just as the sun’s comin up, n see that the body’s missin. No body. But not nobody:  there’s two men there, shiny n wearing white robes. Strong men. Strong enuf to overpower all them guards? the women are beyond petrified now.

 

“don’t be afraid.” says the angel. “you are seeking a livin person where dead people are kept. Jesus ain’t here. He is risen. ‘member how He told you all about how He’d be killt an on the third day He’d live again? well, it happent. Hurry and tell His disciples that He is alive!”

 

Plan E. No need for spices. Or to worry about the stone. Or the guards. New plan!  joyous plan!  confusin plan!  good news, at last!  the women all take off. All but one.

 

Mary, the Phitin Philistine, hangs back while the others run ahead. She ain’t processin all this too good yet. Somebody’s got the body of that Man she had come to love so much. Then she sees somebody there. She figgers he’s the groundskeeper or gard’ner. Maybe he’s the one that stole the body, but she’s gonna give im the benefit of a doubt in the way she asks him, “sir, if you know where He is, please tell me.”

 

her eyes is all clouded over, n she’s so much not expectin to see Jesus, that she don’t recognize Him right in front a her face. Jesus looks at her. Then He says her name, with a tone a voice only Jesus could have:  “Mary.” the way He says it, suddenly she knows, it’s the Lord. Nobody else ever said her name like that. She runs to Him n throws her arms around His feet. Thinking she ain’t never gonna let Him go again. He had cast seven demons outa her way back, n she had followed Him ever since. Now at last He’s back, alive forever.

 

Jesus reaches down n stands her to her feet. “dont keep clingin to Me, Mary. I’m alive again, but I still ain’t gonna be here forever. Here’s what I wantcha to do: run n tell Pete n the others that I’m alive, n I’ll go ahead of em to Gal’lee.”

 

obediently, she turns to run. Jesus catches her arm, n with a catch in His voice, He says, “be sure you find Pete, will ya?” n off she runs. Finds Pete n me holed up in a dark room, hidin from the authorities.

 

outa breath, she says, “i seen Jesus!  He’s alive!  n Pete, He wanted to tell you special.”

 

no more words needed. Pete n me take off to the tomb. Now, I ain’t sure how to say this, but I’m younger’n Pete, so let’s just say I can run faster’n he kin. That ain’t boastin, just fact. But it’s a little detail. Boomer John outrun Pete. That’s all I’m saying. What I’m saying is, I run to the tomb n get there by myself. Stop at the door n look inside. N I believe it’s all true. He’s alive!

 

fin’lly, Pete come huffin n puffin to the tomb. I says, “what d’ya think, Pete?” he runs right past me into the chamber. He sees the graveclothes, still there where they had bin. Then he scritches his neck, shakes his punkin head, n walks back out. He got no idea what to think.

 

he emerges from the empty tomb, brushes past me, n says in a voice drippin with doubt n sadness, “i ain’t Pete.”

 

in the meantime, all them guards has gone to the Phar’sees to tell em what happent. The Phar’sees tell em to report to Pilate that they all fell asleep, n Jesus’ disciples come n stole the body durin the night. 

 

the guards say they’ll be automatically killt if they fell asleep on watch. But the Phar’sees say they’ll take care of it.

 

all the rest of us, the disciples, both men n women, get together in a secret room, to talk this through n figger out what just happent.

 

dont know what happens from here. But this . . . This changes everthing.