The Divine in the Details

I was listening to a sermon the other day regarding the majesty and power of the resurrection. The pastor giving the sermon brought something to my attention that I had never before seen, and reminded me gently of the fact that no matter where I am, there is always an eternity still to go. The verses:

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. - John 20:10-12

I've read these verses countless times in my life. This time though, the pastor pointed out something to me. It's the very last phrase in this text - "one at the head, and the other at the foot." It seems innocuous. There's a stone where Jesus' body had lain. Two angels are sitting there. One is at one end, and the second is at the other. Between them is the burial garment that Jesus had last worn.

Two angels. On a stone. With the clothing of God sitting between. Where have we seen that before?



The Ark of the Covenant. Two angels, who sat atop the Holiest of Holies on each end, carried the law of God. The first version, the Ark, represented presence of God whose standard of perfection, written in the laws of the Ten Commandments, could never be met. Those seeking righteousness under that law would meet death. The second version however, the empty tomb, meant something else. In the same way, two angels were sitting at each end on a stone, but in this case, it represented the fulfillment of the law. What lay between the two angels was not a standard of judgment, but empty garments of resurrection. These angels were alive, and their Lord was alive with them.

Jesus then said to her, "Mary."