The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in Christian history. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. As the apostle Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
Yet one of the most remarkable details in the resurrection story is often overlooked: the first witnesses to the empty tomb were women, and the first people to whom Jesus appeared after rising from the dead were women.
Why is this significant? And what can we learn from it today?
1. God Often Uses Those the World Overlooks
In the first century, women occupied a much lower social position than they do in most cultures today. Their testimony was often not considered reliable in courts of law. If someone were inventing a resurrection story to convince people, women would have been the last people they would choose as the primary witnesses.
Yet God chose women.
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna, and others came to the tomb early on Sunday morning. They were the first to discover that the stone had been rolled away and that Jesus was alive.
This reminds us that God’s ways are different from human ways. He delights in using ordinary people whom others may underestimate.
Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly chooses shepherds, fishermen, widows, foreigners, and servants to accomplish His purposes. The resurrection story continues that pattern.
2. Faithfulness Often Leads to Great Privilege
Where were the disciples on that first Easter morning?
Many were hiding behind locked doors, fearful and discouraged.
But the women came to the tomb. They came to serve Jesus even though they believed He was dead. They brought spices to anoint His body. Their actions were motivated by love and devotion.
Because they were faithful, they became the first witnesses of the greatest miracle in history.
Faithfulness in small things often positions us for greater blessings. God notices those who continue serving, loving, and obeying even when circumstances seem hopeless.
3. Jesus Honors Women
One of the beautiful themes throughout the Gospels is the way Jesus treated women with dignity, respect, and compassion.
He spoke publicly with the Samaritan woman at the well. He welcomed Mary of Bethany as a disciple. He healed women, defended women, and valued women.
After His resurrection, Jesus continued this pattern. According to the Gospel accounts, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene.
Imagine the honor of being the first person to see the risen Christ.
Jesus entrusted Mary with the message, “Go and tell my brothers.“
In a sense, she became the first messenger of the resurrection.
This demonstrates that in the Kingdom of God, men and women alike are valued, loved, and called to serve.
4. The Resurrection Brings Hope After Heartbreak
The women arrived at the tomb carrying grief in their hearts.
Just days earlier, they had watched Jesus suffer and die. Their hopes seemed shattered. The future looked dark.
Yet their deepest sorrow became their greatest joy.
The empty tomb reminds us that God can transform despair into hope, mourning into rejoicing, and defeat into victory.
Many believers have discovered that God often does His greatest work when situations seem impossible.
The resurrection declares that death does not have the final word. Sin does not have the final word. Failure does not have the final word.
Jesus does.
5. The Gospel Is Good News for Everyone
The first resurrection morning reveals something important about the heart of God.
The message of salvation is not reserved for the powerful, wealthy, educated, or influential. It is for everyone.
The risen Christ appeared first to those who loved Him and sought Him.
Today He still welcomes all who come to Him by faith.
The ground is level at the foot of the cross, and the invitation of the empty tomb extends to every person.
Final Thoughts
There is a beautiful irony in the resurrection story.
The women went to the tomb expecting to care for a dead Savior. Instead, they encountered a living Lord.
They arrived carrying spices for burial but left carrying the greatest news the world has ever heard: “He is not here; He has risen!“
Their story reminds us that God often reveals Himself to humble hearts, rewards faithful devotion, honors those whom society may overlook, and brings hope where there once was despair.
The first witnesses of the resurrection were women, and through their testimony the news began to spread across the world.
More than two thousand years later, the message remains unchanged:
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.
