Imagine how Mary Magdalene must have felt when she first discovered the tomb was empty! One might immediately judge that such a phenomenon is indeed good news. However, little do people know that this "empty tomb" is full of contradictions, opening the door for speculation.

In both biblical and extra-biblical sources, it is revealed that not everyone believed in Christ's resurrection. Some believed the disciples had stolen Jesus' body and faked His raising up from the dead (cf. Mt. 28:11-15). Some apocryphal writings even claimed that Judas died in place of Christ (cf. Gospel of Barnabas). In the 1800s, some Christian writers, such as David Friedrich Strauss, suggested that the disciples' experiences of the risen Lord were merely visions or illusions. And the list of speculations goes on.

As Christians, however, we know that Jesus Christ is truly risen! If the disciples had stolen His body and faked the resurrection, they would have scattered when persecution began. Instead, they zealously proclaimed the Gospel to the point of death! Additionally, if Judas had died in Christ's place, Jesus would not have resurrected and passed through closed doors (Jn. 20:19), nor would we be saved from our sins (1 Cor. 15:12-19).

Hence, with all this in mind, let us ask the Lord to increase our faith today. When we see the empty tomb, may our hearts not remain empty and void but be filled with light and Easter joy!