“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.” – Luke 24:1
The women who went to Jesus’ tomb in Luke 24:1–12 were simply taking the next responsible steps after a tragedy. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had wrapped Jesus’ body quickly because the Sabbath was approaching, so the women returned at dawn to finish the burial properly. They weren’t doing anything dramatic—they were doing what anyone would do after loss: handle the details, make plans, and try to move forward. But when they arrived, nothing was as expected. “They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:2–3, NKJV). Their plans were built on the assumption that Jesus was still dead, but God had already moved in a way they never imagined.
Like the disciples, the women believed the ministry was over. Jesus didn’t overthrow Rome. He didn’t establish the kingdom the way they pictured. So they prepared for a future without hope, without purpose, without Jesus’ mission. They were planning for the wrong outcome—not because they were faithless, but because they were human. We do the same when we brace for endings God never wrote. It’s like standing at a closed door convinced the story is finished, while God is already opening another one behind us. Elijah once felt this way too—hiding in a cave, assuming everything was over—until God reminded him that His plan was still unfolding (1 Kings 19:9–18). Our expectations can blind us to God’s activity, but His faithfulness never depends on our understanding.
As the women stood perplexed, God sent messengers—two angels—to realign their perspective. “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen” (Luke 24:5–6, NKJV). Then came the gentle correction: “Remember how He spoke to you…” (v. 6). And suddenly, “they remembered His words” (v. 8). God still does this today. When we drift into discouragement or plan for defeat, He sends reminders—through Scripture, through a sermon, through a friend, through the quiet prompting of the Holy Spirit. He brings us back to what He already promised.
Where might you be planning for the wrong outcome? Are you preparing for loss when God is preparing resurrection? Are you assuming the season is ending when God is just beginning to move? Instead of determining what God must be doing, ask Him to help you recognize what He is doing. The tomb looked like the end, but it was the doorway to the greatest beginning the world has ever known.
“When your expectations lead you to a tomb, God’s promises will lead you to resurrection.” – Unknown
surrendered devotions 