Bible Lesson 31

El Sepulcro Vacío – The Empty Tomb

Of all the scenes in the Bible, this is one that I most wish I could have witnessed in person. Agony to ecstasy, with just one word!

I thank God that one day, when  I pass through the black night of death, I will hear the resurrected Savior call my name, and I will see him face to face! And then all sorrow will be just a memory, and there will be no more leaving, no more departing.

Then we will deeply experience the truth that the deep struggles of this life will have been worth it, to live in the eternal joy and glory of the presence of Jesus!

Rejoice in the empty tomb! 

How to Use This Page:

1. Listen to the audio as you read along with the Spanish on the left.

2. Open the English translation, and read the two side-by-side, making sure you understand the Spanish.

3. Close the English, and listen to the audio again, reading along in Spanish.

4. Close the Spanish, and listen once more. Maybe shut your eyes, and just try to catch as much as you can.


El primer día de la semana, muy de mañana, cuando todavía estaba oscuro, María Magdalena fue al sepulcro y vio que habían quitado la piedra que cubría la entrada. Así que fue corriendo a ver a Simón Pedro y al otro discípulo, a quien Jesús amaba, y les dijo:

—¡Se han llevado del sepulcro al Señor, y no sabemos dónde lo han puesto!

Pedro y el otro discípulo se dirigieron entonces al sepulcro. Ambos fueron corriendo, pero como el otro discípulo corría más aprisa que Pedro, llegó primero al sepulcro. Inclinándose, se asomó y vio allí las vendas, pero no entró. Tras él llegó Simón Pedro, y entró en el sepulcro. Vio allí las vendas y el sudario que había cubierto la cabeza de Jesús, aunque el sudario no estaba con las vendas sino enrollado en un lugar aparte. En ese momento entró también el otro discípulo, el que había llegado primero al sepulcro; y vio y creyó. Hasta entonces no habían entendido la Escritura, que dice que Jesús tenía que resucitar.

Los discípulos regresaron a su casa, pero María se quedó afuera, llorando junto al sepulcro. Mientras lloraba, se inclinó para mirar dentro del sepulcro, y vio a dos ángeles vestidos de blanco, sentados donde había estado el cuerpo de Jesús, uno a la cabecera y otro a los pies.

—¿Por qué lloras, mujer? —le preguntaron los ángeles.

—Es que se han llevado a mi Señor, y no sé dónde lo han puesto —les respondió.

Apenas dijo esto, volvió la mirada y allí vio a Jesús de pie, aunque no sabía que era él. Jesús le dijo:

—¿Por qué lloras, mujer? ¿A quién buscas?

Ella, pensando que se trataba del que cuidaba el huerto, le dijo:

—Señor, si usted se lo ha llevado, dígame dónde lo ha puesto, y yo iré por él.

—María —le dijo Jesús.

Ella se volvió y exclamó: —¡Raboni! (que en arameo significa: Maestro).

—Suéltame, porque todavía no he vuelto al Padre. Ve más bien a mis hermanos y diles: “Vuelvo a mi Padre, que es Padre de ustedes; a mi Dios, que es Dios de ustedes.”

María Magdalena fue a darles la noticia a los discípulos. «¡He visto al Señor!», exclamaba, y les contaba lo que él le había dicho.

Al atardecer de aquel primer día de la semana, estando reunidos los discípulos a puerta cerrada por temor a los judíos, entró Jesús y, poniéndose en medio de ellos, los saludó.

—¡La paz sea con ustedes!

Dicho esto, les mostró las manos y el costado. Al ver al Señor, los discípulos se alegraron.

The first day of the week, very early in the morning, when it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that they take taken away the stone that covered the entrance. So she went running to see Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them:

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Peter and the other disciple went then towards the tomb. Both went running, but since the other disciple ran faster than Peter, he arrived first at the tomb. Leaning down, he looked in and saw the wrappings, but he didn’t enter. After him arrived Simon Peter, and he entered the tomb. He saw the wrappings and the covering that had covered the head of Jesus, although the covering was not with the wrappings, but rolled up in a separate place. At that moment the other disciple entered too, he that had arrived first at the tomb; he saw and believed. Until then they had not understood the Scripture, which says that Jesus had to rise.

The disciples returned to their home, but Mary remained outside, crying next to the tomb. As she cried, she leaned over to look inside the tomb, and she saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet.

“Why do you cry, woman?” the angels asked her.

“It’s that they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him.” she responded to them.

This just said, she turned her gaze and there saw Jesus on foot, though she didn’t know it was he. Jesus said to her:

“Why do you weep, woman? Whom do you seek?”

She, thinking it was the one who cared for the garden, said to him:

“Sir, if you have taken him, tell me where you have put him, and I will go for him.”

“Mary” Jesus said to her.

She turned and exclaimed, “Rabboni!” (which in Aramaic means Teacher).

“Let go of me, because I have not yet returned to the Father. Better, go to my brothers and tell them, “I return to my Father, who is your Father; to my God, who is your God.”

Mary Magdalene went to give the news to the disciples. “I have seen the Lord!” she exclaimed, and she told them what he had said.

At evening on that first day of the week, the disciples being gathered behind locked door for fear of the Jews, Jesus entered and, putting himself in the midst of them, he greeted them.

“Peace be with you all!”

This said, he showed them his hands and side. Upon seeing the Lord, the disciples rejoiced.

Christ and St. Mary Magdalene at the Tomb, by Rembrandt - 1638.

Christ and St. Mary Magdalene at the Tomb, by Rembrandt – 1638.

Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene, by Albrecht Durer, 1511. Woodcut.

Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene, by Albrecht Durer, 1511. Woodcut.

The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene, by Alexander Ivanov, 1835.

The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene, by Alexander Ivanov, 1835.