Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. – John 20:1 NIV

John 20:1 is the verse that begins John’s account of the discovery of Jesus’ resurrection. Mary Magdalene finds that the stone covering Jesus’ tomb has been removed, she weeps at the thought of his body being stolen, but, then, Jesus appears to her and she returns to the disciples to report that she has seen the risen Jesus. He is alive!

This is a monumental moment in the history of everything and a lynchpin story for those who believe in Jesus. And right at the very beginning of this narrative, John and the other Gospel writers give us this interesting detail that can easily be overlooked, but holds massive significance. When all 4 Gospel writers tell us this story, each of them notes that this happens on… *drumroll please* … the first day of the week. This is fascinating, in part, because if you pay close attention to all 4 stories, there are noteworthy differences in how each of them describes the discovery of Jesus’ resurrection. And yet, this is one of the details that is the same among them all.

Why does this matter? It’s because Jesus’ resurrection has a grand, cosmic significance that each Gospel writer wants to illustrate. What else happens on the first day of the week? (Hint: You’ll find it on the first page of the Bible.) God begins creating the universe on the first day of the week. And it’s on the first day of the week that new creation springs forth from death and darkness! As the Apostle Paul says, “the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Because Jesus rises from the dead, everything has changed! Nothing is as it was before. Life existed before, but it is totally different now. So, just as creation began on the first day of the week, re-creation begins on the first day of the week too.