“When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” — Luke 24:9–11
Why did God entrust the first announcement of the resurrection to women? And why did the apostles refuse to believe them?
The women followed Jesus to the cross. They watched where His body was laid. They prepared spices and perfumes. They rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. Then, at first light, they went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away. They encountered angels. They remembered Jesus’ words. And they became the first to proclaim the greatest news in history: He is risen.
This was not accidental. Scripture shows a pattern—those who seek, who remain faithful in sorrow, who stay when others scatter—often receive revelation. The women followed, sought, prepared, and obeyed. In return, God revealed Himself to them first. Faithfulness positioned them for revelation.
But why did the apostles not believe? The text suggests something deeper than confusion. “They would not believe” implies resistance. Sorrow can dull the senses. Grief can silence hope. Even though Jesus had clearly prepared them for this moment, their despair may have made belief feel impossible. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus rebuked them as “slow of heart” and “of little faith.” Unbelief had been a recurring struggle.
This pattern of unbelief echoes Israel’s larger story. In the wilderness, after miraculous deliverance, the people doubted. Jacob himself wrestled with conditional faith. Again and again, God proved faithful while His people hesitated to trust. Even during Jesus’ earthly ministry, many religious leaders refused to believe He was the Messiah. Unbelief runs deep in the biblical narrative—not as destiny, but as a struggle God continually works to overcome.
Yet there may also be a symbolic layer. Scripture calls the Church the Bride of Christ. A bride receives seed and brings forth life. In spiritual terms, the Church receives the Word and bears fruit that reflects her Groom—truth, righteousness, peace, joy, and love. The “ecclesia,” the called-out ones, are formed from Christ, just as Eve was formed from Adam’s side.
In this resurrection scene, we may see a picture: the women—symbolizing the faithful Bride—announce life to the apostles, who represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The Bride proclaims, “He is alive!” Israel, once believing, is then commissioned to take that life to the nations. This mirrors Paul’s hope in Romans 11—that Israel’s eventual belief will be “life from the dead.”
The apostles did not remain in unbelief. They would soon see, believe, and carry the gospel into the world. If their unbelief was not final, perhaps Israel’s unbelief is not final either. Paul foresaw a day when Israel would recognize her Messiah, and that recognition would bring restoration, reconciliation, and life.
So why the women? Because God often entrusts revelation to the faithful. Because resurrection life spreads only when unbelief is overcome. And perhaps because, in this moment, the faithful Bride ran from the empty tomb to announce to God’s covenant people that death had been defeated and Jesus truly was the One who they had been waiting for to redeem Israel as they had hoped!
This is part of a larger teaching, if you are interested please consider reading :
Bride Disguised,
First to the Jews
The Story is not Over. …coming soon!
My Faith Place 