In the end of [the Greek is better translated "Now late on"] the sabbath [late on the weekly Sabbath], as it began to dawn ["as it was getting dusk"] toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see [theoreo, to gaze on] the sepulchre. The word "dawn" in the Greek is used Biblically of "dusk". The Sabbath would end at sunset, around dusk, on Saturday. So these 2 women came to the tomb as the weekly Sabbath was drawing to a close near sunset. At that sunset on Saturday the first day of the week began. Their purpose was to gaze upon the sepulchre. They were not intending to see the body or anoint it, only to view the sepulchre.
And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the entrance, and sat upon it.
This describes events that happened shortly after the two women had seen the sepulchre and left. When the angel sat on the stone, it made it literally impossible for anyone to put the stone back on the opening of the sepulchre.
The angel's countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow And for fear of him those keeping guard did tremble, and became as dead.
The angel's appearance was brilliant and the entire situation absolutely overwhelmed the guards that they shook and became as dead, frozen.
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and I know not where they have laid him.
Mary Magdalene came by herself to the sepulchre and saw the stone rolled off and assumed that the body had been taken away. She ran to find Peter and the other disciple and informed them of what she had seen. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he [the other disciple] stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes [bandages, wrappings, grave clothes] lying; yet went he not in. He saw the grave wrappings used by Nicodemus in burying Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea had used a linen cloth or sheet. How accurate the Word is. Nicodemus had been the last one to handle Jesus' body in burying him.
Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin [a cloth, kerchief], that was upon his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but folded in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
The linen wrappings remained as they had been when around the body. The record in John is making the point that these grave wrappings were undisturbed. They were still in the position as when containing a body. When Jesus Christ was raised he had been given a new body. In his new, spitirual body, Jesus Christ had passed through the grave wrappings. If his body had been taken by others, as Mary claimed, these grave clothes would either have been taken along with him or unwound and tossed to the side. The cloth that had covered his face was neatly folded and placed off to the side.
Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre.
Mary Magdalene had followed the two disciples back to the sepulchre, where she stood crying. Verse 11 of John 20 is the first record of Mary's looking into the sepulchre. Upon looking in, she saw two angels and mistook them for men.
And Mary Magdalene seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
This is the first time two angels are mentioned. The previous evening there had only been one angel sitting on the stone. Mary Magdalene, weeping, told the two angels of the missing body of her master. And this time the angels are inside the sepulchre
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back [she turned around], and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
This is Jesus Christ's first post-resurrection appearance after witnessing in his resurrected body to the imprisoned spirits. He appeared to Mary Magdalene, yet she did not recognize him. She thought he was dead and that his body had been taken. This first appearance to Mary Magdalene is approximately twelve hours after his resurrection.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni: which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
For the first time in history, a person beheld the resurrected Christ. He did not appear to a king, a priest, or a ruler but unto a simple, loving woman disciple who faithfully cared for him. Jesus did not allow Mary to touch him because he was the firstfruits from the dead. The wave-offering of the firstfruits, in which the firstfruits of the spring barley harvest were presented as an offering to God in the Temple, was to occur that same day. Jesus Christ would now replace that offering as the true firstfruits from the dead. Normally, the priest presenting the offering would go up to the Temple to present it before the Lord. That is the meaning of the expression "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father and to my God and your God" Christ would go up and as the high priest, present himself before God as the firstfruits from the dead. In preparing to present himself as the firstfruits, Christ would, in accordance with Old Testament law, keep himself separated unti it was accomplished. It was the first day of the week, our Sunday, the day after the weekly Sabbath. According to Old Testament law, the firstfruits wave-offering was always done on the say after the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf[handful] of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath[in context this is the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread] the priest shall wave it.
Jesus Christ fullfilled this law in minute detail. This is what John 20:17 refers to when Jesus Christ told Mary that he had to ascend "unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God and your God" Accoring to Leviticus 23:10-21, the day of this firstfruits offering was also the first day of counting toward Pentecost. From this day, they were to number seven Sabbaths [literal weekly Sabbaths] The final Sabbath would be the forty-ninth day. The next day, the fiftieth day, was Pentecost. Astounding how God in His foreknowledge arranged the law and the calendar to perfectly correspond to what Jesus Christ would accomplish. Mary carried out those instructions. A summary of the appearance to Mary and her subsequent action is found in Mark