When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought fragrant oils, so that they might come and anoint the body of Jesus.
These women come to the tomb moved by love and faithfulness. They still did not fully understand the promise of the resurrection, because their intention was to anoint Jesus’ body, as was done for the dead as a sign of honor and love. Yet their hearts were bound to the Lord even when everything seemed finished in their eyes. After the Sabbath ended, they hurry to do what they could. This recalls the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany (Mark 14:3–9, Mark 14:8), who beforehand anointed the Lord’s body for burial. Here too, the women’s love testifies that true devotion to Christ does not cease in the hour of darkness and sorrow. Though their knowledge was incomplete, their love was real, and it was that very love that brought them to the place of the first proclamation of the resurrection.