John 20

"Emotional Rollercoaster" is a phrase custom-made for this passage. Jesus rose from the dead, three days after being executed on a Roman cross. His followers, not understanding that this was the event He had been foretelling for quite some time, were still mourning His loss. They went to the tomb, and found the grave empty. Those in the garden kept asking them "Why are you weeping?" (a pretty strange question to ask someone in a graveyard, don't you think?) because they knew something the followers did not yet fully understand or appreciate. When Jesus did reveal Himself to them, their sadness turned to joy, worship and enthusiasm.

So why tell us all this? John, the author, tells us that his entire volume was written to demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth actually was the promised Messiah, God's Son. This demonstration was more than an academic exercise; it was to create a desire for Him to give life - something that only He can do.