What greater grace, what more important truth, can there be
for us than the empty tomb?
Verses 1 to 9: 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. So she came running to Simon Peter and the
other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of
the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both
were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go
in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He
saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped
around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the
linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went
inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that
Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
The disciples still did not understand, as we often do not,
but now, John was given the grace to believe. Thank you, Father, for the grace
to believe.
Verses 11-18: Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying.
As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white,
seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know
where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing
there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are
looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have
carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”
(which means “Teacher”).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet
ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am
ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have
seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Jesus gave Mary Magdalene the gift of being the first to see
him alive, then the privilege of sharing that news with his disciples.
Verses 19-21: On the evening of that first day of the
week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the
Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were
overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent
me, I am sending you.”
To help their faith, Jesus showed his disciples the signs of
his crucified body, which was now risen from the dead, and he gave them the
privilege of sharing his message to the world.
Verses 24-29: Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one
of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other
disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his
hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I
will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and
Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among
them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger
here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting
and believe.”
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have
believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Thomas doubted. Oh so do I so often doubt. Jesus did not
reject him, but helped him with his faith and accepted him still.
Verses 30-31: Jesus performed many other signs in the
presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are
written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and
that by believing you may have life in his name.
Jesus, how can we ever thank you enough for all you have
given us so we can have the life we have in your name?