The Empty Tomb: When Death Couldn’t Hold Him

This past Sunday, we explored one of the most pivotal moments in human history – the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we opened John 20:1-18, we were transported back to that first Resurrection Sunday morning, experiencing it through the eyes of those who were there.

More Than Just a Memory

We began by considering how we often think about historical figures who’ve impacted our lives. Take Charles Wesley, the great hymn writer (and much more) from the 1700s. While his legacy lives on through the hymns we still sing today, he remains a figure of the past – someone whose influence continues but who is no longer with us.

But here’s the crucial difference with Jesus: When we say Jesus is alive, we don’t mean He lives on merely in our hearts or memories. We’re declaring something far more profound – that He physically, bodily defeated death and rose from the grave. He is as alive today as He was on that first resurrection morning.

The Discovery That Changed Everything

Picture Mary Magdalene that Sunday morning. She had watched Jesus die just days before. She had endured the longest Sabbath of her life, waiting to visit His tomb. When she arrived early, while it was still dark, she found something shocking – the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.

Her first thought? Someone must have stolen the body. It’s the only rational explanation when you’ve never known anyone to come back from the dead. In her distress, she ran to tell Peter and John.

Seeing But Not Understanding

What followed was a fascinating study in how we process the unexpected. Peter and John raced to the tomb. John arrived first but hesitated at the entrance. Peter, bold as always, went straight in. They saw the grave clothes lying there, the face cloth neatly rolled up – details that didn’t fit with a grave robbery.

John tells us that when he entered and saw these things, he “believed.” But then he adds this remarkable admission: “For as yet they did not understand the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead.” Even in that moment of dawning faith, they didn’t fully grasp what God had promised all along.

A Personal Encounter

Perhaps the most touching part of this account is Jesus’s first appearance. He didn’t reveal Himself to Pilate to prove His authority. He didn’t appear to the Pharisees who had condemned Him. Instead, He chose to appear first to Mary Magdalene – a devoted follower who had stayed with Him to the end.

When Jesus spoke her name – just her name – everything changed. She recognized Him immediately and apparently clung to Him with all her might. Jesus gently told her she didn’t need to hold on so tightly; He wasn’t going to disappear. But He had work for her to do – to go tell His “brothers” (the first time He used this family term for His disciples in John’s Gospel) that He was alive.

What This Means for Us

This account challenges us with several important questions:

1. Do we truly know the Scriptures? The disciples had walked with Jesus for years, yet they still didn’t understand what Scripture had promised about the resurrection. How well do we know God’s Word? Are we taking time to understand what God has revealed to us?
2. Do we believe Jesus is truly alive? Not just as an idea or a nice religious sentiment, but as a living Savior who defeated death and reigns today? This isn’t about worshiping a memory or following a philosophy – it’s about relationship with a living Lord.
3. Are we faithful witnesses? Mary didn’t keep this incredible news to herself. She became the first witness, announcing “I have seen the Lord!” Even when others thought it sounded like nonsense, she faithfully shared the truth of what she had experienced.

The Tender Heart of Our Savior

What strikes me most about this passage is the tenderness of Jesus. After all He had suffered – the mockery, the betrayal, the cross – His first concern was comforting a grieving woman and restoring His scattered disciples. He called them “brothers,” emphasizing that through His death and resurrection, they were now family.

This same Jesus is alive today. He knows us by name, just as He knew Mary. He includes us in His family, giving us access to the Father. And He still sends us out with the same message: He is risen indeed!

As we reflect on this ancient yet ever-new story, may we be encouraged that we serve a living Savior. The tomb is still empty. Death is still defeated. And Jesus is still transforming lives today.

What aspects of the resurrection account speak most powerfully to you? How does knowing that Jesus is alive – not just in memory but in reality – change how you face today’s challenges?

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