Have you ever had something so traumatic or something so shocking happen to you and the only thing you can do is stand in disbelief? Like, your brain cannot process what is going on. The most recent, for me, was when my daughter told me she was pregnant with baby #3. I was in shock and disbelief. I just stared at her, my brain glitched. It took a few seconds to realize what she had said, and it took me a few days to fully process. This precious little girl, due any time, was unexpected. But what once was a complete shock is something that is a true and perfect blessing! I cannot wait to meet her! I might spoil her too ?
Now imagine how Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and “the other,” John, must have felt when they saw the EMPTY tomb. First, there is Mary. Note that she is first. The original eyewitness of the empty tomb was a woman. For me, this detail is very significant. God entrusted his first eyewitness into the hands of the woman, who in those days were not able to give credible reports in a court of law. God entrusted the central truth of the Gospel to a woman. Mary could not process what had happened. She went to Simon Peter and John. She had still believed that Jesus was dead. She thought they had moved him. Vs. 2: “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
Of course, the disciples ran to see for themselves. Surely, he was there.
Vs. 3-6: “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.”
I love to picture this in my head. I see John standing in front of the tomb looking in and just trying to process what was going on. He probably rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Then I imagine Simon Peter coming behind him, huffing and puffing. He takes charge and just walks right in to see for himself. They had witnessed his murder. How could this be? He was supposed to be the Messiah. Imagine the shock of believing the Lord is dead but he is not there. His linens are but he is not. They had just witnessed, 3 days earlier, something so traumatic. They were still grieving his loss.
After John joins Simon Peter in the tomb— It took a second but then everything the Lord had told them finally made sense. The Gospel had come to be. He had proven that he was the Messiah! What was so traumatic and so unbelievable became the greatest thing to ever happen to mankind. It is what needed to happen so that we could be made right with God.
Isn’t it just like God to use something that we perceive to be the worst thing ever, and turn it into something so beautiful and something so unimaginable that we have to stand in awe. My friends, this is what God does! He takes traumatic things in our life and turns it into something beautiful. Not just for our good but for his Glory! Remember that next time you feel alone, anxious, or depressed. Maybe you are dealing with something so big right now, you cannot process it properly or see past it. God knows and God will see you through. Lean into his truth!
Now imagine how Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and “the other,” John, must have felt when they saw the EMPTY tomb. First, there is Mary. Note that she is first. The original eyewitness of the empty tomb was a woman. For me, this detail is very significant. God entrusted his first eyewitness into the hands of the woman, who in those days were not able to give credible reports in a court of law. God entrusted the central truth of the Gospel to a woman. Mary could not process what had happened. She went to Simon Peter and John. She had still believed that Jesus was dead. She thought they had moved him. Vs. 2: “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
Of course, the disciples ran to see for themselves. Surely, he was there.
Vs. 3-6: “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.”
I love to picture this in my head. I see John standing in front of the tomb looking in and just trying to process what was going on. He probably rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Then I imagine Simon Peter coming behind him, huffing and puffing. He takes charge and just walks right in to see for himself. They had witnessed his murder. How could this be? He was supposed to be the Messiah. Imagine the shock of believing the Lord is dead but he is not there. His linens are but he is not. They had just witnessed, 3 days earlier, something so traumatic. They were still grieving his loss.
After John joins Simon Peter in the tomb— It took a second but then everything the Lord had told them finally made sense. The Gospel had come to be. He had proven that he was the Messiah! What was so traumatic and so unbelievable became the greatest thing to ever happen to mankind. It is what needed to happen so that we could be made right with God.
Isn’t it just like God to use something that we perceive to be the worst thing ever, and turn it into something so beautiful and something so unimaginable that we have to stand in awe. My friends, this is what God does! He takes traumatic things in our life and turns it into something beautiful. Not just for our good but for his Glory! Remember that next time you feel alone, anxious, or depressed. Maybe you are dealing with something so big right now, you cannot process it properly or see past it. God knows and God will see you through. Lean into his truth!