Easter Sunday
“Reactions to the Empty Tomb”
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020
Submitted to the church website due to Coronavirus outbreak
Bible lesson: John 20:1-18
John 20:1-18 NKJV Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. (2) Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." (3) Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. (4) So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. (5) And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. (6) Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, (7) and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. (8) Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. (9) For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. (10) Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. (11) But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. (12) And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. (13) Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." (14) Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. (15) Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." (16) Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). (17) Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " (18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
Introduction:
Let me start out with a scenario for you this morning. Every day, a gentleman went to work. Every day, he would ride the elevator all the way to the bottom floor of the high-rise apartment building where he lived. But when he came home from work, he would ride the elevator back up to only the 6th floor. Then, he would take the stairs to his apartment many stories higher in the building. He did this every day, unless it was raining. If it was raining, he would ride the elevator all the way to the floor of his apartment. Why?
Here’s another one to think about. Ann is lying on the floor dead. There’s broken glass and water all around her. Stuart is asleep on the couch seemingly oblivious to the death that has occurred. How did Ann die?
Have you ever played those kind of mind games where you are presented with a scene, and you have to figure out what happened by asking questions that can only be answered with a “yes” or “no”? Just so that you won’t be trying to figure those out the rest of the morning instead of paying attention to the good news of Easter Sunday, I’ll tell you the answers to them.
In the first one, the reason the gentleman would only go the 6th floor on his return home from work was because that was the highest button that he could reach on the elevator control panel. He was a very short man. On days when it rained, he had his umbrella with him, and he could use his umbrella to punch the button that indicated his floor. In the second situation, it might help you to know that Ann is a fish, and Stuart is a cat. And the glass and water all around Ann on the floor is from her fishbowl that Stuart successfully knocked over.
Let’s try one more. After gruesome torture, a man dies. He is buried on that same night. On Sunday morning, some friends of His arrive at the tomb where He was buried to pay their last respects – only to discover that His body is gone. What happened? That’s the situation that we’re going to look at this morning. Let’s read John 20:1-2.
John 20:1-2 NKJV Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. (2) Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."
Early on that first Easter morning, a group of women approached the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. There hadn’t been enough time after His crucifixion to properly prepare Him for His burial. As they got closer to the tomb, suddenly a thought occurred to them – a question posed in Mark 16:3: “Who’s going to roll away that huge stone from the door of the cave?”(Many biblical archeologists believe the stone weighed 2,000 – 4,000 pounds)
But in spite of the obstacle, the women kept going. When they got to the tomb, they found a scene that they hadn’t expected. According to Matthew 28:4, they found the soldiers that guarded the tomb lying on the ground, looking very much like they were dead. But more amazing than that, they found the stone covering the tomb entrance had already been rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. So, they walked past the guards and entered the tomb where Jesus’ body had been placed.
Then, to add to the confusion, they found the body gone! Suddenly, two angels appeared and proclaimed to them that Jesus had arisen! The angels told them to go and tell His disciples, so that’s exactly what they did.
Luke 24:4-6 NKJV And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. (5) Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? (6) He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,
When the women got to the place Jesus’ disciples had been hiding, they caught their breath for a moment, and then they began, in voices that could barely contain their excitement, to tell the disciples everything that they had seen and heard. But the men didn’t believe them. The women’s stories sounded like a bunch of gibberish to them!
Luke 24:10-11 NKJV It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. (11) And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
Think about what these women were saying: guards that seemed to be dead… the stone rolled away… men in bright clothing… Jesus alive?! None of it made any sense. But the message was intriguing enough to provoke two of Jesus’ disciples, John and Peter, to go to the tomb to see for themselves. So, John 20:1-8 tells us that John, Peter and Mary Magdalene headed off to the tomb to see for themselves if they could figure out all the strange events of the morning. There was an empty tomb. No one doubted that part of the women’s story. But what they needed to decide for themselves was WHY it was empty and what it all meant.
That’s the same thing that each of us has to decide. We all agree that there is an empty tomb. You wouldn’t waste your Easter Sunday morning if you didn’t believe that. But the question is how will each of us respond to that empty tomb? How is it going to affect our lives?
Three different people came to the tomb that day, and each one responded in a distinctly different way.
I. John, the Believer
The first person to arrive at the tomb was John.
John 20:3-5 NKJV Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. (4) So they both ran together, and the other disciple [John] outran Peter and came to the tomb first. (5) And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.
When John heard the news, he jumped up and ran with all his might to get to the tomb. He wanted to believe. He loved Jesus. Of all the disciples, John had been the most faithful. He had been in the courtyard when Jesus had been interrogated and sentenced to die. He had been at the foot of the cross when Jesus hung there dying. He had willingly taken Jesus’ mother into his home to care for her. He was so excited about the possibility that Jesus might actually be alive that he ran faster than any of the other disciples. But when he got to the tomb, he didn’t go in. He looked inside and saw some of what Mary had described, but he stayed outside.
Maybe he stayed outside because he had to catch his breath after the long run. Maybe he stayed outside because he was afraid. What if Mary was wrong and Jesus’ body had been moved to another part of the graveyard? He didn’t want to see Jesus all mangled from the torture of the beating and the cross. What if once he and Peter were inside the tomb, guards who had been hiding suddenly appeared? It could be that this was all an elaborate trap set up by the Roman civil authorities. What if they had taken Jesus’ body away to lure the disciples there. Once the disciples arrived, they’d arrest them and say that they caught them trying to steal the body of Jesus to make it look like Jesus had risen from the dead.
After a few minutes, Peter arrived at the tomb.
John 20:6-8 NKJV Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, (7) and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. (8) Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
Brazen Peter walked right in without the slightest hesitation. He saw everything just as Mary had said. The linen that had covered Jesus’ body was all neatly lying in place – as if Jesus’ body had just dematerialized from inside the clothing. When Peter arrived and entered the tomb, John figured that it must be ok to enter, so he went in too. They both saw all the evidence, but they had different responses to the evidence.
John 20:8 NKJV Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
John saw and immediately believed. The empty grave was enough evidence for him that what the women had said was true. Jesus really had risen from the dead! John didn’t need to see Jesus to know that Jesus was alive. He had heard Jesus’ prophecies about His coming death and resurrection, and now, here was the empty tomb. It was enough.
There are many people like John. We believe because there is an empty tomb, and because of the testimony of Christians through the centuries to the fact that Jesus is alive. We don’t need to see to believe. We join with John in being the ones who Jesus spoke of only a few verses later in this same chapter when He said,
John 20:29 NKJV Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
John reacted to the empty tomb with belief.
II. Peter, the Skeptic
Then there was Peter. Peter was a little slower than John to arrive at the tomb. Maybe it was because John was younger than Peter. Or maybe it was because all those years of fishing had given Peter arthritis in his knees and back. Or maybe it was because he too was afraid of what he might find. He wasn’t afraid of soldiers so much. If you remember what happened when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter had whacked off the ear of one of the soldiers when they tried to take Jesus. Peter wanted to see Jesus, but there was a part of him that dreaded the idea. The last time that Peter had looked into the eyes of Jesus was immediately after Peter had denied Him. If Peter saw Jesus, he knew he was going to be confronted with his sin and guilt, not to mention his overconfidence and his bragging. He wasn’t sure that he could handle that. Peter’s vision was clouded by the pain that he felt over his past. He wanted Jesus to be alive, but he didn’t know how he was going to be able to face Him.
There are people like that here today. You want to believe, but there’s just too much history. There’s too much guilt and pain to respond to the pleading of Jesus to accept His love. It’s just too difficult to believe that Jesus’ resurrection could wipe away all that pain. Let me tell you something. Jesus can forgive, and Jesus can heal.
Peter went in and examined the evidence for himself. He saw the linen that had wrapped his body and the piece of cloth that had been around His head. It was enough to prove that SOMETHING had happened there. But it wasn’t enough to prove that Jesus was alive. Another account of this event in the book of Luke says that Peter was wondering to himself what had happened.
Luke 24:12 NKJV But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Peter was still a skeptic. He needed more evidence.
Then Peter did one of the most foolish things of his whole life. Let’s read John 29:10
John 20:10 NKJV Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
Instead of shouting the good news to the world, he went home. Something as important as that, and he left without even coming to a conclusion as to what had happened. If Peter had hung around just a little while longer, he would have gotten to experience the same miracle that Mary was getting ready to see. There wasn’t enough evidence because he didn’t hang around long enough.
Too many people don’t have enough evidence to place their faith in Jesus because of the simple reason that they don’t hang around long enough. They don’t read God’s Word enough. They don’t spend enough time around God’s people. They don’t spend enough time in prayer. They get up off their knees, or they walk out of the door of the church just before the miracle happens, and they miss it. They aren’t present to see the miracle of God’s changing power. Don’t leave until you see a miracle! Peter walked away from that empty tomb with his heart still broken.
III. Mary, the Broken-Hearted
Then, there was Mary Magdalene. When Peter and John left, Mary stayed.
John 20:11-13 NKJV But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. (12) And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. (13) Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."
The angel had asked a really good question: “Why are you crying?” In John 20:1, the Bible tells us that the women, including Mary Magdalene, had come to the tomb while it was still dark. The sun hadn’t risen yet. The fact that they had come to the tomb so early also tells us about the condition of their hearts. It was the deepest, darkest time of their lives. Mary was depressed. Psychologists will tell you that depression comes when you have lost something of value to you. The more valuable the person or thing is that you lose, the deeper the depression. Mary had lost something more valuable to her than anything else – she had lost Jesus. That meant a lot to her. To her, Jesus meant…
Release – When she had met Jesus, she was enslaved by 7 demons (see Mark 16:9). Jesus had cast the demons out. Jesus had freed her from a life of torment.
Peace – Parents know what it’s like to have several different little people pulling on you at the same time all trying to get your attention to do something for them. Imagine having seven demons living inside your head constantly steering you in directions that you don’t want to go. When Jesus had released her, she had found a peace that she had never known.
Forgiveness – Not only had Jesus released her from her demons, He had released her from her sin. He had forgiven her for all those actions that had allowed the demons to inhabit her to begin with.
Someone to believe in – When Jesus was alive Mary had been a part of a group of women who supported His ministry financially. She had believed in what He was doing. Everyone needs someone to believe in.
Leadership – She was lost without Jesus. She had given her life to Jesus. His life had given hers meaning. Now that He was gone, she was like a lost puppy dog, not knowing what to do or what to believe in.
She thought about all that was gone, so she cried… she wept.
But then a miracle happened.
John 20:14-18 NKJV Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. (15) Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." (16) Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). (17) Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " (18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
Verse 18 tells us about Mary’s exciting news – she had seen Jesus. Seeing the Lord – that’s what Mary wanted more than anything else in the world, and she wanted it more than anyone else did. She wanted to see Him so bad that she didn’t allow the rude comments or threats that the soldiers made at the foot of the cross to push her away. She wanted to see Him so badly that even though His face was covered in blood and His body was mangled from torture, she didn’t turn away in disgust. She wanted to see Him so badly that when His body was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb by Joseph, she stayed. And then, when the tomb was sealed with the stone rolled to the entrance, she sat outside the tomb…watching. The only thing that could pull her away was the Sabbath. But as soon as the Sabbath was over, she was back at Jesus’ side again. Mary wanted to see Jesus. Mary received her deepest desire. She said, “I have seen the Lord.”
Conclusion:
Every one of us is like one of these three witnesses to the empty tomb. All three of them had been told what had happened that day – Mary had been told by the angels, and Peter and John had been told by the other women. All three saw the same tomb and examined the same evidence, and all three had different reactions.
Some of us are like John. We see the empty tomb and we believe. Jesus says that we are blessed. Rejoice that Jesus is alive. It means that we will live with Him for all eternity.
Some of us are like Peter. We see the empty tomb and we don’t know exactly what to believe. There’s something going on, but we don’t know what. We might say, “I don’t understand all this religion stuff. I don’t understand why people would willingly get up every Sunday morning, give up their sleep and free time and come to church.” There’s only one way that you will ever understand. Stick around. Don’t just come on Easter. Come back again and again until you see the miracle of your own life changed. Stay a long time at the foot of the cross. Stay a long time at the empty tomb.
And then some of us are like Mary. We see the empty tomb. We see the change in people’s lives. We think that there has got to be some practical explanation for what has happened. Mary didn’t believe completely at first, either. But she hung around long enough to have her questions answered and her faith grown. Maybe that’s you. Either you’re not quite sure about what happened on that day, or more likely, you’re not sure how what happened on that day impacts your life on this day. You ask, “What does it all mean? Or, what does it all mean to me?” Since Jesus is alive, Jesus can be to you all those things that Mary thought she had lost – release, peace, forgiveness, a sense of purpose and leadership.
John Todd was born in Rutledge, Vermont, into a family of several children. They later moved to the village of Killingsworth back in the early 1880’s. There, at a very early age, both of John’s parents died. One dear and loving aunt said she would take little John. The aunt sent a horse and a servant, Caesar, to get John who was only six at the time. On the way back this endearing conversation took place:
John: Will she be there?
Caesar: Oh, yes, she’ll be there waiting for you.
John: Will I like living with her?
Caesar: My son, you fall into good hands.
John: Will she love me?
Caesar: Aye, she has a big heart.
John: Will I have my own room? Will she let me have a puppy?
Caesar: She’s got everything all set, son. I think she has some surprises, John.
John: Do you think she’ll go to bed before we get there?
Caesar: Oh, no! She’ll be sure to wait up for you. You’ll see when we get out of these woods. You’ll see her candle in the window.
Sure enough, as they neared the house, John saw a candle in the window and his aunt standing in the doorway. As he shyly approached the porch, she reached down, kissed him, and said, “Welcome home.”
John Todd grew up in his aunt’s home and later became a great minister. She was mother to him. She gave him a second home.
Years later his aunt wrote to tell John of her own impending death because of failing health. She wondered what would become of her. This is what John Todd wrote in reply:
My Dear Aunt,
Years ago, I left a house of death, not knowing where I was to go, whether anyone cared, whether it was the end of me. The ride was long, but the servant encouraged me. Finally, I arrived to your embrace and a new home. I was expected. I felt safe. You did it all for me.
Now it’s your turn to go. I’m writing to let you know someone is waiting up, your room is all ready, the light is on, the door is open, and you are expected! I know. I once saw God standing in your doorway… long ago!
Jesus’ victory over death has provided eternal life to us. The empty tomb provides strength for this life and lights our way to our heavenly home where Jesus stands in the doorway, the Light of Life Himself, and we are expected!
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020
Submitted to the church website due to Coronavirus outbreak
Bible lesson: John 20:1-18
John 20:1-18 NKJV Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. (2) Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." (3) Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. (4) So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. (5) And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. (6) Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, (7) and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. (8) Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. (9) For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. (10) Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. (11) But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. (12) And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. (13) Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." (14) Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. (15) Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." (16) Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). (17) Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " (18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
Introduction:
Let me start out with a scenario for you this morning. Every day, a gentleman went to work. Every day, he would ride the elevator all the way to the bottom floor of the high-rise apartment building where he lived. But when he came home from work, he would ride the elevator back up to only the 6th floor. Then, he would take the stairs to his apartment many stories higher in the building. He did this every day, unless it was raining. If it was raining, he would ride the elevator all the way to the floor of his apartment. Why?
Here’s another one to think about. Ann is lying on the floor dead. There’s broken glass and water all around her. Stuart is asleep on the couch seemingly oblivious to the death that has occurred. How did Ann die?
Have you ever played those kind of mind games where you are presented with a scene, and you have to figure out what happened by asking questions that can only be answered with a “yes” or “no”? Just so that you won’t be trying to figure those out the rest of the morning instead of paying attention to the good news of Easter Sunday, I’ll tell you the answers to them.
In the first one, the reason the gentleman would only go the 6th floor on his return home from work was because that was the highest button that he could reach on the elevator control panel. He was a very short man. On days when it rained, he had his umbrella with him, and he could use his umbrella to punch the button that indicated his floor. In the second situation, it might help you to know that Ann is a fish, and Stuart is a cat. And the glass and water all around Ann on the floor is from her fishbowl that Stuart successfully knocked over.
Let’s try one more. After gruesome torture, a man dies. He is buried on that same night. On Sunday morning, some friends of His arrive at the tomb where He was buried to pay their last respects – only to discover that His body is gone. What happened? That’s the situation that we’re going to look at this morning. Let’s read John 20:1-2.
John 20:1-2 NKJV Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. (2) Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."
Early on that first Easter morning, a group of women approached the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. There hadn’t been enough time after His crucifixion to properly prepare Him for His burial. As they got closer to the tomb, suddenly a thought occurred to them – a question posed in Mark 16:3: “Who’s going to roll away that huge stone from the door of the cave?”(Many biblical archeologists believe the stone weighed 2,000 – 4,000 pounds)
But in spite of the obstacle, the women kept going. When they got to the tomb, they found a scene that they hadn’t expected. According to Matthew 28:4, they found the soldiers that guarded the tomb lying on the ground, looking very much like they were dead. But more amazing than that, they found the stone covering the tomb entrance had already been rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. So, they walked past the guards and entered the tomb where Jesus’ body had been placed.
Then, to add to the confusion, they found the body gone! Suddenly, two angels appeared and proclaimed to them that Jesus had arisen! The angels told them to go and tell His disciples, so that’s exactly what they did.
Luke 24:4-6 NKJV And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. (5) Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? (6) He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,
When the women got to the place Jesus’ disciples had been hiding, they caught their breath for a moment, and then they began, in voices that could barely contain their excitement, to tell the disciples everything that they had seen and heard. But the men didn’t believe them. The women’s stories sounded like a bunch of gibberish to them!
Luke 24:10-11 NKJV It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. (11) And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
Think about what these women were saying: guards that seemed to be dead… the stone rolled away… men in bright clothing… Jesus alive?! None of it made any sense. But the message was intriguing enough to provoke two of Jesus’ disciples, John and Peter, to go to the tomb to see for themselves. So, John 20:1-8 tells us that John, Peter and Mary Magdalene headed off to the tomb to see for themselves if they could figure out all the strange events of the morning. There was an empty tomb. No one doubted that part of the women’s story. But what they needed to decide for themselves was WHY it was empty and what it all meant.
That’s the same thing that each of us has to decide. We all agree that there is an empty tomb. You wouldn’t waste your Easter Sunday morning if you didn’t believe that. But the question is how will each of us respond to that empty tomb? How is it going to affect our lives?
Three different people came to the tomb that day, and each one responded in a distinctly different way.
I. John, the Believer
The first person to arrive at the tomb was John.
John 20:3-5 NKJV Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. (4) So they both ran together, and the other disciple [John] outran Peter and came to the tomb first. (5) And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.
When John heard the news, he jumped up and ran with all his might to get to the tomb. He wanted to believe. He loved Jesus. Of all the disciples, John had been the most faithful. He had been in the courtyard when Jesus had been interrogated and sentenced to die. He had been at the foot of the cross when Jesus hung there dying. He had willingly taken Jesus’ mother into his home to care for her. He was so excited about the possibility that Jesus might actually be alive that he ran faster than any of the other disciples. But when he got to the tomb, he didn’t go in. He looked inside and saw some of what Mary had described, but he stayed outside.
Maybe he stayed outside because he had to catch his breath after the long run. Maybe he stayed outside because he was afraid. What if Mary was wrong and Jesus’ body had been moved to another part of the graveyard? He didn’t want to see Jesus all mangled from the torture of the beating and the cross. What if once he and Peter were inside the tomb, guards who had been hiding suddenly appeared? It could be that this was all an elaborate trap set up by the Roman civil authorities. What if they had taken Jesus’ body away to lure the disciples there. Once the disciples arrived, they’d arrest them and say that they caught them trying to steal the body of Jesus to make it look like Jesus had risen from the dead.
After a few minutes, Peter arrived at the tomb.
John 20:6-8 NKJV Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, (7) and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. (8) Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
Brazen Peter walked right in without the slightest hesitation. He saw everything just as Mary had said. The linen that had covered Jesus’ body was all neatly lying in place – as if Jesus’ body had just dematerialized from inside the clothing. When Peter arrived and entered the tomb, John figured that it must be ok to enter, so he went in too. They both saw all the evidence, but they had different responses to the evidence.
John 20:8 NKJV Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
John saw and immediately believed. The empty grave was enough evidence for him that what the women had said was true. Jesus really had risen from the dead! John didn’t need to see Jesus to know that Jesus was alive. He had heard Jesus’ prophecies about His coming death and resurrection, and now, here was the empty tomb. It was enough.
There are many people like John. We believe because there is an empty tomb, and because of the testimony of Christians through the centuries to the fact that Jesus is alive. We don’t need to see to believe. We join with John in being the ones who Jesus spoke of only a few verses later in this same chapter when He said,
John 20:29 NKJV Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
John reacted to the empty tomb with belief.
II. Peter, the Skeptic
Then there was Peter. Peter was a little slower than John to arrive at the tomb. Maybe it was because John was younger than Peter. Or maybe it was because all those years of fishing had given Peter arthritis in his knees and back. Or maybe it was because he too was afraid of what he might find. He wasn’t afraid of soldiers so much. If you remember what happened when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter had whacked off the ear of one of the soldiers when they tried to take Jesus. Peter wanted to see Jesus, but there was a part of him that dreaded the idea. The last time that Peter had looked into the eyes of Jesus was immediately after Peter had denied Him. If Peter saw Jesus, he knew he was going to be confronted with his sin and guilt, not to mention his overconfidence and his bragging. He wasn’t sure that he could handle that. Peter’s vision was clouded by the pain that he felt over his past. He wanted Jesus to be alive, but he didn’t know how he was going to be able to face Him.
There are people like that here today. You want to believe, but there’s just too much history. There’s too much guilt and pain to respond to the pleading of Jesus to accept His love. It’s just too difficult to believe that Jesus’ resurrection could wipe away all that pain. Let me tell you something. Jesus can forgive, and Jesus can heal.
Peter went in and examined the evidence for himself. He saw the linen that had wrapped his body and the piece of cloth that had been around His head. It was enough to prove that SOMETHING had happened there. But it wasn’t enough to prove that Jesus was alive. Another account of this event in the book of Luke says that Peter was wondering to himself what had happened.
Luke 24:12 NKJV But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Peter was still a skeptic. He needed more evidence.
Then Peter did one of the most foolish things of his whole life. Let’s read John 29:10
John 20:10 NKJV Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
Instead of shouting the good news to the world, he went home. Something as important as that, and he left without even coming to a conclusion as to what had happened. If Peter had hung around just a little while longer, he would have gotten to experience the same miracle that Mary was getting ready to see. There wasn’t enough evidence because he didn’t hang around long enough.
Too many people don’t have enough evidence to place their faith in Jesus because of the simple reason that they don’t hang around long enough. They don’t read God’s Word enough. They don’t spend enough time around God’s people. They don’t spend enough time in prayer. They get up off their knees, or they walk out of the door of the church just before the miracle happens, and they miss it. They aren’t present to see the miracle of God’s changing power. Don’t leave until you see a miracle! Peter walked away from that empty tomb with his heart still broken.
III. Mary, the Broken-Hearted
Then, there was Mary Magdalene. When Peter and John left, Mary stayed.
John 20:11-13 NKJV But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. (12) And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. (13) Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."
The angel had asked a really good question: “Why are you crying?” In John 20:1, the Bible tells us that the women, including Mary Magdalene, had come to the tomb while it was still dark. The sun hadn’t risen yet. The fact that they had come to the tomb so early also tells us about the condition of their hearts. It was the deepest, darkest time of their lives. Mary was depressed. Psychologists will tell you that depression comes when you have lost something of value to you. The more valuable the person or thing is that you lose, the deeper the depression. Mary had lost something more valuable to her than anything else – she had lost Jesus. That meant a lot to her. To her, Jesus meant…
Release – When she had met Jesus, she was enslaved by 7 demons (see Mark 16:9). Jesus had cast the demons out. Jesus had freed her from a life of torment.
Peace – Parents know what it’s like to have several different little people pulling on you at the same time all trying to get your attention to do something for them. Imagine having seven demons living inside your head constantly steering you in directions that you don’t want to go. When Jesus had released her, she had found a peace that she had never known.
Forgiveness – Not only had Jesus released her from her demons, He had released her from her sin. He had forgiven her for all those actions that had allowed the demons to inhabit her to begin with.
Someone to believe in – When Jesus was alive Mary had been a part of a group of women who supported His ministry financially. She had believed in what He was doing. Everyone needs someone to believe in.
Leadership – She was lost without Jesus. She had given her life to Jesus. His life had given hers meaning. Now that He was gone, she was like a lost puppy dog, not knowing what to do or what to believe in.
She thought about all that was gone, so she cried… she wept.
But then a miracle happened.
John 20:14-18 NKJV Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. (15) Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." (16) Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). (17) Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " (18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
Verse 18 tells us about Mary’s exciting news – she had seen Jesus. Seeing the Lord – that’s what Mary wanted more than anything else in the world, and she wanted it more than anyone else did. She wanted to see Him so bad that she didn’t allow the rude comments or threats that the soldiers made at the foot of the cross to push her away. She wanted to see Him so badly that even though His face was covered in blood and His body was mangled from torture, she didn’t turn away in disgust. She wanted to see Him so badly that when His body was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb by Joseph, she stayed. And then, when the tomb was sealed with the stone rolled to the entrance, she sat outside the tomb…watching. The only thing that could pull her away was the Sabbath. But as soon as the Sabbath was over, she was back at Jesus’ side again. Mary wanted to see Jesus. Mary received her deepest desire. She said, “I have seen the Lord.”
Conclusion:
Every one of us is like one of these three witnesses to the empty tomb. All three of them had been told what had happened that day – Mary had been told by the angels, and Peter and John had been told by the other women. All three saw the same tomb and examined the same evidence, and all three had different reactions.
Some of us are like John. We see the empty tomb and we believe. Jesus says that we are blessed. Rejoice that Jesus is alive. It means that we will live with Him for all eternity.
Some of us are like Peter. We see the empty tomb and we don’t know exactly what to believe. There’s something going on, but we don’t know what. We might say, “I don’t understand all this religion stuff. I don’t understand why people would willingly get up every Sunday morning, give up their sleep and free time and come to church.” There’s only one way that you will ever understand. Stick around. Don’t just come on Easter. Come back again and again until you see the miracle of your own life changed. Stay a long time at the foot of the cross. Stay a long time at the empty tomb.
And then some of us are like Mary. We see the empty tomb. We see the change in people’s lives. We think that there has got to be some practical explanation for what has happened. Mary didn’t believe completely at first, either. But she hung around long enough to have her questions answered and her faith grown. Maybe that’s you. Either you’re not quite sure about what happened on that day, or more likely, you’re not sure how what happened on that day impacts your life on this day. You ask, “What does it all mean? Or, what does it all mean to me?” Since Jesus is alive, Jesus can be to you all those things that Mary thought she had lost – release, peace, forgiveness, a sense of purpose and leadership.
John Todd was born in Rutledge, Vermont, into a family of several children. They later moved to the village of Killingsworth back in the early 1880’s. There, at a very early age, both of John’s parents died. One dear and loving aunt said she would take little John. The aunt sent a horse and a servant, Caesar, to get John who was only six at the time. On the way back this endearing conversation took place:
John: Will she be there?
Caesar: Oh, yes, she’ll be there waiting for you.
John: Will I like living with her?
Caesar: My son, you fall into good hands.
John: Will she love me?
Caesar: Aye, she has a big heart.
John: Will I have my own room? Will she let me have a puppy?
Caesar: She’s got everything all set, son. I think she has some surprises, John.
John: Do you think she’ll go to bed before we get there?
Caesar: Oh, no! She’ll be sure to wait up for you. You’ll see when we get out of these woods. You’ll see her candle in the window.
Sure enough, as they neared the house, John saw a candle in the window and his aunt standing in the doorway. As he shyly approached the porch, she reached down, kissed him, and said, “Welcome home.”
John Todd grew up in his aunt’s home and later became a great minister. She was mother to him. She gave him a second home.
Years later his aunt wrote to tell John of her own impending death because of failing health. She wondered what would become of her. This is what John Todd wrote in reply:
My Dear Aunt,
Years ago, I left a house of death, not knowing where I was to go, whether anyone cared, whether it was the end of me. The ride was long, but the servant encouraged me. Finally, I arrived to your embrace and a new home. I was expected. I felt safe. You did it all for me.
Now it’s your turn to go. I’m writing to let you know someone is waiting up, your room is all ready, the light is on, the door is open, and you are expected! I know. I once saw God standing in your doorway… long ago!
Jesus’ victory over death has provided eternal life to us. The empty tomb provides strength for this life and lights our way to our heavenly home where Jesus stands in the doorway, the Light of Life Himself, and we are expected!