John 20:1-9

John 20:1-9

 

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, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, 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.)

 

Jesus has just been crucified and buried the day before the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a holy day, so no one goes to the tomb on the Sabbath. But the first day after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb while it is still dark… and the stone that covered the tomb’s entrance is gone! I’m sure all sorts of thoughts are flying through her head as she runs to Simon Peter and the “other disciple,” probably John.

 

As a side note, the other disciple is referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” I’ve often thought that this meant he was Jesus’ favorite disciple – I think I’ve heard people say that sort of thing from the pulpit. But it would be odd if John were writing this gospel and referring to himself throughout it as Jesus’ favorite. It might be that the statement is intended to be John’s humble way of receiving Jesus’ ministry – of recognizing, as we all should, that Jesus’ life and death were for him. So perhaps it is an example to each of us, a reminder that we should think of ourselves in this way: “Matt, the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Jesus died for me. And for you. And we ought to recognize His love for us. Just a thought.

 

So Simon Peter and John (?) run to the tomb. John gets there first, but doesn’t enter. Perhaps he is a bit nervous about Jewish cleanliness laws and doesn’t want to be defiled by entering the tomb. Maybe not. I really don’t know. But he looks inside and sees the linens lying there (obviously without Jesus’ body in them).

 

Peter catches up and goes into the tomb. He sees not only the linens, but also the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. Again, it is rather clear that Jesus’ body is not there.

 

What is odd is that the linens are wrappings are still there. If someone had come (whether a friend or an enemy) to relocate Jesus’ body, wouldn’t they have wanted to keep it wrapped up? Would you or I want to handle a cold, stiff, dead body? Especially if the body were already wrapped up? Would we unwrap the body so that we could move it somewhere else? I wouldn’t.

 

So John (?) enters the tomb, too. He sees all this. And what is written here is that he believes.

 

But what does he believe? The text says that the disciples still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

 

I think John believes, though, that Jesus has risen from the dead. His belief is not yet directed toward Scripture. It is directed toward Jesus. Jesus had predicted this earlier.

• Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. John 2:19
• Note: After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. John 2:22

 

I think that John is telling us that when he saw the linens and the empty tomb, he believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. And he believed because he remembered that Jesus had said He would rise. He did not yet believe on the basis of Scriptures – He just didn’t understand yet that they predicted this. But He remembered Jesus’ teachings and believed Him.

 

Father, help me, please to believe Jesus the way John did. Of course, for me Jesus’ words are Scripture. But help me to believe what I see in Jesus’ words and all throughout Scripture – as soon as I grasp what You are saying, help me to believe. You are trustworthy. You are good. You are powerful. You fufill Your words and Your promises. John was able to believe that Jesus was alive after watching Him die because John trusted his teacher. May I trust You that deeply, too. When my finances are struggling, may I trust that You will meet my every need (Matt. 6:25-34). When I face opposition for Your sake, may I trust that You will protect me (Matt. 10:26-31). In every circumstance, may I look to Your word and trust You. And may I trust You when You tell me that Jesus rose from the dead to be the source of my hope, the conqueror of sin and death. May I trust Your words.