Read John 20:1-10 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. What did Mary think had happened to Jesus?
2. When did the disciples understand the Scriptures?
3. What did they do after seeing the empty tomb?
Reflect
Mary Magdalene had obeyed God’s command to rest on the Sabbath, which was Saturday. Jesus had been placed in the borrowed tomb on Friday, but some of the burial preparation work had been left undone. Mary arrived early on Sunday morning to start that work, and that’s when she saw the entrance open and was afraid Jesus’ body had been taken by grave robbers.
Peter and John, disciples in Jesus’ inner circle, raced to the scene. They saw the linens that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in – a grave robber wouldn’t have taken the time to remove these wrappings and leave them in the tomb. Then Peter and John understood: Jesus had risen from the dead.
So far in the Resurrection Sunday narrative, things are still quiet. If you believe the Good News that Jesus has died and risen from the grave, are you keeping quiet about it? Jesus offers forgiveness of all your sins. He’s taken your death penalty and paid it Himself, offering you eternal life in exchange. If the tomb is truly empty, then this changes everything.
Respond
Have you shared the Good News with others recently, and why or why not? How did that experience go, or what held you back from sharing? Spend some time in prayer today asking God to bring to your mind people who don’t know Him yet. Thank Him for the empty tomb.