Jesus Is Risen
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 came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen . . .
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white . . . They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" . . .
At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus . . .
Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher") . . .
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!"
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 came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen . . .
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white . . . They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" . . .
At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus . . .
Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher") . . .
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!"
John 20:1-18
"They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put Him!"
This was the perplexing response of Mary Magdalene when she discovered that the tomb where Jesus was buried had been "tampered" with. Somebody had rolled away the heavy stone that had been used to seal the tomb! So what could this mean? Where had the body of Jesus been taken?
She ran to inform Peter and John who promptly went to ascertain things for themselves. The tomb was empty! The cloth and strips of linen in which the body of Jesus had been wrapped were all neatly folded and left in the grave. The tomb was empty! So what had happened to the body of Jesus? Did somebody move it to a different location?
Mary did not have to wonder for too long. Our Risen Savior appeared to her! The tomb was empty because Jesus had risen from the dead just as He promised He would. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead changed everything. Jesus had proven that He was God. He had power over life and death.This is the most important tenet of our faith as Christians -- the death and resurrection of Jesus. We have hope beyond the grave because Jesus died and arose to give us eternal life with God. Rejoice because Jesus is risen from the dead!
Prayer: Father, I thank you that because Jesus is alive, I will also live. I have hope beyond the grave because Jesus has overcome death. Amen.