When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.
Early Sunday morning Mary Magdalene went to the Lord’s tomb. She was bringing oil to anoint the dead body of Jesus. On the way there she was pondering who could possibly open the tomb for her since a huge stone was blocking its entrance. To her surprise upon her arrival the stone had already been rolled away and the tomb was empty.
She thought immediately that someone stole the body of Jesus. But if stolen – and that would be the story that the Roman soldiers would later spread – why did the thieves bother to fold neatly the cloth that covered Jesus’ head?
The soldiers would say further that everything happened while they are asleep. Again the question would arise why were they sleeping in their watch? And if they were sleeping how did they know it was the apostles who took the body away?
Mary Magdalene at once returned to the apostle and reported the empty tomb.
John and Peter quickly ran out of their hiding from the Upper room and saw everything as Mary had reported. Peter saw it first and wondered what was the meaning of it all. John saw it next and believed.
The empty tomb meant that Jesus had risen from the dead as He had promised He would. The tomb although void meant that Jesus was alive. Most of all the empty tomb meant Jesus was God powerful over death and sin.
What emptiness exist in our lives and yet be full of meaning? In the void do we hardly notice the neatly folded cloth? Like John may we believe and see significance in the nothingness.
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