The tomb is empty!  He is not there, He is risen!  Jesus lives!

 

Today I hope you will allow me to be a bit more personal in sharing passages that absolutely come to life for me when I visit the Garden Tomb in Israel.  I pray you will read the passages and allow them to come to life for you too!

Other than Jesus, my favorite person in the Bible is Peter.  Peter seemed to live life on over-drive at times, yet couldn’t keep his feet out of his mouth!  Do you identify with Peter?  I certainly do!

Peter was part of Jesus’ inner circle, along with James and John.  Based on Scripture, it seems that Jesus hung out with and confided in those three more than anyone else.  Peter was a close friend, but he just didn’t “get it!”  Recall that fateful night in the Garden of Gesthemane?  Yes, Peter was one who accompanied Jesus that night…and fell asleep when Jesus asked him to pray.  Furthermore, Peter was the swordbearer who chopped off the soldier’s ear when the Roman troops came to arrest Jesus.  Later that night, while Jesus was standing trial before Caiaphas, Peter denied knowing Jesus…just as Jesus had predicted.  The Bible indicates that Peter was very distraught.

But early that resurrection morning, Mark 16:1-8 tells us that the two Mary’s went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body.  When they arrived, Jesus was not there, He was risen!  Thus, the angel told them to go tell His disicples….and Peter!  But wait, Peter was a disciple, so why was he singled out?  I believe it was because God had a special message for Peter!  He wanted Peter to come and see that the friend he had denied was now risen and powerful to restore! (God has the same message for us when we’ve “blown it!”)

Now, let’s pick up the account in John 20:1-8.  Indeed, the women went to tell the disciples that Jesus was not in the tomb.  John’s gospel tells us that Peter and John took off running for the tomb, and that John got there first.  Verse 5 says that John “saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.”  Rambunctious Peter, though, blasted right in there!  He entered the tomb, saw the wrappings lying there and the face cloth rolled up by itself.  It was only after that that John entered the tomb and verse 8 says he “saw and believed.”

Here’s the application I draw from the account.  When face-to-face with the Gospel truth (or with any Biblical truth), do we run eagerly toward it only to stop short and look from a distance?  Or are we bold like Peter?  There is certainly a balance to be had if we run that analogy into the thought of running ahead of the Lord’s plans for us.  However, a key point is “seeing and believing.”  At times we must be like Peter: bold enough to see, believe, and charge ahead.  At other times we may need to be like John: stop long enough to discover God’s plan, see it and believe it.  Whatever the case, it is vital to see, believe, then act upon it!

Is there something tugging at your heart?  If you don’t know the risen Savior, perhaps you are “looking in” and it’s time to cross the threshold to seeing and believing.  (See How to Know God)  Or perhaps you are a Christ follower and there is something He is urging you to do.  Why not step inside to see and believe that He will accomplish His good purpose in and through you.  Maybe you are facing tough challenges and seeing and believing His promise to sustain you seems impossible.  Step inside!  See and believe!

Let’s celebrate this Resurrection Sunday by seeing and believing…then acting upon whatever the Risen Lord is impressing upon us!  The very same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work within you and me!  Resurrection blessings, my friends!