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Faith Confronts Loss
April 10th, 2017
John 20:1-10
The events of that early Sunday morning following Jesus’ death and burial capture the stunned reality of sudden loss and grief. John 20 tells of Mary Magdalene’s arrival at the tomb while it was still dark. Incredibly, she found the tomb door open. She assumed that someone, perhaps Jesus’ enemies, had desecrated the tomb and taken the body. She immediately went to tell Jesus’ friends.
Peter and John hurried to the burial place. They also found the tomb open and empty. Peter seems as confused as Mary by Jesus’ inexplicable absence. John, however, “saw and believed” (v. 8). What caused John’s glimmer of faith we are not told, since, “They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead” (v. 9).
Perhaps John remembered what Jesus told them earlier, “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe” (14:28-29).
Author: Duane Brush
Tags: Jesus, Resurrection
