Easter – Part 3

April 23, 2025

Broadcast

                            Easter - Part 3
                              John 20:3-5
                              04/23/2025


        3    So Peter went out with the other disciple, and
             they were going toward the tomb.
        4    Both of them were running together, but the other
             disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
        5    And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths
             lying there, but he did not go in.  (ESV)

        From the first Easter, the Christian Church has depended on
   the eyewitnesss accounts of the disciples and faithful women who
   first saw the empty tomb.  The witnesses of the resurrection,
   writing to various audiences, each experienced the events
   differently.  Mary Magdelene and the women expected the tomb to
   be sealed with the large stone over the door.  Peter and John
   expected the tomb to be open.  Each author wrote of their
   experiences, of their discoveries, proving that the Gospel
   accounts are accurate histories of the events of that morning.

        So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they
        were going toward the tomb.  Both of them were running
        together, but the other disciple outran Peter and
        reached the tomb first.  And stooping to look in, he
        saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.


        These details enhance the credibility of the witnesses.
   Maybe it doesn't matter to our salvation who was the faster
   runner, but knowing that John beat Peter to the tomb helps us
   understand the events.  John looked in but did not enter.  He saw
   the linen shroud and the face covering lying in the tomb.  Had
   Jesus's body been stolen, certainly the robbers would have taken
   the expensive shroud, even if blood stained, to maximize their
   profits.

        John saw that Mary Magdalene's report was true, the stone
   was removed from the door and the tomb no longer held Jesus'
   body.  He couldn't explain what he saw, but knew that Mary's
   account was accurate.  He also had no idea where Jesus was, what
   happened to His remains.

        Where do we look for Jesus?  Not in the tomb, for the tomb
   is empty.  We look for Him where He promises to be found, in the
   inspired and perfect Word of God and in the sacraments He gave
   the Church.  Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!
   Amen.