Have You Entered the Tomb?
“And so, they (Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus) took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been laid.” John 19:40-41
Mary Magdalene to Peter and John after having come from the tomb on Sunday morning: “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we (other women who were with Mary) do not know where they have laid Him.” (John 20:2)
Now, be sure and read the context of the Scriptures for yourself (John 19:38-20:10), but for now, Peter and John (the younger) run to Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb in which he and Nicodemus have previously laid Jesus’ body. John tells us in his Gospel that he arrives first and looks inside but doesn’t enter, yet. Peter however, is right behind him and upon arrival, enters the tomb. What do they see? They both see an empty tomb as Mary had described earlier, but John draws us to the linen wrappings that had encased both Jesus’ body and head separately. The amazing thing is, the way in which the Scriptures read tells us how the linen wrappings had kept their original shape and position after Jesus’ resurrection! If Jesus’ body had been stolen, the thieves would not have taken the time to unwrap it, but even if they had, the wrappings would have been strewn all over the tomb, not lying in the perfect order Peter and John witnessed!
Perhaps you’re like Mary who believed that Jesus body had been stolen (be sure and read John 20:11-18 for the rest of Mary’s resurrection story). Maybe you’re timid and fearful of how others may respond to your being a follower of Jesus, like Joseph and Nicodemus, but courage is brewing in your soul (see John 19:38-42). Perhaps you’re like Peter who jumped right in but was still trying to figure things out, or John who saw and believed when he entered the tomb (See John 20:8). But, I do know is this-The Amen to the crucifixion is the resurrection of the Son of God, and sometimes what the Holy Spirit is doing is prompting us to walk inside the tomb in order to witness once again with our spirit, “He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.” (Mark 15:6)
Glorious Easter!
Pastor Louie