(REFLECTIONS ON John 20:1-23)

In today’s Scripture, we see an interesting progression from the missing body of Jesus to the knowledge that Jesus is alive. When Mary first came to the tomb, she and those with her saw that the stone had already been taken away from the tomb.

Her assumption without looking in to investigate was that Jesus’ body was stolen by robbers. After she ran to tell Peter and the other disciple Jesus loved that, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

Peter and the other disciple Jesus loved then ran to the tomb to investigate. The other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first. He looked in and “saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.”

Why would robbers steal a body without the linen wrappings? The linen wrappings had value, especially because spices were wrapped with them. Also, for robbers that likely wanted to get in and get out, removing the linen wrappings would have taken time, and extending the time of the robbery would increase the likelihood of being caught. It also wouldn’t make sense for robbers to run off carrying a dead body through the streets.

However, the other disciple Jesus loved did not go in, but just observed the linen wrappings lying there. Simon Peter followed and entered the tomb and he saw in addition to the linen wrappings lying there, “the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.”

Not only linen wrappings removed, which was odd for a robbery, but the face-cloth was rolled up in a place by itself, which looks more like an undressing, rather than a robbery. Yet, they only concluded that Jesus’ body was missing, and in an anticlimactic way, they went home.

11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;

That is when Mary saw the two angels, and eventually saw Jesus. She went back to the disciples and said, “I have seen the Lord.” No, Jesus’ body was not taken by robbers. No, His body was not just missing without an explanation, but Jesus was alive, risen from the dead, resurrected, from death to life.

And it is this resurrection that we celebrate during Easter, and put our hope and faith in, because the resurrection shows that Jesus has conquered death and through Him there is life, life everlasting. Mary and the disciples came to see the tomb, but it was Mary that stayed to see the Lord.

Many of us come to see the tomb, but are we willing to stay to see the Lord? Come to see the tomb, stay to see the Lord, means that we will not just assume, investigate half-way and then go home, but that we will stick it out, despite the doubts, the troubles, the winds and the waves, because we desire to see the Lord.

Come to see the tomb, on this Easter Sunday, but stay to see the resurrected Lord.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: John 20