So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.
Peter and John have just received the news that the tomb is empty. Mary has also told them that someone had taken the body and put it somewhere else. The first part of the message was true. The second part was speculation which turned out not to be true.
If Peter and John had taken what Mary said at face value, they probably would have started a search party to find the body. Instead, they do a very human thing. They want to see for themselves.
The third part of Mary’s message was not conveyed with words, she conveyed it with emotion. She was panicked. The urgency in her voice and the fact that she had run from the tomb frightened Peter and John. It galvanized them into action.
Instead of worriedly pacing around debating what they should do, the men ran. But what if they hadn’t? What if they had believed her? Then they would have believed something that wasn’t true. They would have believed that Jesus’ body had been taken by someone.
Application: When it comes to knowing the truth, it is important not to take someone else’s word for it. We can each know Jesus for ourselves. In fact, we need to know Jesus.
Food for Thought: Sometimes an action can be a distraction. What sets the action the disciples took apart as the right thing to do?
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As you say in your devotion above, the action they took was to seek the truth. that is always a good perspective. I wonder if they already began to hope that He was alive. His words of a death and resurrection are words they heard. Were they anxious or filled with hope? ”
Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Although they lacked some understanding, it is interesting that John “saw and believed.” While I have no idea the thoughts that were racing through their mind, I do wonder if an element of hope sprang to life. Searching for the truth leads us to Jesus and fills us with hope.
Anon –
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I love your conclusion: Searching for truth leads us to Jesus…
Well said!
I did not actually intend to be anonymous brother 🙂