5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.
6Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, - P66
8Finally 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.) - P67
The tomb is empty! We sometimes forget the miraculous nature of this event. Jesus’ victory over sin and death is truly amazing! - P68
Because of Jesus, there is hope beyond the grave. There is life beyond death and the anticipation of heaven beyond this earth. - P69
When we meditate on this fact and allow ourselves to be in awe of the earth-shattering nature of this paradigm shift, we cannot help but praise the Lord for His triumph over the grave! - P68
John’s Gospel draws attention to the strips of linen and the cloth that was wrapped around Jesus’ head, intentionally pointing out that these were lying separately, still in their places. The attention given to these details helps us understand what truly happened because it might be difficult for some people to believe the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection. - P68
We see that Jesus’ body was not stolen in a hurry by grave robbers. The linens and cloth are lying there because they have been carefully removed. Such details affirm the truth of the gospel message. - P68
Jesus truly did triumph over sin and death for our salvation! - P68
When Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John encounter the empty tomb, theyeach have a unique way of investigating what has happened. Mary Magda-lene‘s reaction is emotional. She is desperate to know where Jesus‘ body hasbeen taken. John‘s reaction is analytical. He is cautious. Though he arrivesfirst, he lingers outside the tomb, allowing Peter to enter before him. Peteris experiential. He is direct and impulsive. He wants answers, and he runsstraight into the tomb to find them. Whether emotional, analytical, or ex-periential, all three of Jesus‘ followers wanted to know the truth. Eventually,
they will all reach the same conclusion: Jesus is truly alive. - P69
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