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 It must have seemed pretty final to his followers, especially His
disciples. They must have felt pretty hopeless, perhaps questioning
what they had been doing the last 3 years. They must have been full
of fear, thinking that they might be next to die.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary
Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed
from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other
disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord
out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So
Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were
running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb
first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there
but did not go in. John 20:1-5
When Mary came and told Peter and John that Jesus was not in the
tomb, they ran to see. They must have been thinking many different
things as they were running. Maybe they thought that someone stole
the body or that Mary was out of her mind with grief. They could of
thought of Lazarus coming out of his tomb when he had been dead in
the tomb for days.
Peter and John were both running but John got there first, he looked
into the tomb but was not willing to go in.
 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the
tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth
that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying
in its place, separate from the linen. John 20:6-7
Peter arrived right behind John. We should remember that Peter was
the disciple who had denied Jesus three times. He must have felt
guilt and anguish. Perhaps among the disciples he felt the most
hopeless. Peter went straight in and found that the tomb was empty!
Finally, the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also
went inside. He saw and believed. - John 20:8
Once John went in and saw the empty tomb he believed.
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These men went from hopelessness to having hope. Which, really is
what Easter is all about. We can have hope because Jesus rose from
the dead. We can have hope because Jesus ascended to heaven.
We celebrate Easter with candy and eggs, Easter baskets and family
traditions. We can miss the real meaning of Easter.
When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they separated themselves
from God. They died spiritually. The Bible tells us that all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible tells us that
the sin we have keeps us separated from God because He is holy. In
the book of Romans it states that the wages or the payment for sin
is death. We need a redeemer, one that can die in our place. Jesus
came to this earth and lived a sinless life and was killed on the
cross.
If Jesus had only died, if that's all He did we would be without
hope. But when Mary woke up and went and looked, the tomb was empty.
When John and Peter saw it, the tomb was empty. It still is!
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not
sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our
sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John
2:1-2 NKJ
The Word, propitiation, means satisfaction. When Jesus rose from the
dead it was a sign that God was satisfied with His Sacrifice for the
sins of the world. His resurrection gives us hope.
This year as you celebrate Easter, take a minute and think of the
hope that we have in Jesus. The Tomb is Still empty!
Lincoln Bible Church
2316 N. Kickapoo St.
Lincoln
(217) 735-5959
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