Turning Shock to Belief

Read John 20:1-9  

Read John 20:1-10 and pay attention to the reactions of the different people arriving and leaving the tomb. Imagine the shock of Mary Magdalene when she discovers the stone had been removed from the tomb’s entrance. First, they were still grieving over their teacher and the man that said He was Lord suffering a gruesome death. How insulting that someone disturbed the tomb so soon after Jesus’ burial! Second, practically, the stone was enormous, so how could something like this happen? 

After Mary told Simon Peter and the other disciple, they too were likely shocked and ran. What is interesting is the difference in reactions between the two when they reached the tomb. The other disciple who remains nameless in this passage arrives first, investigates, is a little more unsure about what happened and does not enter. Simon Peter however, boldly enters and looks around, seeing that Jesus was not there and just the linens remained. Building confidence, the other disciple enters as well and it says “he saw and believed.” 

Which disciple are you most like in times of faith-testing events? Do you dive right in or carefully investigate prior to making a move? The passage does not mention any emotions except perhaps the fact that the unnamed disciple believed. Even so, Mary Magdalene and the disciples’ minds must have been running a mile a minute. Think of what might be going through their minds. What happened to Jesus’ body? How did the stone get moved? There might have been a sense of hopelessness considering that not only was their teacher and supposed Savior dead, but also stolen. What had they believed in prior? Was it all just a flash in the pan? 

Going through life is full of surprises, both back in the times described in this passage and also in our present-day. Have you had an instance in your life when something happened and you don’t know how to respond? How did you eventually respond? Have you had an instance in your life when you experienced something profoundly negative to then afterward result in something positive? We can give thanks to the Lord because we know what happens next, Jesus’ appearance and confirmation of resurrection to the disciples, a gloriously positive event. Praise God for His triumph over death, a profoundly negative situation turned on its head!  

FOR REFLECTION:

• When have you experienced what at first was a negative situation, but ultimately God turned into something good? 

by Isaac Svien