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9 April 2007
John 20 v 1-9
Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark. When she saw that the large stone had been moved away from the tomb, she ran to Simon Peter and the follower whom Jesus loved. Mary 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 follower started for the tomb. They were both running, but the other follower ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and looked in and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. Then following him, Simon Peter arrived and went into the tomb and saw the strips of linen lying there. He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus' head, which was folded up and laid in a different place from the strips of linen. Then the other follower, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. He saw and believed. (They did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from the dead.)
I wonder how the first followers of Jesus must have felt at this time. They had seen their Lord and Master die a horrible death and they must have been so devastated about what to do. Do they go back to their old lives before they met Jesus, and carry on as before? No, they gather together and weep and mourn the loss of their friend. Then this scene of the resurrection. They must have been amazed and astonished. Where was he? Where was Jesus now?
It is like us when Jesus comes into our lives but there are times when we feel that He is not close to us. We feel at times that God is not communicating with us. It's at those times that we need to be faithful. We feel sometimes like those early disciples. But God is always there listening to our words, he knows the loneliness and the separation that we sometimes feel and it needs us to maybe pray that bit harder, listen to what we feel God is saying to us and give time for God to break into our lives again in a new way.
Father God we thank you for the gift of new life, for the witness of those early followers who saw and believed. Help each of us to see your work in this world through other Christians and know that you are the risen Lord. Amen
Lord Jesus, in the dark times when all seems lost, help me to remember that you are there, never far away, and when I focus on you, nothing can overcome your resurrection power. Amen
Written by Graham Nunn.
John 20 v 1-9
Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark. When she saw that the large stone had been moved away from the tomb, she ran to Simon Peter and the follower whom Jesus loved. Mary 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 follower started for the tomb. They were both running, but the other follower ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and looked in and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. Then following him, Simon Peter arrived and went into the tomb and saw the strips of linen lying there. He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus' head, which was folded up and laid in a different place from the strips of linen. Then the other follower, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. He saw and believed. (They did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from the dead.)
I wonder how the first followers of Jesus must have felt at this time. They had seen their Lord and Master die a horrible death and they must have been so devastated about what to do. Do they go back to their old lives before they met Jesus, and carry on as before? No, they gather together and weep and mourn the loss of their friend. Then this scene of the resurrection. They must have been amazed and astonished. Where was he? Where was Jesus now?
It is like us when Jesus comes into our lives but there are times when we feel that He is not close to us. We feel at times that God is not communicating with us. It's at those times that we need to be faithful. We feel sometimes like those early disciples. But God is always there listening to our words, he knows the loneliness and the separation that we sometimes feel and it needs us to maybe pray that bit harder, listen to what we feel God is saying to us and give time for God to break into our lives again in a new way.
Father God we thank you for the gift of new life, for the witness of those early followers who saw and believed. Help each of us to see your work in this world through other Christians and know that you are the risen Lord. Amen
Lord Jesus, in the dark times when all seems lost, help me to remember that you are there, never far away, and when I focus on you, nothing can overcome your resurrection power. Amen
Written by Graham Nunn.
