12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Peter stood over the empty tomb where Jesus’ body was laid out just as Lazarus’ was once wrapped in linen strips and laid in a different grave. Peter examined the strips of linen, and even with the words of the women in his mind, wondered to himself what had happened.
How extraordinary that after all he saw and heard from Jesus, Peter didn’t know what the empty tomb meant.
Perhaps in shock, he forgot that Jesus foretold His death and missed that Jesus also foretold His return to the living. Jesus even rebuked Peter as “Satan” when Peter suggested that Jesus must not die. “You are thinking like men, not like God,” Jesus warned. Perhaps Peter pushed this confrontation from the forefront of his mind, still ashamed that he denied Jesus three times before the crow of the morning cock.
So now, Peter wondered what the empty tomb meant. A completely logical conclusion may have occurred to him — the body of the Lord Jesus must be stolen!
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” an angel asked Mary, the mother of James, Joanna, and Mary Magdalene who came to the tomb earlier with spices for the Lord’s body. The angel opened the women’s eyes and hearts to the truth, even asking if they remembered Jesus’ own words regarding the prophesies of the older covenant with God.
When the women returned to the Eleven to tell the truth of the Resurrection, no one believed them. The women’s words seemed like nonsense. But Peter ran to the tomb to see for himself.
Like Peter, each one of us must see the empty tomb, wonder and remember what it means.
Tag: resurrection
“It Is Jesus Christ” ( Romans 8: 31-34, WYC ) by Carley Evans
“If God be for us, who is against us?
32 Which also spared not his own Son, but betook him for us all, how also gave he not to us all things with him?
33 Who shall accuse against the chosen men of God? It is God that justifieth,
34 who is it that condemneth? It is Jesus Christ that was dead, yea, the which rose again, the which is on the right half of God, and the which prayeth for us [the which and rose again, the which is on the right half of God, the which prayeth for us].”
I admit I’ve never noticed this before – that Paul asks, “Who accuses those whom God has chosen? Who is it that condemns?” And then immediately answers, “It is Jesus Christ, the one who died and rose again and now sits at the right hand of God the Father, who prays for us.”
Jesus condemns us by His death. If there was no condemnation, then He would not have needed to die.
And He justifies us by His resurrection. His resurrection destroys the condemnation.
Therefore, “if God be for us ( the One who was against us ), who now is against us?”
No one.
No one.
No one.
If this doesn’t make your heart soar, nothing ever will.
“Be With The Lord” ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, WYC ) by Carley Evans
“For the Lord himself shall come down from heaven, in the commandment, and in the voice of an archangel [in the commanding, and in the voice of the archangel], and in the trump of God; and the dead men that be in Christ, shall rise again first. Afterward we that live, that be left, shall be snatched (up) together with them in clouds, meeting Christ in the air; and so evermore we shall be with the Lord.”
Maybe Paul started the ‘zombie’ – the walking dead – craze. I don’t like writing about ‘end times’ because the Word clearly teaches no one knows the day, the hour except the Father. Why some insist on predicting the end of the world is beyond me! Why anyone argues over the details is also bizarre to me.
That “evermore we shall be with the Lord” is what attracts my attention! The rest is fluff, so to speak. The rapture? The Holy Spirit says ‘be prepared,” “keep watch” because we know not when He “shall come down from Heaven.”
On the cross, Jesus tells the repentant thief, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” Jesus’ promise is not for some far off day, but for today!
“It Is Finished” ( John 19: 30, KJV ) by Carley Evans
“When Jesus, therefore, receives the vinegar, He says, ‘It is finished;’ and He bows His head, and gives up the spirit.”
Jesus dies on the cross, accomplishing payment for the sins of the world. He is buried, visiting hell to remind our adversary he has no power over us.
“Peter, therefore, goes forth, and that other disciple, and comes to the sepulcher. So they run together; and the other disciple does outrun Peter, and comes first to the sepulcher. And he, stooping down and looking in, sees the linen clothes lying; yet goes he not in. Then comes Simon Peter following him, and goes into the sepulcher, and sees the linen clothes lying there, and the cloth, that was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then goes in also that other disciple, who came first to the sepulcher, and he sees, and believes. For as yet they know not the scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” (John 20:3-9, KJV)
He is risen! to achieve glory for Himself and for His children, the sons of God.
“All Were Dead” ( 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, KJV ) by Carley Evans
Jesus takes the cup, blesses it, gives it to His disciples, tells them to drink of His blood in remembrance of Him. He takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, shares it with His disciples, tells them to eat of His body in remembrance of Him. The last supper with His followers is here.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
As we remember Him, His love “constrains us” — we are reminded that “if one died for all, then were all dead.” We remember He “dies for all, that [we] which live should not henceforth live unto [ourselves], but unto Him.”
What makes us live for Him? His love, and the power of His resurrection from the dead. As we die with Him in weakness, so we rise with Him in power. He dies for us. We live for Him.
“He Shall Rise Again To Life” ( Matthew 20: 17-19, WYC ) by Carley Evans
Jesus teaches some truths privately. He takes aside His twelve disciples — including Judas the betrayer — to tell them about their trip to Jerusalem. We’re going up there to the city of God so that I can be condemned to death. I’m going to be ‘scorned, and scourged, and crucified.’ But I’m also going to ‘rise again to life’ on the third day. He may even speak an aside in Judas’ direction, This will thwart the plans of Satan, those plans in which you are to be deeply involved very soon.
Imagine the twelve looking at each other. What did Jesus say? What are we doing? Why are we going to Jerusalem? Did Jesus really mean He is going to die? And what else did He say? He’s going to rise again to life?
“And Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and took his twelve disciples in private, and said to them, [And Jesus, ascending up to Jerusalem, took his twelve disciples in private, and said to them,] Lo! we go up to Jerusalem, and man’s Son shall be betaken to princes of priests, and to scribes; and they shall condemn him to death. And they shall betake him to heathen men, for to be scorned, and scourged, and crucified; and the third day he shall rise again to life. [And they shall betake him to heathen men, to be scorned, and scourged, and crucified; and the third day he shall rise again.]”
Then, upon entering the city, the crowds greet them with waving palm branches and shouts of “Hosanna! to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21: 9, KJV) You can almost hear the disciples, What are we to make of this? These people don’t seem to want Jesus to die? What’s going on? Is our Master mistaken?
These men walk about in a daze, not fully knowing. The next thing Jesus does is clear the temple of money-changers, saying to them, “My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:13, KJV) Next He heals the blind and the lame. Then, He tells the chief priests and scribes that God has “perfected praise” in the mouths of infants. (Matthew 21:16, KJV) He laments over Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37, KJV)
From the moment Jesus enters Jerusalem, He challenges the chief priests, scribes, Pharisees and Sadduces as well as the Herodians. Eventually, the plot to kill Him is fully developed and His statement to His disciples comes to pass. Soon they know.
“But The Truth Is” ( 1 Corinthians 15: 20, NEB ) by Carley Evans
“All will be brought to life in Christ,” writes Paul. “But each in his own proper place.” (1 Corinthians 15:23) “Christ was raised to life — the firstfruits of the harvest of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:20) Later, “at His coming, those who belong to Christ” will be raised. And at the end of time, all will rise to stand at the judgment where God the Father will “abolish every kind of domination, authority, and power.” And, then — finally — He will “put all enemies under His feet; and the last enemy to be abolished is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:25,26)
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, stand firm and immovable, and work for the Lord always, work without limit, since you know that in the Lord your labour cannot be lost.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
“Take Away The Stone” ( John 12: 12 – 15, NEB ) by Carley Evans
After raising Lazarus from the dead — the very next day, in fact — Jesus heads towards Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Passover. Pilgrims who heard of the resurrection “come out to meet [Jesus], shouting, ‘Hosanna [Save!] Blessings on Him who comes in the Name of the Lord!'”
“The people present when [Jesus] called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead tell what they saw and heard. That is why the crowd goes to meet Him; they heard of this sign He performed.” (John 12:17-18)
In raising Lazarus, Jesus demonstrates His power is equivalent to the power of God, the Father. And, Jesus shows us emerging from the grave is possible, even before His own resurrection. Jesus says to Martha, Lazarus’ sister, “‘Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see the glory of God?'” (John 11:40-41) while commanding, “‘Take away the stone.'” (John 11:39)
“The man who loves himself is lost.” (John 12:25) “A grain of wheat remains a solitary grain unless it falls into the ground and dies; but if it dies, it bears a rich harvest.” (John 12:24)
Jesus rides the colt of a donkey into Jerusalem. He says, “‘Now My soul is in turmoil, and what am I to say? Father, save Me from this hour? No, it was for this that I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name.’ A voice sounds from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.'” (John 12:27-29)
“In Accord With God’s Will” (1 John 5: 14, NEB) by Carley Evans
“We can approach God with confidence for this reason: if we make requests which accord with His will He listens to us; and if we know that our requests are heard, we know also that the things we ask for are ours.”
Lazarus falls ill.
Martha sends a message to Jesus, telling Him that His friend, Lazarus is sick. Jesus knows that “this illness will not end in death; [but] has come for the glory of God.” (John 10: 4) Therefore, He deliberately waits two days.
Lazarus dies.
Mary stays at home. Martha seeks Jesus, saying: “If You had been here, sir, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will grant You.”
Jesus promises Lazarus will rise again.
Martha tells Mary that Jesus is looking for her.
Mary – who Jesus forgives much, so that she loves much — comes to the place where Jesus is. When she sees Him, she falls at His feet and testifies: “O sir, if you had only been here my brother would not have died.” Mary and her companions are weeping.
Jesus weeps.
Jesus says, “Do I not tell you that if you have faith you see the glory of God?” (John 11: 41)
The stone is rolled away, and Jesus raises His dead friend with a “great cry: ‘Lazarus, come forth.’ ”
The confidence Mary and Martha show in Jesus’ ability and willingness to save Lazarus from death is valid. They are correct — if Jesus comes while Lazarus is ill, then Lazarus does not die. But Jesus waits, confident Himself that Lazarus’ death and subsequent resurrection is “for [the] good [of Mary and Martha and others] and for the good of [their] faith.” (John 11: 15)
Jesus knows they are to “see the glory of God” which is indeed “in accord with God’s will.”
“Neither Do I Condemn You” (1 Kings 17: 18, HCSB) by Carley Evans
The widow asks Elijah, “Have you come to remind me of my guilt?”
Elijah asks God, “My Lord God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?” (1 Kings 17: 20)
Jesus says to the woman caught in adultery, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answers. “Neither do I condemn you,” says Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” (John 8: 10 – 12)
God does not send His Son, Jesus to earth to condemn us, but to save us. (John 3: 17) “Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the Name of the One and Only Son of God.” (John 3: 18)
In the land of Gennesaret, the people bring the sick on mats to Jesus when they recognize Him. “Whenever He goes into villages, towns, or the country, they lay the sick in the marketplaces and beg Him that they might touch just the tassel of His robe. And everyone who touches it is made well.” (Mark 6: 56)
Jesus does not come to remind us of our guilt, but to rescue us from it. Like Elijah, he does not come to kill our sons and daughters, but to heal them of their illnesses, raise them from the dead and bestow on them the gift of eternal life.
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