Tomb Life

 John 20 focuses on two things; the resurrection and the tomb. In which do we "live?" Give some thought before you answer, and let's give some thought to the main human character here, Mary.

We first need to picture what her emotional and spiritual state must have been. The chapter opens with her walking in the dark towards the tomb. The tomb that held the body of her beloved Master, Jesus. In her thinking, she'd lost the One who'd set her free. She finds the tomb empty and then runs to tell Peter and John who come back with her. Again, they find the tomb empty. Peter and John leave, but Mary stays at the tomb...alone. She began to weep. I've learned that the Greek words used to describe her weeping are the strongest words for sorrow to be found in the New Testament. She literally unleashed a torrent of sorrow, anguish, perhaps even anger. Her Lord was not only dead, He was gone, and so was her hope. Then she saw something that Peter and John had not and would not; two angels sitting at the head and foot where His body had been. If that weren't wondrous enough, she then saw Jesus, though at first she didn't recognize Him. He was alive, not dead, and risen, not entombed. Her sorrow turned to joy. The death in her soul turned to life. Just as He'd promised.

Just as He'd promised: Verse 9 says that until they saw the empty tomb, they'd forgotten that the Scriptures promised that He would rise from the dead. Today, we need to learn the depth of His words and promises. Jesus Christ will do what He has promised He would. He has given His Word, and nothing, not even the darkest of circumstances, the most frightening of enemies, or the absence of all visible help, will keep Him from fulfilling His Words. Nothing...not even the grave. He said in Luke 24:44, "Everything written about Me....must all come true." It must.

In John 11, Jesus tells Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life. Do you believe this Martha?" Those who believe, who give Him their hearts, are give eternal, resurrected life....now. Not in its fullness, but we are given the power of His resurrected life. He promises it. Do you believe this, or are you still living in the tomb? Maybe today, like Mary, you're walking in the graveyard of this world, in the darkness, and you're feeling that hopelessness and despair closing in on you. He's not in the graveyard, and you needn't be either. He keeps His Word. What He promises to do and give, He does do and give. He gives resurrected life and He offers it to you now. Do you believe this? If you do, He calls you out of the tomb and into His life. Jesus left His tomb more than 2000 years ago. Are you ready to leave yours? 

Blessings,
Pastor O