John 20:3-7 “So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.”
Do you remember when Lazarus was raised from the dead, that others had to unbind him? Perhaps Mary, Peter, and John assumed the same with Jesus. They may have concluded the grave clothes wouldn’t be there unless someone removed them and took the body. We can understand why they were perplexed.
But when Jesus was raised from the dead, He transcended time and space. He was able to move freely through the veil between heaven and earth and could appear anywhere He wanted—in a locked room, on a road with two disciples, or on the beach on the Sea of Galilee. The stone didn’t need to be rolled away so Jesus could walk out, but so the first eye witnesses could see He had risen and was no longer in the grave.
Jesus prayed, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20).
In raising Jesus, Peter preached, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Jesus is Lord of time and space and He lives in us! He is manifesting Himself in our bodies as we live to love with Him so the world may see that Jesus lives and believe in Him.
Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com
