Let's cut Peter & John a little slack!

Walking in the Truth after Easter

Today's Scriptural Truths

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared & went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee:  'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified & on the 3rd day be raised again.' ' Then they remembered His words.
      "When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven & to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene Joanna, Mary the mother of James, & the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up & ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, & he went away, wondering to himself what had happened."  Luke 24:1-12

"So Peter & the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter & reached the tomb first. He bent over & looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived & went into the tomb. He saw the tips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw & believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)"  John 20:3-9

Today's Devotional Thoughts

• We always make a  big deal about the fact that it was the women who first ventured to the tomb, not the apostles. And well we should! Some men THEY turned out to be!
• In their defense, however, I must point out that the women, while apparently not afraid of being arrested, like the apostles were, did show up with burial spices to anoint a body. Jesus' body hadn't had time for a proper treatment on Friday evening before the Sabbath began.
• So the women went to the tomb expecting to find a body, not an empty tomb.
• Shock #1 . . . The tomb is empty! It must have taken their breath away!
• Shock #2 . . . Two men are standing beside them . . . Roman soldiers? No . . . No soldiers anywhere to be found . . . These two guys are dressed in clothes that gleam like lightning.
• You would bow down, too . . . If not in fright, like these women . . . Because you wouldn't be able to bear the sight of two men with clothes gleaming like lightning.
• Shock #3 . . . The words spoken by these two men:

Back to Scriptural Truths

"'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee:  'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified & on the 3rd day be raised again.' ' Then they remembered His words."  verses 5b-8

A Few (I Hope) * More Devotional Thoughts

* Turned out to be wishful thinking

• The tomb is empty . . . because Jesus has risen from the dead . . . 
• Just like He told them He would . . . because . . . 
• Because . . .  God always . . . ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES!
• Before we get too judgmental, i.e., why did Jesus have to repeat Himself over & over & over again? How many times did it take the Truths of Scripture to sink into our thick brains over & over & over again?
• The women don't sit on the Good News.
• They hurry back to the Eleven [I don't have to remind you about Judas' fate, do I?] & tell them the astounding news.
• Naturally, the men can't possibly take the women's news @ face value. [In their defense, based on the culture of the day, a woman's word could not be used against someone in a trial. You can look it up!]
• Only Peter & one other disciple--it's gotta be John--immediately take off running--their fears of arrest temporarily suspended . . . What's with the others? 
• They have to see for themselves, so at least cut THESE two a little slack.
• John must be a little younger & perhaps in a little better shape, because he gets to the tomb first.
• But Peter . . . same ol' brash, impetuous Peter . . . heads into the tomb first, and finds
• And finds . . . 
• Nothing . . . 
• They see & believe . . . But they believe . . . what?
• They believe that the tomb is empty . . . the evidence is obvious.
• "They still did not understand from Scriptures that Jesus had to rise from the dead." (John 20:9)
• Honestly . . . our reaction would have been different . . . how?

Today's Prayer - A Favorite Easter Hymn *

St. 1  Now all the vault of heaven resounds In praise of love that still abounds:
"Christ has triumphed! He is living!"
Sing, choirs of angels, loud & clear! Repeat their songs of glory here:
"Christ has triumphed! Christ has triumphed!"
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

St. 4  Adoring praises now we bring And with the heavenly blessed sing:
"Christ has triumphed! Alleluia!"
Be to the Father & our Lord, To Spirit blest, most holy God,
All the glory, never ending! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

*  Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds, LSB #465

An Addendum

I've adapted many of my devotionals from those I wrote for the Daily Announcements of Lutheran High Northeast during the 2014-15 school year. This is one I wrote originally for the 2016 Easter season.