John 20:9 – Easter and Seeing Jesus

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

“for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.” (John 20:9 ESV)

It has been said that Christians of today ready the Bible backwards. We expect the Resurrection, we ‘foresee’ it coming in the Bible; but those who attended the first Easter didn’t. John Chapter 20 provides a picture of the first Easter; a dark morning of tears, confusion and a little race between John and Peter. Mary Magdalene came first and saw the empty tomb. She thought the body of Jesus had been stolen. Peter actually goes into the tomb and sees the grave clothes nicely folded. However, Peter didn’t understand it was because the grave clothes – and the grave itself – were no longer needed. They only knew it meant Jesus’ body wasn’t there.

That Jesus would be alive again after death seemed so impossible it didn’t even cross their minds. Peter and John went away confused and distressed. Mary was so upset she remained at the grave, mourning not just Jesus’ death, but the absence of his corpse. Here is when everything changes; Mary looks into the tomb and sees two angels. They ask her the reason for her tears: “’They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she has said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there…then Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord!’” (John 20: 14, 18).

Mary didn’t rejoice at the empty tomb; it was in seeing Jesus that she celebrated. Jesus’s death is a sacrifice for us, the empty tomb proof of his divinity. Easter culminates in us having a personal experience with Jesus; that is why Mary ran off proclaiming with joy to share the news with others.

Have you seen the Lord?
Today, how will you proclaim this good news with others?

Guest Devotion by Ellen Pashley. Ellen’s citizenship is in heaven. In the mean-time, she is from America, Canada and currently resides in Tanzania. She wants to serve God in everything, no matter what her current job title. Learn how you can become a guest writer.