Standing Outside the Tomb

The tomb is open and empty. That’s where the story begins.

Mary sees it… and assumes the worst.
“They have taken the Lord…”

She’s not cold. She’s afraid.
And fear will often cloud what’s true.

Then John arrives.
He looks in… but doesn’t step in.

Close to truth… but not yet willing to fully enter it.

Then Peter comes.
And he walks right in.

And there it is:

The empty space.
The folded cloth.
The undeniable evidence.

And finally… John steps in.
He saw… and believed.

But here’s the tension:
He didn’t fully understand yet.

Which means something powerful for us:
Faith often begins before full clarity arrives.

The tomb wasn’t just empty.
It was speaking.

Not that Jesus was taken…
But that sin was.

And that changes everything.

Because if sin has been dealt with…
Then unbelief has nothing left to stand on.

So why do we still struggle?

Because we’re like Mary.

We assume and draft stories of unbelief in our minds.
We react to the stories we’ve written.

Why?
We interpret through fear.

Or like John…
We stand close… but hesitate to step into the truth.

But the invitation is simple:

Step in.
Look clearly.
Believe.

And let that belief reshape how you live.

Lay down the anger and bitterness.
Release the offense.
Stop carrying what Jesus already carried away.

Look at the people in your life.

Stop and really look.
You know, with the same intentionally we use when looking at our phones.

See them…
They bear God’s image.
They are not your enemy.
They are blessings even in disagreements.
Jesus died for them too.

Maybe this week, instead of “fighting it out” …
you choose to “hug it out.”

Remember the tomb is empty… grace should be full.