Daily Devotion
With Pastor Ancel Presnell
“CONFUSION AT THE TOMB”
Early one Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb of Jesus. It’s so early, it’s still dark outside. When she arrives at Christ’s tomb, much to her surprise, the stone is rolled away! One would think that this brought much praise and excitement, but instead, it brought about much confusion!
Mary ran away from the tomb and took her confusion with her to Peter and John. She frantically tells them that the body of the Lord has been stolen from His tomb, and she has no clue what they have done with Him. Peter and John take off running toward the tomb and John picks up steam and outruns Peter to the tomb!
Peter and John both investigate the tomb of Jesus and observe the linen clothes that had been used to wrap the body. They also see the head shroud folded neatly in its place. John takes another look inside the tomb and the Bible says that he believed. The empty tomb did not occur to them in their mind that Christ had indeed arose from the dead. They were confused to the point of going back home.
Sometimes we get confused about the Resurrection of Jesus. When we go through trials in this life, we get confused about it. When we face sickness and disease, we find ourselves confused about the Resurrection. Unfortunately, we must endure the loss of loved ones, and the grief associated with that loss in this life. This too can become very confusing if we fail to remind ourselves that Christ is alive. He has conquered death and the grave! We have an expected end and there is nothing to be confused about! He won! He is Alive!
John 20:2—10 “2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.”
