Daily Readings - Sun Apr 04 2021
John
1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,7as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.8Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Sermon
In today’s Gospel, we witness the dramatic discovery of the empty tomb on that first Easter morning. Mary Magdalene, filled with grief and urgency, notices that the stone has been rolled away. She rushes to inform Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved. Their hurried journey to the tomb, with the other disciple reaching it first, sets the stage for a moment of profound faith. Upon entering the tomb, the disciple sees the neatly arranged linens and the separate cloth that had covered Jesus’ head. In that moment, he believes, even though he and Peter do not yet fully understand the Scriptures that foretold of Jesus’ resurrection.
This passage invites us to reflect on the interplay between doubt and faith. Mary’s initial alarm and the disciples’ haste reveal the confusion and uncertainty that often accompany moments of crisis. Yet, in the stillness of the tomb, the other disciple’s eyes are opened to the truth. The carefully placed linens and the separate cloth suggest an orderly and intentional act, not the chaotic aftermath of grave robbers. This detail speaks to the divine order of God’s plan, even when circumstances seem chaotic or unclear.
As we apply this to our daily lives, we are reminded that faith often begins in the midst of uncertainty. Like Mary and the disciples, we may encounter moments where the path ahead is shrouded in darkness. But it is precisely in these moments that we are called to trust in God’s plan, even when we do not fully understand it. The empty tomb is not just a historical event; it is a symbol of the hope that lies at the heart of our faith. Let us, like the other disciple, allow ourselves to see and believe, even when the road ahead seems uncertain. In doing so, we may discover that what initially seems like an ending is, in fact, a new beginning.