From the Sadness of an Empty Tomb to Fullness of Joy

John 20:1-18 

The Empty Tomb

1 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."

3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"  She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"  She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!"  She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).  17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Jesus had left the tomb when Mary came to visit and immediately noticed that the massive stone covering the entrance had been rolled away to show the emptiness inside there as well as in her heart at the loss of her Lord.  She ran to tell that someone must have stolen His body to Peter and John who wrote this account and did not mention his own name in the account except as the one “whom Jesus loved.”  They raced to see for themselves but John outran Peter out of his deep reciprocal love and concern for his Master.  The empty tomb had neatly folded grave clothes lying where He had been laid down but there was no sign of any effort to drag the lifeless body out of there.  Then Peter arrived and also saw these things as an additional eye-witness.  Even so, later those who would discredit the resurrection would key in on Mary’s first words that someone had taken the body instead of taking heed to the evidence witnessed by the two witnesses of John and Peter in addition to Mary whose testimony was not as compelling to believe in their culture; in first-century Jewish society, a woman’s testimony was worth far less than that of a man though the scripture do not say this.  Then they all went back home because their understanding was still hidden to the fact that the Messiah must rise from death to life (Luke 24:25-27, 32, 34) just as Moses and all the prophets had written far in advance of His advent on earth in the flesh as the second Adam to save His people from their sin and offer proven hope after death.  Mary stayed as they went home and two angels sat where the body of Jesus once lay for three days as they told her Je was risen (Matthew 28:6, Mark 16:6, Luke 24:6).  This then turned the sadness of an empty tomb to the fullness of a heart filled with elation in seeing the resurrected Jesus Christ standing in front of of her outside the tomb!  He asked her why she was crying and supposed it was this man standing there who moved or stole the body until He opened her eyes by calling her by name and she recognized Him at last.  He had not yet ascended from the lower part of the earth to the higher of heaven to the Father, but sent her to tell His disciples that Jesus Christ was no longer dead, but had arisen back to life.  She went and bore true testimony to the fact that Jesus was live again and all He spoke to her in assurance of joy to fill their hearts now that the emptiness of loss left the empty tomb of death’s finality.  Hope was born for the children of God because of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-5, 12-13, 20-22) that gave evidence of the hope that He lives and will do so forever in heaven with all whom He calls to be with Him!  The empty tomb of sin’s curse of death on us has been replaced by the fullness of joy in knowing of His resurrection from death to life that provides us the same starting now (John 5:24, 28-29, Galatians 2:20) and into eternity past the grave of our own tombs from which we will arise in like manner (1 Thessalonians 4:14, 1 Corinthians 15:22).  The journey from the emptiness of a hopeless tomb to the fullness of joy in our own resurrection has been proven by the forerunner (Hebrews 6:20, John 14:2-3) who paved the way for us and promises a place with Him in heaven by our belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who paid the price of sin for you and I to make us His own!