Sunday, April 12, 2009
THE EMPTY TOMB.....
John Chapter 20: 1-18
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb while it was still dark and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. And so 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.”
Peter therefore went forth and the other disciple and they were going to the tomb. And the two were running together and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in he saw the linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in.
Simon Peter therefore also came following him and entered the tomb and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there, and the face cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb entered then also, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
So the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb….and she beheld two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been lying.
And 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.”
When she had said this, she turned around and beheld Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman” why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener she said to Him, “Sir if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”
Mary Magdalene came announcing to the disciples,, “I have seen the Lord.” and that He had said these things to her.
Essentially Esther