The Empty Tomb
As I complete the life of Christ readings, I am amazed at what I did not notice before in previous readings. I forget that those who went to take care of Jesus' body upon burial were worried about not finding his body. They were looking for his body when the angel told them that Jesus rose from the dead. Even when the disciples, Peter and John, went to the tomb, they looked for the body of Jesus. They wondered where someone placed Jesus' body--they did not yet know that Jesus had risen again (read John 20:9). The followers of Jesus may have felt more than grief that Jesus had died. They may have experienced greater loss and intense grief because now his body was gone. Their emotions set the stage for Jesus to appear to them--alive from the dead! How cool! I can allow my emotions to linger and to engage my feelings in this life because they set the stage for Jesus to appear in my life--how cool! May God help you draw closer to Him by waiting for Jesus to come to you in the midst of your feelings whether high or low, happy or sad, mad or glad. God will come to you in your pain and happiness--wait for Him to come.