'Jesus is alive! I saw him!' These were
the words Mary Magdalene shouted as she burst through the door into
the room where Jesus' friends had gathered to mourn his death. The
other two women followed quickly behind her. 'I am telling the truth, Jesus is alive! '
I wonder how the disciples felt when they heard Mary's news. Did they shout for joy? Did
they think she was out of her mind with grief? Luke 24. 11 tells us
that 'they did not believe her.'
In many ways we can relate to these
events. The idea of a resurrection from the dead still sounds
ridiculous. If it was true, it is crazy and upside down, and
challenges everything we have been taught to believe about the world
and the way it works.
If you don't believe me, check out this
link. A scientist responds to the resurrection and shares his own
thoughts on it. Along with the short video there are some other facts
and evidence provided below called go deeper. It is worth checking
out.
Along with the sceptics, there are others
who know how Mary felt as she looked around at the
grieving faces of unbelief: Their looks of bewilderment, pity, even annoyance and scorn.
It is difficult to stand alone when
others have not seen what you have seen.
But, Peter, Peter listened to what Mary
had to say. Peter stood apart.. He turned and immediately ran
straight out the door. He ran down the narrow streets of Jerusalem.
He ran past the guards at the gate and down to the garden where they
buried his Lord. And there he saw with his own eyes, that the Roman
guards were gone and the huge stone had been rolled away. Peter bowed
his head and went inside, thinking that the tomb was completely
empty. But then, bending over, he saw the linen burial clothes, still
wrapped around each other, like an empty chrysalis. The Face cloth,
however was set apart and folded neatly on its own. Matthew 24 says
that Peter 'went away wondering to himself what had happened.'
And I think to myself, what a wonderful
place for someone to start on the journey of faith.
Over to you:
Who would you say that you identify
with best: Mary, Peter, or the group of people in the room? Why?
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