10,000 Religions, One Empty Tomb

John 20:1-23

Growing up going to Catholic school, every year around this time, we would revisit the story of Jesus’ resurrection. I heard the story over and over again, year after year, and I understood that Easter was a celebration of Jesus’ rising from the dead. However, that always seemed to be where it stopped for me. It wasn’t until recent years that I was able to grasp what this miracle truly meant.

Jesus’ death and resurrection is the thing that separates Christianity from all other religions in the world. While religion says, “Do this and you will be saved,” Jesus destroyed this hopeless idea and said, “The work has already been done, just come to me, exactly as you are.” 

Jesus’ resurrection proved that Jesus was who He said He was. There have been numerous times where I’ve heard someone pose this question: “There are so many religions, with so many different rules that people passionately follow and believe in, what makes Christianity any different from the rest?” 

THIS! This is the thing that makes Christianity different! Jesus’ death and resurrection changes everything for His believers. It proves that Jesus was not a mere “good moral teacher,” or simply a prophet. It fulfills the scriptures and proves that He IS the son the of God. The death and resurrection give us hope of eternal life and free us from the bondage of our past, present, and future sins.

As I’m re-visiting this story again, there are a few things that stand out to me that I’ve never quite noticed before. First, John’s undoubtable faith. “Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed” (John 23:8).

Oftentimes, we must see something ourselves in order to truly believe it. Similarly, the other disciples had to see Jesus themselves to believe He had truly risen from the dead. This was not the case for John. He hadn’t seen Jesus, he didn’t know where He was, he didn’t know what any of this meant, but there was no doubt in his mind that Jesus had conquered death. This is what true faith is all about – believing even when we can’t see the whole picture. 

Second, Mary’s heart for the Lord. Mary wanted nothing more than to respectfully care for and honor Jesus’ dead body. She was destroyed when she didn’t know what had happened to Him, but little did she know, Jesus, fully alive, was nearby the whole time. Mary was unable to recognize Jesus until she heard Him say one word – “Mary.” Jesus called her by name, and she immediately knew who He was. What an intimate and beautiful way to reveal Himself. Mary had such a close and personal relationship with Jesus that she knew it was Him simply by the way He called her name. Jesus wants this kind of intimate relationship with us too!

Lastly, Jesus could have gone anywhere or done anything after his resurrection, but He chose to spend time with His people. This is what it’s all about – relationship. The disciples would have been in complete awe of Jesus when He appeared to them. 

Let us be like these disciples and trust in the Lord even when we don’t fully understand. Let us draw our hearts so close to His that we know what it sounds like when He calls us by name, and let us sit in awe, not just today, but every day remembering what Jesus’ death and resurrection truly means for us!

Happy Easter!

Carmen K