The Empty Tomb / Takeaways

On the resurrection’s place in history:

Meacham said, “There are two significant events in human history, unparalleled by anything else. First, there was World War II and the development of the atomic bomb; second, there is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

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On the evidence of the burial clothes:

This evidence of the burial clothes suggests that the body had not been stolen. It was as if Jesus had passed through the wrappings, like he will slip through the doors in the next part of this chapter.

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On what the empty tomb means:

Jesus’ resurrection was a cosmos-altering demonstration that the cycle of sin and death can be broken.

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On believing without seeing:

He did not need to see the risen Christ to believe he had been resurrected. The beloved disciple believed in Jesus and the trustworthiness of his promises. We as Christians must be able to believe in the resurrected Christ even though we personally have no evidence of his risen body. The empty tomb alone is evidence enough.

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On Jesus calling Mary by name:

This interchange with Mary shows Jesus as the good shepherd—he knows his sheep by their name and they respond to his voice.

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On Mary’s commission:

Mary is the first disciple to proclaim the good news of Easter. We learn from this command that discipleship is not restricted to men.

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The closing declaration:

Jesus’ death on the cross, his revelation of his and God’s love, his resurrection and his ascension are about us, because they open up for those who believe fresh possibilities of life as children of God.