He Saw and Believed

He Saw and Believed

Jn 20: 1-9

Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection

Introduction

Today’s reading is about the resurrection of the Lord. On that early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene heads to the tomb where Jesus was buried. She finds the stone removed from the tomb and the body of Jesus missing. This narrative speaks of the first reactions of Jesus’ disciples on his resurrection.

The Gospel

            It was early in the morning on the first day of the week when Mary Magdalene came to the tomb where Jesus was buried. Jesus died and was buried on a Friday. By the time he was entombed, the Sabbath has begun. On the day of the Sabbath, there was to be no work done including washing and anointing Jesus’ body for burial. This is the reason why Jesus’ burial was done in a hurry. This also explains why Mary Magdalene had to come back to the tomb at dawn, on Sunday, the day after the Sabbath, to finish what was hurriedly done that Friday evening at  Jesus’ burial.

As Mary Magdalene approached the tomb, she sees the stone removed from it. The gospel tells us that she ran immediately to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved (this disciples is presumably John ), telling them that they have taken the Lord and nobody knows where they’ve taken him.

At this, Peter and John rushed to the tomb with John outpacing Peter. John arrived at the tomb first but did not enter it but bent down and saw the burial cloths there. When Peter arrived, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths and the cloth that had covered his head not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

What Peter saw was evidence that Jesus’ body was taken away as Mary Magdalene had reported. But it was also evidence that those who may have taken the Lord’s body were in no hurry to take it, as the cloths were carefully left there and orderly arranged. John then went inside the tomb. He saw and believed. The gospel then ends with a note saying that they did not understand what was written in the scripture which said that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

Reflection

The first signs of the resurrection such as the rolled stone and the set of cloths lying inside the tomb pointed to a simple fact: “ They have taken the Lord.” This was Mary Magdalene’s own conclusion. Simon Peter, on the other hand couldn’t figure out what really happened even as he saw what was left inside the tomb.

However, there was one person who saw what the other two have seen and yet believed. This was the beloved disciple John whom the gospel describes as the disciple whom Jesus loved. It is interesting to see how this beloved disciple, at seeing the burial cloths and the head cloth rolled separately, believed immediately and understood what this meant – that the Lord has indeed risen, as he said he will!

Only a beloved disciple like John was able to conclude with certainty that the Lord has truly risen. This tells us a lot about the beloved disciple John. His ability to sense and recognize Jesus even without seeing him seems extraordinary. It was this same disciple who also recognized the risen Jesus as he walked along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, calling out his disciples and telling them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat (Jn 21: 6). When the beloved disciple realized that it was Jesus, he told Peter: “ It is the Lord. (Jn 21:7).”

When there is a strong bond between people, there is no need for words. This deep connection and affinity springs from the heart that knows and feels. For the apostle John to call himself the beloved disciple reveals how close he was  to Jesus. This bond, this connection, was certainly deep, as it allowed the beloved the disciple to recognize Jesus even when Jesus was not physically visible. Deep inside his heart, the beloved disciple knew that his Lord and Master has indeed risen. And he just knows it with absolute certainty!

The proof of the resurrection does not lie in the evidences that will prove that Jesus has risen from death.  The proof lies simply deep inside our hearts. Just like the beloved disciple, we too know and believe that the Lord is alive because we have been loved by the Lord. For those of us who to this day have never felt and experienced the love of the Lord who died for us on the cross, we will continue to search for proofs of his resurrection and will continue to say, just like Mary Magdalene that “they have taken the Lord and we do not know where they put him.” And if Jesus has not risen from the dead, we are the most pitiable of all people!

Live Jesus in our hearts! In rising to life, you have given us the hope that one day, we too will rise up and live with you forever!

Prayer

Dear Lord, you have truly risen on this day. You have filled us once more with gladness knowing that you will be with us always, now and forever. You have shown us that even in the darkest moments of life, we can always hope for something better to come. Keep our hopes alive Jesus as we follow you each day. Amen.

“And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”  2 Cor 5: 15