Uncertain And Frightened And Searching
It was still dark. Before the dawn of the first Easter day, Mary Magdalene (with other women Luke 24:1-4) went to the tomb where Jesus had been laid. She had a shock! The heavy circular stone (probably an old millstone) which had covered the entrance had gone! Instead, the cave-tomb was open! Scared and confused, Mary ran back to Peter and John. She had assumed that the body of Jesus had been taken by the authorities; even though Pilate had ordered that the tomb should be sealed and guarded (Matthew 27:62-66).
The two young fishermen wasted no time. They ran fast towards the burial place, but John got there ahead of Peter. In one way they were together in a team; but they were also individually eager to find Jesus, even though Peter had denied his Lord. There was so much confusion in them following the crucifixion; and then there was another twist in the story because the stone had been rolled away. Where was Jesus? The women did not know: perhaps the two men thought they could find Him. They certainly put all their effort into it. So they ran towards Jesus – or at least where they thought the body of Jesus should be. Little did they understand that He was coming to find them.
Because we are made in the image of God, and the Son of God is our Creator, we all have a deep instinct to find Him. Although many have suppressed that instinct by substituting other gods in a vain attempt to stabilise their personal insecurity, the search for life’s meaning is relentless. All around us, people are hungry for God but do not know that Jesus is alive and coming to find them. It is good to seek the Lord earnestly. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The task of the church (all the people who believe in Jesus) is to tell seekers where to look! They need to find Jesus, because He is the Way to God ... and He is alive! Introduce your friends to Him through www.crosscheck.org.uk.
© Dr Paul Adams