Easter Day 6am

Easter Day
6.00am

Easter in real time

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. The other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. (John 20.1-10)

It was still the half-light of dawn when Mary Magdalene arrived but she could see immediately that all was not right. The stone that had sealed the tomb was rolled away. She was petrified and, with waiting, ran back for Peter and John. She needed them now. She had wanted to be on her own, but now she needed them to help her, to look into the tomb and see what was going on. So they ran back to the tomb. John got there first but did not go in. It was Peter, headstrong, impetuous, fearless, who went in and discovered the truth – Jesus was not there. All the cloths that Jesus had been buried in had been folded – and Jesus was gone.