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John 20:1-9

John 20:1 On the first of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw the stone having been removed from the tomb.

John 20:2 So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus cared for, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve laid him down!”

John 20:3 At that, Peter and the other disciple exited, heading for the tomb.

John 20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first.

John 20:5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

John 20:6 Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and experienced the linen cloths lying there.

John 20:7 The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself.

John 20:8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and trusted.

John 20:9 Because they did not yet know the Scripture that he must rise from the dead.

When we don’t have a word

The disciples’ confusion on resurrection morning is not a sign of weak faith but a reminder of how limited human understanding can be, even when truth has been spoken plainly. Jesus had told them repeatedly that He would rise, yet when it happened, they stood bewildered. The empty tomb did not immediately produce insight. They had not yet grasped that the resurrection was not only promised but necessary—necessary for Scripture to be fulfilled, necessary for redemption to be complete, necessary for Jesus to be revealed as Lord.

Their experience mirrors the life of discipleship in every generation. Revelation does not eliminate the need for trust. Even with Scripture in hand, there remain moments when the path ahead is unclear, when events unfold in ways that do not match expectations, when the meaning of what God is doing is hidden until later. The disciples had chapter and verse for the resurrection, yet they did not recognize it until after the fact. In the same way, believers today may witness God’s work without immediately perceiving it.

This is not a flaw in faith but part of the journey of faith. God has revealed much, but not everything. Some promises are clear; others are glimpsed only in outline. Some events are predicted; others are understood only in hindsight. The life of a disciple is not a life of perfect comprehension but of steady obedience. It is a rhythm of walking and trusting, then walking again when trust is all that is available.

There will always be moments when the Word is clear and the next step is obvious. There will also be moments when the Word does not speak directly to the situation, when the only option is to trust the character of the One who leads. The disciples learned this on resurrection morning. They walked into a future they did not yet understand, trusting that the God who raised Jesus would guide them.

So the pattern remains: walk, trust, walk, trust. Scripture lights the path, and trust carries the heart when the path bends beyond sight. Both are necessary. Both are gifts.

Lord, grant courage to walk according to Your Word when it is clear, and to walk trusting when understanding is beyond reach.