INTRO TO THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, Sarah Barry
THE EMPTY TOMB
Passage: John 20:1~10  
Key verse: 9
The Empty Tomb(A)
20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene(B) went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.(C) 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved,(D) and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”(E)
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.(F) 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in(G) at the strips of linen(H) lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head.(I) The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first,(J) also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture(K) that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)(L) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Cross references
- John 20:1 : 20:1-8pp — Mt 28:1-8; Mk 16:1-8; Lk 24:1-10
- John 20:1 : ver 18; Lk 8:2; Jn 19:25
- John 20:1 : Mt 27:60, 66
- John 20:2 : S Jn 13:23
- John 20:2 : ver 13
- John 20:3 : Lk 24:12
- John 20:5 : ver 11
- John 20:5 : S Jn 19:40
- John 20:7 : Jn 11:44
- John 20:8 : ver 4
- John 20:9 : Mt 22:29; Jn 2:22
- John 20:9 : Lk 24:26, 46; Ac 2:24
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. The stone was removed (1-2)
On the first day of the week while it was still dark, Jesus had risen like the morning sun! The old had gone and the new era had come! Mary Magdalene witnessed that the stone was removed from the entrance. The heavy stone is the symbol that separates the dead and the living forever. However, God rolled away the heavy stone. For it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Jesus (Acts 2:24). Mary still didn't remember Jesus' promise nor believed his resurrection. She thought thieves removed Jesus' body and reported it to the disciples.
2. The empty tomb (3-10)
Peter and John ran. John was faster but Peter was bolder to go in first and look into the tomb. But the tomb was empty. The linen was well folded where the head and body had been laid. That meant the body just evaporated like a butterfly coming out of her cocoon. They saw the empty tomb but did not understand until they were enlightened by the scriptures.
Prayer: Praise God who raised Jesus from death. He rolled the heavy stone away. His tomb was empty. It happened all according to the scriptures.
One Word: Jesus has risen according to the scriptures!