John 20:1-10

Be Still: As I pause in this moment of reflection, Lord, draw near to me. Fill me with Your Spirit, renew my mind, and speak to the depths of my heart. Amen

Read: John 20:1-10

They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him! (v2)

Encounter: From the day I was born until they passed away, my grandparents lived with me. Their presence was a constant in my life, shaping my childhood in countless ways. But one day stands out with piercing clarity.

I was about eight or nine years old. We were getting ready for church when the doorbell rang. My oldest cousin stood there, tears streaming down his face. It was shocking to see him – he lived in Somerset, and we were in Halesowen. Through his sobs, he told my grandmother that her firstborn son, his father, had suddenly died of a heart attack.

The atmosphere in the house that morning was surreal. At first, there were no tears -just stunned disbelief. Then, slowly, grief took hold. My grandmother, her voice heavy with sorrow, whispered, ‘It’s not right that a son should die before his mother.’ You could see the deep, searing pain, the empty consuming void as she tried to make sense of it.

I think about that moment when I read about Mary Magdalene and the disciples on that first Easter morning. They had just endured the unimaginable – the brutal death of Jesus, their beloved friend and teacher. Their world turned upside down, their hopes shattered. Now, to make matters worse, his body was missing!

Mary stood outside the tomb, weeping – another devastating blow! First, his death, and now his body was gone. What she didn’t realise was that this was not the end.

Apply: Mary saw an empty tomb and thought it was a sign of tragedy, but Jesus was redefining the moment. What seemed like the final heartbreak was the greatest victory in history.

In our darkest moments, we often feel abandoned. ‘Where is Jesus in this?’ What if, right at those moments, he is engaged in actions beyond our understanding? What if he is redefining our pain into something redemptive?

The empty tomb wasn’t a sign of loss. It was a sign of victory.

When we face grief, confusion, or despair, let’s remember – Jesus is always at work, even when we can’t see it. He is redefining the moment!

Devote: Jesus, as the song reminds me, 'even though I can’t see it, you’re moving.’* Let this truth sink deeply into my mind and heart.

*Way Maker- By Osinachi Okoro – Copyright Integrity Music