Experiencing Truth

10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. – Lk 24:10-12 (ESV)

It was three days after the crucifixion of Jesus. This was the day He told His disciples He would rise from the dead. Despite this clear promise, a group of women showed up at the tomb to anoint a dead body. They had either forgotten or misunderstood the word He shared with them.

The spices these ladies carried would be of no use, for when they arrived, there was no body to anoint. As they stood perplexed and confused at the empty tomb, two angels appeared and reminded them of Jesus’ promise to rise on the third day. They challenged them to go back to the apostles and tell them that this promise had now been fulfilled.

Note, however, the response of the apostles to the news these women brought from the tomb: “These words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.”

We might understand this response if it were only one person who returned with a story of seeing an angel and an empty tomb. Understand, however that these events were experienced by two other witnesses. Deuteronomy 19:15 tells us that a story was confirmed on the evidence of two or three witnesses. The evidence presented to the apostles that day was acceptable in any Jewish court but they did not believe it.

These women, however, knew what they saw. They saw the empty tomb with their own eyes. They heard the words of the angels with their own ears. Their spirits remembered the words of the Lord who told them that He would rise again on the third day. Their experience and the words they heard all agreed with the teaching of the Lord Jesus. There was no reason to doubt its truth.

As the women spoke, something was stirred up in Peter’s heart. He was the one who denied the Lord and we can imagine that he felt very sorrowful about his actions. Peter, according to Luke, “rose and ran to the tomb.”

The fact that Peter “ran to the tomb,” tells us that he needed to confirm what the women had told him. There was no reason to go to the tomb if it were empty apart from confirming their story. Peter could have given intellectual assent to the words of the women but He wanted more than this. He wanted to experience what they experienced for himself.

Notice the impact of what Peter saw that day: “he went home marveling at what had happened.” Peter’s experience at that tomb changed his life. He experienced what the women experienced. He marveled at that fact that Jesus had risen. He saw first hand that death could not hold Him. That was a life changing experience.

All too many people have a believe that has never been proven to them. They say they believe in a God who provides but when they are in need they worry just like the unbeliever. They say they believe that God is in control but complain when things happen they don’t like.

The disciples heard the truth of Jesus rising on the third day. They believed what He said was true. Sadly, however, that truth did not have any impact on their lives until they experienced the empty tomb for themselves. Only then did the life changing reality of this truth of Jesus become real to them. So real infact that they wee willing to lay down their lives to defend it. Have you experienced the reality of the truth you claim or is it merely head knowledge?