Joh 20:10 | KingComments | STEP | After Mary’s announcement, hearts and feet start moving. Although they do not believe in His resurrection, they are still completely committed to His Person, although to them as well it was only His body. Peter and John quickly go to the tomb. We often see them together. John comes first to the tomb, then Peter. Why John is quicker than Peter is not stated. Could it be that Peter is a bit reluctant to see the Lord, even though he thinks the Lord has died yet, because he denied Him? Will not that have slowed him down in his walk to the tomb? John did not have that inner inhibition. In he calls himself by the name again that indicates his awareness of the Lord’s love for him. That love drew him ( ). John stoops and sees only the linen wrappings lying there. He does not enter the tomb. Simon Peter also comes to the tomb. He does enter the tomb and also sees the linen wrappings lying there. And he sees even more. Those who penetrate deeper into what the Lord has done also see more. The tomb shows a sight of order and rest. What he sees can only be the result of a calmly acting Person Who has stripped Himself of the tomb wrappings after He has risen. The order of the linen wrappings is evidence of this. The Lord put everything aside and left it in the tomb because it did not suit His new state. He did not come out like Lazarus, who still had the tomb wrappings on. The Lord then instructed others to free him of those tomb wrappings ( ). This indicates that His resurrection is of a different order than the resurrection of Lazarus. The rolled up face-cloth, or sweat-cloth, testifies that His work has been accomplished forever. The sweat-cloth is no longer needed and is also left in the tomb. When Peter and John have seen the wrappings in the tomb, John believes. That means he believes based on the facts he perceives and not because God said so. What he sees does not lead to true spiritual understanding. It is a rational belief. The evidence convinces him, but what does he do with that evidence? Here it becomes clear that faith can be based on accepting facts that are due to reasonable grounds. This can be done by unbelievers and believers; in this way, salvation facts can also be accepted. However, it is merely a matter of reason. Belief with the heart must be the basis of relating to God, otherwise there is no relationship with Him. When a person believes with the heart, the heart welcomes the testimony of God in His Word. The consequence is therefore that they return to their own circumstances. They come to this reaction because the facts have been assumed on the basis of undeniable observation. They do not yet see these facts as the fulfillment of what God has revealed about them in His Word.

‏ John 20:10

Peter and John at the Tomb

After Mary’s announcement, hearts and feet start moving. Although they do not believe in His resurrection, they are still completely committed to His Person, although to them as well it was only His body. Peter and John quickly go to the tomb. We often see them together. John comes first to the tomb, then Peter. Why John is quicker than Peter is not stated. Could it be that Peter is a bit reluctant to see the Lord, even though he thinks the Lord has died yet, because he denied Him? Will not that have slowed him down in his walk to the tomb? John did not have that inner inhibition. In Jn 20:2 he calls himself by the name again that indicates his awareness of the Lord’s love for him. That love drew him (Song 1:4).

John stoops and sees only the linen wrappings lying there. He does not enter the tomb. Simon Peter also comes to the tomb. He does enter the tomb and also sees the linen wrappings lying there. And he sees even more. Those who penetrate deeper into what the Lord has done also see more. The tomb shows a sight of order and rest. What he sees can only be the result of a calmly acting Person Who has stripped Himself of the tomb wrappings after He has risen. The order of the linen wrappings is evidence of this.

The Lord put everything aside and left it in the tomb because it did not suit His new state. He did not come out like Lazarus, who still had the tomb wrappings on. The Lord then instructed others to free him of those tomb wrappings (Jn 11:44). This indicates that His resurrection is of a different order than the resurrection of Lazarus. The rolled up face-cloth, or sweat-cloth, testifies that His work has been accomplished forever. The sweat-cloth is no longer needed and is also left in the tomb.

When Peter and John have seen the wrappings in the tomb, John believes. That means he believes based on the facts he perceives and not because God said so. What he sees does not lead to true spiritual understanding. It is a rational belief. The evidence convinces him, but what does he do with that evidence?

Here it becomes clear that faith can be based on accepting facts that are due to reasonable grounds. This can be done by unbelievers and believers; in this way, salvation facts can also be accepted. However, it is merely a matter of reason. Belief with the heart must be the basis of relating to God, otherwise there is no relationship with Him. When a person believes with the heart, the heart welcomes the testimony of God in His Word.

The consequence is therefore that they return to their own circumstances. They come to this reaction because the facts have been assumed on the basis of undeniable observation. They do not yet see these facts as the fulfillment of what God has revealed about them in His Word.