Death Defeated
READ
On the cross, the worst thing that could ever happen, happened: God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, died. The One Who holds all things together ran out of breath. His heart stopped beating. He remained buried for three long, hopeless days. Yet, out of this unprecedented tragedy, God gave humanity the greatest gift He could ever give: the opportunity to live in perfect relationship with Him for all eternity.
Because of the resurrection, we have a hope that cannot be overcome. God has proven Himself victorious over death—the heartbreaking consequence of sin and the most formidable force of evil in our world.
When it seems as though darkness is winning, we can look to the empty tomb as proof that Jesus has won the battle against sin and death. Redemption is ours—not because of anything we’ve done, but because our Savior lives.
Let’s take a moment to read John 20:1-20:
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home.
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize Him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken Him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them His message. That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” He said. As He spoke, He showed them the wounds in His hands and His side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!
REFLECT
The details of the resurrection account illuminate both its historical veracity and the beauty of God’s heart for His people.
If the resurrection were some elaborate hoax, we’d be reading a different story. In fact, we likely wouldn’t be reading a story at all. When Jesus died on the cross, His followers abandoned Him. From their limited perspective, Jesus’ failure to save Himself from Roman persecution served as evidence that He was not Who He said He was. For three days, they were convinced that He was not the Messiah. It seemed He was not the Savior they had hoped for.
But because Jesus rose from the grave, the story of His victory has landed in our laps, preserved and faithfully passed down through generations. Because of the resurrection, the Jesus movement was given new life. If Jesus was still buried, Christianity would be a historical relic, a myth of the past.
In all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), women are the first to discover the empty tomb. In Jesus’ day, women were not seen as reliable witnesses. Their words were not trusted, and their testimonies did not hold up in court. If the resurrection accounts were fabricated, the first people to see the risen Christ would’ve been well-respected male leaders. However, the story that comes to us today undermines the status quo and reveals God’s heart for the marginalized. Jesus chose to reveal Himself first to Mary Magdalene—an unmarried woman of low status, who had once been possessed by demons.
John’s account of the “race to the tomb” serves as a testament to the humanity of the disciples and the inexhaustible grace of God. Even while recounting the most miraculous, redemptive moment in history, John found it necessary to mention that he outran Peter in a footrace. This detail reminds us how often we miss the point of God’s story. It highlights our preoccupation with our performance, rather than God’s perfection. But though we are prideful, broken, and self-obsessed, Jesus has allowed us to share in the victory He secured on the cross.
When Mary was met by the Risen King, she didn’t immediately recognize Him. Her grief had blinded her. She was so caught up in her heartbreak that she couldn’t see the miracle in front of her: her Messiah had risen from the dead. Jesus met Mary in this moment with compassion—He drew near to her and asked her gently: “Why are you crying?” In our hardest moments, Jesus asks us the same question. He invites us to remember that our suffering is temporary, and that our grief has been swallowed up by victory. Our losses are mere illusions. The day is coming when every tear will be wiped away, when mourning is no more.
Until He calls her by name, Mary mistakes Jesus for a common gardener. This detail of the resurrection story gives us hope for those in our lives who’ve yet to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Many people we love do not yet see Jesus for who He truly is. But when He speaks their names, their eyes will be opened. The Risen Christ stands before them, waiting to be seen. In His time, He will call out to them and become their living hope.
In the final scene of today’s scripture, Jesus reveals Himself to the disciples, who were hiding behind locked doors, afraid of being arrested or killed. Though they’d locked themselves in, Jesus came to them. Jesus is determined to reach us, even when we try to withdraw and build walls around our hearts. If Jesus can overcome the grave, He can overcome our doubt, fear, and resistance. He meets us where we are and shows us His wounds—proof of His victory and love.
Jesus’ resurrection serves as the foundation of our hope. We can rest in the knowledge that Jesus has done everything necessary to save us and free us from death. There is nothing left to do but worship Him.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
What detail of the resurrection account stands out to you? What does it teach you about God’s heart for you and all His people?
Do you trust in the reality of the resurrection?
In moments when darkness seems to prevail, how might Jesus’ triumph over sin and death give you hope?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Christ Jesus, thank You for securing our victory over sin and death! Thank You for giving us freedom from fear and the promise of heaven! Thank You for giving us the grace-gift of salvation, a gift we could never earn or deserve! Lord, in Your mercy, give me a heart that trusts in the resurrection. Remind my soul that You have overcome all evil, and that nothing can stand against You. Make the empty tomb the constant meditation of my heart. Lord, help me to live in confidence that You have triumphed over every trial, every temptation, and every failure. I love You, and I thank You for being my everlasting hope. Help me to share the Good News of Your resurrection with all I encounter. Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.