DAILY BIBLE READING

June 1

Death Met a Match It Couldn’t Swallow

Dawn hadn’t even fully broken, and the world still looked like it had won. A sealed tomb. A dead Messiah. But John 20 doesn’t let you stay in the dark long—because the risen Jesus won’t.

John opens with Mary Magdalene coming “early, when it was yet dark” to the sepulchre, only to find the stone taken away (John 20:1, KJV). Darkness is doing what darkness always does: convincing you the story is over. But the removed stone isn’t God’s way of letting Jesus out—it’s God’s way of letting witnesses in. Mary runs to Simon Peter and “the other disciple, whom Jesus loved,” and her conclusion is raw and immediate: “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him” (John 20:2, KJV). She’s not speaking resurrection yet. She’s speaking loss. Grief often assumes the worst because it can’t yet imagine God’s best.

Peter and John sprint to the tomb, and John arrives first. He sees the linen cloths lying there, then Peter enters and sees something even more specific: the linen cloths laid by themselves, and “the face cloth…folded up in a place by itself” (John 20:6–7, ESV). This isn’t the chaos of grave-robbers. This is the calm authority of a King who laid death down and rose on purpose. John then tells you the hinge: “Then the other disciple…saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:8–9, ESV). Don’t miss the honesty. There’s belief dawning before understanding fully forms. Yet John insists the resurrection is not a surprise twist; it is what “must” happen according to Scripture. God’s plan isn’t improvised. The empty tomb is the Bible coming true.

Then John slows down and zooms in on Mary. The men go home, but Mary stays, weeping (John 20:10–11). She looks into the tomb and sees angels, but even angels can’t comfort her like Jesus can. She turns and sees Jesus, but she doesn’t recognize Him (John 20:14). The resurrection can stand right in front of you, and if your heart is drowning in sorrow, you may mistake the Savior for a stranger. Jesus asks, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15, ESV). That question cuts through every age. Who are you seeking when life breaks? What name do you expect to save you? Mary answers like a wounded disciple: “Sir, if you have carried him away…” (John 20:15, ESV). And then Jesus does what only the Good Shepherd does—He calls her by name: “Mary” (John 20:16, ESV). In one word, the fog lifts. She replies, “Rabboni!” (John 20:16, KJV). The risen Christ is not an idea. He is a living Lord who speaks, and His sheep hear His voice.

Jesus then sends her with a message that stretches beyond the garden: “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (John 20:17, ESV). Resurrection isn’t only victory over death; it’s the opening of access—His Father now named as “your Father” for those who are His. That’s covenant reality, purchased and secured by Christ.

That evening, the disciples are locked in fear, and Jesus comes and stands among them: “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, ESV). He doesn’t scold them first. He speaks peace and shows scars: “He showed them his hands and his side” (John 20:20, KJV). The resurrection does not erase the cross; it vindicates it. Then Jesus commissions them: “As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21, KJV). If you belong to the risen Christ, you are not saved to sit—you are saved and sent.

But Thomas isn’t there. He refuses secondhand faith: “Except I shall see… I will not believe” (John 20:25, KJV). Eight days later Jesus returns, meets Thomas at the point of his demand, and says, “Be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27, KJV). Thomas answers with one of the clearest confessions in Scripture: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28, KJV). John wants that confession to land on you. The resurrection is not merely that Jesus lives; it is that Jesus is Lord and God—worthy of your trust, obedience, and worship.

John closes by telling you why he wrote: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31, ESV). Not life in your performance. Not life in your explanations. Life in His name—because the tomb is empty, the Lord is risen, and Scripture stands.

Here’s the urgent application: stop living like the stone is still in place. Bring your grief to the risen Jesus and listen for His voice in the Word. Let His “Peace be with you” steady your mind, and let His “As…so send I you” set your direction. And when doubts rise, don’t pretend; bring them to Christ and bow where Thomas bowed—“My Lord and my God.”

Tomorrow’s passage is waiting, but today’s question won’t let you off easy: if Jesus is truly risen, what part of your life can you still justify keeping locked behind fear?

Read / Listen

2 Samuel 18:1-19:10
John 20:1-31
Psalm 119:153-176
Proverbs 16:14-15

New Testament: John 20:1-31

Summary:
The Resurrection
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
Jesus and Thomas
The Purpose of This Book

… for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ~ John 20:9

Understanding the Bible begins with reading it. Most people never reach that point, let alone study it. Only a few parts of the Bible are taken in by them. While some people read devotional books that contain references to the Bible, there is no substitute for reading the Bible for yourself. Learning about the Bible is OK, but studying it for yourself is essential to know Jesus Christ and who He is. Studying the Bible requires the Holy Spirit to teach you what it means, so pray and ask Him to help you understand it when you study it. Don’t rely on a preacher or person to tell you what it means as they may not even know Jesus themselves and be deceiving you. ~ David Campbell