Easter Sunday

April 5, 2026

The Tomb is Empty

Gospel: John 20:1-9

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and *saw the stone already removed from the tomb. ² So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him.” ³ So Peter and the other disciple left, and they were going to the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; ⁵ and he stooped to look in, and *saw the linen wrappings lying there; however he did not go in. ⁶ So Simon Peter also *came, following him, and he entered the tomb; and he *looked at the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸ So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb also entered then, and he saw and believed. ⁹ For they did not yet understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

Gospel Commentary:

John 20:1-9 describes the discovery of the empty tomb—the foundational moment of the Resurrection. In the context of building Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs), this passage offers a blueprint for how a small, faith-filled group moves from confusion and isolation toward a shared, transformative mission.

The Resurrection in John’s Gospel is not a loud, public spectacle; it is a series of intimate, personal, and communal encounters with “signs.”

1. The Setting: “While it was still dark” (v. 1)

Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb alone. The “darkness” is both literal and symbolic of the disciples’ state—grief, confusion, and a sense of ending. She finds the stone removed, which triggers a crisis of understanding: she assumes the body has been stolen.

2. The Communal Response: “They both ran together” (v. 2–4)

Mary does not stay isolated in her grief; she runs to the community (Peter and the Beloved Disciple). This initiates a communal movement. The “running” signifies urgency. Interestingly, the Beloved Disciple outruns Peter but waits at the entrance, showing a profound respect for the “order” and “leadership” represented by Peter.

3. The Evidence of the Cloths (v. 5–7)

Inside the tomb, the burial cloths are not scattered as they would be if grave robbers had struck. They are “lying there” and the head cloth is “rolled up in a place by itself.” This orderly scene is a “sign” that God has acted; death has not been disrupted by violence, but transcended by divine peace.

4. The Leap of Faith (v. 8–9)

The Beloved Disciple enters, “sees, and believes.” Notably, they do not yet fully understand the Scriptures (v. 9). Their faith is born from the shared experience of the signs and the testimony of one another, even before their theology is fully formed.

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II. Linking the Passage to Building BECs

A BEC is a “Church in the Neighborhood.” Like the scene at the tomb, it thrives when individuals move out of their private “darkness” and into a shared search for Christ.

• From Isolation to Communion: Mary’s first instinct was to find her brothers. A BEC is built when neighbors realize they cannot carry the weight of life (the “stone”) alone. Building a BEC starts by identifying the common “stones” in your street—poverty, loneliness, or fear—and gathering to face them.
  
• The Urgency of Invitation: To get more neighbors to join, we must mirror Mary’s “running.” She didn’t invite them to a meeting; she shared a life-altering observation. Neighbors join a BEC when they see members who are genuinely excited by how the Gospel is “rolling stones away” in their daily lives.
  
• Respecting Different “Speeds”: The two disciples ran at different speeds. In a neighborhood, some people are ready to dive into faith (the Beloved Disciple), while others are more cautious or traditional (Peter). A successful BEC makes room for both, ensuring that the “fast runners” don’t leave the others behind, and the “slow runners” don’t stop the progress.

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III. Three Reflection Questions

1. Identifying the “Stone”

What are the specific “stones” or barriers (such as busy schedules, past hurts, or indifference) that keep the people in our neighborhood isolated? How can our BEC work together to show that these stones have been moved?

2. The Quality of our “Signs”

The disciples believed because they saw “signs” of order and life in the tomb. If a neighbor looked at our BEC’s activities, what “signs” (e.g., acts of service, sincere listening, or local advocacy) would they see that would convince them that Christ is alive in this community?

3. The Manner of Invitation

Mary Magdalene ran to the disciples with a raw, honest report of her experience. When we talk to our neighbors about our BEC, are we simply “announcing a schedule,” or are we sharing a “personal encounter” with hope that might inspire them to run alongside us?