When Everything Looked Like the End, God Was Just Beginning
📖 Scripture Reading: John 20:1–10
🌅 What If the Tomb Were Empty?
Have you ever lost someone you deeply loved?
When someone we love dies, there is often a strange emptiness that words cannot explain. We may return to familiar places simply because they remind us of them. We may look at their photographs, revisit their belongings, or even find ourselves talking to them in our hearts.
My father once shared something with me that I have never forgotten.
When my mother was buried, he visited her tomb every day for an entire year. Perhaps visiting her grave helped him process his grief. Perhaps being there gave him a sense that the person he loved was still somehow near. Perhaps it was simply one way his heart learned to live with the pain of losing her.
Now imagine something even more astonishing.
You come to the tomb of someone you love, expecting to find the body exactly where it was placed—and suddenly, the tomb is empty.
Would your first thought be, “He has risen!”?
Probably not.
Your mind would likely race through every possible explanation:
Who took the body?
Where did they put Him?
What happened?
Who could have done this?
That is exactly where John 20 begins.
Not with celebration.
Not with understanding.
But with confusion.
And sometimes, isn’t that exactly where our own journey of faith begins?
🕯️ Before the Miracle Was Understood, There Was Confusion
John tells us that early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.
She had watched Jesus die.
She had seen where His body was laid.
She knew He was dead.
So she came to the tomb expecting death.
But when she arrived, something was terribly wrong—or wonderfully right.
The stone had been rolled away.
Mary did not immediately conclude that Jesus had risen. Instead, she ran to Simon Peter and John and said, in essence:
“They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
That was the only explanation she could see at that moment.
And I understand Mary.
If I had gone to my mother’s tomb and discovered that her body was suddenly gone, I would have been alarmed, confused, and desperate to know what had happened.
I would have searched.
I would have questioned.
I would not have simply walked away.
And Mary felt the same way.
But here is what makes this moment so powerful:
Mary was looking at evidence of a miracle while still interpreting it through the lens of grief.
She saw an empty tomb.
She did not yet see resurrection.
How often do we do the same?
God may already be working, but because we cannot yet understand what He is doing, we assume something has gone wrong.
We see an empty tomb and think, “Something has been taken from me.”
God sees the same empty tomb and says, “Something has been conquered for you.”
🏃♀️🏃♂️ The Race to the Tomb
When Mary told Peter and John what she had seen, they immediately ran to the tomb.
John arrived first.
He looked inside and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not initially enter.
Then Peter arrived.
Peter went straight inside.
He saw the linen wrappings—and something else caught his attention.
The cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was lying separately from the other linen wrappings.
There has been much discussion about what the folded head cloth means. Some popular teachings claim that it was a cultural signal meaning, “I am coming back.” However, as your original draft correctly noted, there is no solid basis for making that claim from John 20 itself. The text simply tells us that the cloth was folded and placed separately.
And sometimes, we don’t need to add meaning to what Scripture doesn’t explicitly say.
What Scripture does clearly tell us is enough:
Jesus’ body was not there.
The grave could not hold Him.
Death had not won.
The tomb was empty.
💔 They Saw the Evidence—But They Still Didn’t Understand
John gives us one of the most human details in this story:
“They still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said that Jesus must rise from the dead.” — John 20:9 (NLT)
Think about that.
They had walked with Jesus.
They had heard Him teach.
They had witnessed His miracles.
Jesus had even told them beforehand that He would suffer, die, and rise again.
Yet when the moment came, they did not understand.
They were standing in front of the greatest miracle in history—and they were still trying to figure it out.
This comforts me.
Because sometimes I also don’t understand what God is doing.
Sometimes I pray and the answer seems delayed.
Sometimes circumstances appear to be getting worse instead of better.
Sometimes I look at what seems like an ending and wonder:
“Lord, what are You doing?”
But John 20 reminds me that not understanding God’s work does not mean God has stopped working.
The disciples’ confusion did not cancel the resurrection.
Their lack of understanding did not change what God had already accomplished.
Jesus had risen.
Whether they understood it yet or not.
🌧️ When Grief Meets Hope
Jesus had already told His disciples:
“You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” — John 16:20 (NLT)
What a promise.
Jesus did not tell them they would never grieve.
He did not say they would never experience pain.
He said their grief would turn to joy.
There is a difference.
Christian hope does not pretend that suffering is painless.
Christian hope says that suffering does not have the final word.
The cross looked like defeat.
The tomb looked like the end.
Saturday must have felt unbearably silent.
But Sunday was coming.
And perhaps that is something someone reading this needs to hear today:
What looks like an ending to you may not be the end of God’s story.
❤️ My Own Empty-Tomb Moment
I understand something of Mary’s shock because I have experienced the suddenness of loss myself.
One Monday morning, I was driving to work when my sister-in-law called me.
She told me that our mother had passed away.
I was completely taken aback.
I became speechless.
For a moment, everything went blank.
Thankfully, I was stopped at an intersection, waiting for the signal to turn left. I eventually continued driving and reached my workplace, but when I parked my car, I remained there for a long time.
I was in shock.
I felt weak.
I could hardly process what had happened.
Eventually, I called my best friend.
When I went to the funeral, I looked at my mother’s body, but somehow, she didn’t look like my mother.
Even though I was helping arrange the funeral, my mind struggled to accept that the person in the coffin was really her.
Then, after we buried her, something unexpected happened.
For several nights, I dreamed about my mother.
In those dreams, she was alive.
She visited me at home.
I knew she had already died, yet somehow, in the dream, she was there.
One particular dream remains deeply etched in my heart.
✨ A Dream in the Darkness
At that time, I was alone in our house.
The house was far from our neighbors, standing almost by itself in the middle of a huge area of land. I was afraid to sleep alone, so I prayed deeply, asking God to put a hedge of protection around me.
As I prayed, I eventually fell asleep.
Then I dreamed.
I was standing in the middle of a street, looking toward the sky.
It was almost sunset.
Darkness and daylight seemed to struggle against each other—as though each were waiting to see who would have the final word.
Then the sky became filled with a breathtaking red-orange glow, like a soft fire painted across the heavens.
Slowly, the light faded.
The sky became gray.
Then darker.
And suddenly, something appeared above me.
It looked like a magnificent castle floating in the heavens, almost like a kingdom suspended above the mountain.
Everything seemed to be made of gold.
It sparkled.
It glowed.
It illuminated the darkness around it.
I looked at it in amazement.
And beside me was my mother.
I said to her,
“It is exceptionally beautiful, Mother!”
She replied,
“Yes indeed! Don’t worry. Someday, just at the right time, you will be able to go to that place.”
I woke with a smile and a strange sense of peace.
Was it merely a dream?
Yes, it was a dream.
I would never build doctrine upon it or claim that it was a revelation from God.
But I can say this:
God used that moment to comfort me in my grief.
The dream did not become my foundation.
Jesus became my foundation.
The dream did not give me my hope.
The resurrection gives me my hope.
And that distinction matters.
Because when grief is overwhelming, we don’t need to cling to dreams, signs, feelings, or explanations.
We can cling to Christ.
🌅 The Empty Tomb Changed the Meaning of Everything
Looking back, I see something beautiful in the connection between my grief and John 20.
When I lost my mother, I was confused and afraid.
When Mary arrived at Jesus’ tomb, she was confused and afraid.
When Peter and John entered the tomb, they were confused too.
None of them immediately understood.
But God’s work was already underway.
The resurrection had already happened.
And that teaches me something I desperately need to remember:
Faith can begin before understanding arrives.
We often want God to explain everything before we trust Him.
We say:
“Lord, show me what You are doing, then I will trust You.”
But faith often says:
“Lord, I don’t understand what You are doing—but I know who You are, so I will trust You.”
Elisabeth Elliot expressed this beautifully:
“Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them.”
Where do we take our questions?
To God.
Where do we take our grief?
To God.
Where do we take our fears?
To God.
Where do we take the situations that make absolutely no sense?
To God.
That is where wisdom begins.
🔥 The Climax: Death Did Not Have the Final Word
The disciples came to the tomb expecting to find a dead body.
Instead, they found evidence that death had been defeated.
The grave was empty.
Jesus was alive.
And that changes everything.
If Jesus had remained in the tomb, Christianity would have been nothing more than a story about a good teacher who died tragically.
But He did not remain there.
He rose.
The cross was not the end.
The tomb was not the end.
Death was not the end.
And because Jesus lives, our own endings do not have to be the final chapter either.
This does not mean every earthly situation will end exactly the way we want.
It does not mean every sickness will immediately disappear.
It does not mean every broken relationship will be restored.
It does not mean every prayer will receive the answer we hoped for.
But it does mean this:
God remains faithful even when life is painful.
And for everyone who belongs to Christ, death itself is not the final destination.
That is the hope of the resurrection.
🕊️ What the Empty Tomb Is Saying to You Today
Maybe you are standing beside your own “empty tomb.”
Perhaps something in your life feels finished.
A relationship.
A dream.
A career.
A ministry.
A family situation.
A financial situation.
A prayer you have been waiting years to see answered.
Maybe you are asking:
“Lord, what happened?”
John 20 invites you to pause before assuming that God has abandoned you.
The disciples could not yet understand what they were seeing.
But God was not absent.
God was accomplishing something they could not yet comprehend.
So don’t run away from God because you don’t understand.
Run to Him.
Don’t allow confusion to drive you away from prayer.
Let confusion drive you deeper into prayer.
Don’t let grief convince you that hope is gone.
Look again at the empty tomb.
Jesus lives.
🌱 Life Application: What Will I Do When I Don’t Understand?
Here are four truths I want to carry with me from John 20:
1. When life becomes confusing, come to God first.
Don’t allow confusion to become a reason to withdraw from God.
Pray.
Ask questions.
Open His Word.
Wait.
The disciples didn’t understand immediately, but they stayed close to the events God was unfolding.
2. Trust God’s character when you cannot understand His plan.
There will be moments when you cannot explain what is happening.
That’s when trusting God becomes more than a beautiful idea—it becomes a decision.
I may not understand God’s plan, but I can trust God’s heart.
3. Don’t mistake silence for absence.
Saturday looked silent.
The tomb looked final.
But God was not absent.
There are seasons when heaven seems quiet, but God may be working in ways we cannot yet see.
4. Let the resurrection become the foundation of your hope.
Our hope is not based on positive thinking.
It is not based on circumstances.
It is not based on dreams or feelings.
Our hope rests on a risen Savior.
Jesus Christ is alive.
And because He lives, we can face tomorrow.
✍️ Journaling: Where Is God Asking Me to Trust Him?
Take a quiet moment before God.
Write honestly. Don’t try to make your answers sound spiritual.
Journal Prompts
1. What situation in my life currently feels confusing, painful, or “finished”?
2. Am I trying to understand everything before I am willing to trust God?
3. What would it look like for me to bring my questions to God instead of carrying them alone?
4. What truth about Jesus’ resurrection do I need to hold onto today?
And finally, write this sentence and complete it:
“Lord, I don’t understand ____________________, but I choose to trust You because ____________________.”
Stay with that sentence for a while.
Let it become a prayer.
🕯️ Prayer: Lord, Help Me Trust You
Lord Jesus Christ,
Thank You for the empty tomb.
Thank You because what looked like the end became the beginning of the greatest hope the world has ever known.
You are our risen Savior.
You conquered sin and death, and because You live, we have hope.
Lord, there are times when I do not understand what You are doing. There are moments when life hurts so deeply that I cannot see beyond the pain.
Teach me not to run away from You when I am confused.
Teach me to run toward You.
When I cannot understand Your plan, help me trust Your heart.
When I cannot see the way forward, help me remember that You can see what I cannot see.
When I am grieving, comfort me.
When I am afraid, strengthen me.
When I am discouraged, remind me that the story is not over.
Help me surrender the things I cannot control and trust them into Your hands.
Lord, while I am still here on earth, help me accomplish the assignments You have entrusted to me.
Give me grace to remain faithful.
Help me finish well.
And when my earthly journey is complete, let my hope rest completely in You.
You are the King of kings.
You are the Lord of lords.
The victory belongs to You.
Because You live, I can face tomorrow.
Because You live, I can trust You today.
Because You live, hope is never truly lost.
In the mighty and precious name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
🌄 Before You Leave…
Maybe you came to this devotion carrying grief.
Maybe you came carrying confusion.
Maybe you came with a prayer that seems unanswered.
Maybe something in your life feels like a tomb—closed, dark, silent, and final.
But remember John 20.
The disciples saw an empty tomb before they understood what it meant.
Sometimes God allows us to stand in the place of confusion before He gives us understanding.
So don’t give up.
Don’t walk away.
Don’t decide that God is absent simply because you cannot see what He is doing.
The tomb was empty.
Jesus was alive.
And that truth still speaks today.
Your circumstances may change.
Your plans may change.
People may come and go.
Life may bring unexpected losses.
But Jesus remains.
And if Jesus remains, hope remains.
As C.S. Lewis wrote:
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
So keep walking.
Keep praying.
Keep trusting.
Keep believing.
Sunday came.
And because Jesus lives, there is always hope beyond the darkness.
💬 Your Turn: Let’s Share Our Stories
Have you ever experienced a season when you couldn’t understand what God was doing, only to realize later that He had been working all along?
What “empty tomb” moment in your life taught you to trust God more deeply?
Share your story in the comments. Your testimony may be the very encouragement someone else needs today.
❤️ Continue Walking Through God’s Word
If this devotion touched your heart, don’t stop here.
Come journey with me through more reflections from God’s Word at Immanuel and Me, where we slow down, read Scripture, observe what God is saying, reflect on His truth, and learn to listen to Him with an open heart.
📖 Explore our popular Bible Reflections and Gospel of John devotionals.
🙏 Spend time with our Prayer and Reflection resources.
🌱 Discover more practical lessons for growing in your relationship with God.
And if you don’t want to miss the next devotion, subscribe to Immanuel and Me and continue this journey of knowing God through His Word.
Because sometimes, the greatest discovery begins when we simply open the Bible and ask:
“Lord, what do You want me to see today?”
**Jesus is risen.
The tomb is empty.
Hope is alive.**
Immanuel and Me 
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