The buzz was that Jesus had risen from the dead. John and Peter wanted to see for themselves, so they took off running to the last known whereabouts of their Lord – the tomb where His lifeless body had been laid. Arriving there, they found that the huge rock which had sealed the entrance was rolled away.
Any good Jewish person knew that it wasn’t a good idea to go inside a tomb. The books of the law were filled with directives to stay away from corpses, lest one become defiled and have to undergo all types of ceremonial cleansing. John, therefore, (although he was the faster runner and arrived before Peter), did exactly as he should. He stopped at the door.
Peter, on the other hand, ignoring what might seem proper, rushed right in and entered the tomb as soon as he arrived. He found that a miracle had occurred. Christ was risen indeed!
I think I’m a lot like John: cautious by nature; always wanting to do the “right” thing. Perhaps I should bend the norms and take some chances now and then. I just might discover a resurrection.
Happy Easter.