Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

John 20:8-10

Much like many of these passages surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus, there are many words and phrases that can easily be skimmed over as fairly inconsequential.

When the reality is, basically everything is consequential at this point in time. Consider even the last sentence in the passage – Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Doesn’t seem that big a deal does it? Yet until you read it carefully you might forget that the disciples were actually not at home at this point in time. They were on mission instead.

They were in Jerusalem for the Passover. A number of the disciples were fishermen from Galilee. They had journeyed for three, maybe four days to spend some time out of town. It is at the Passover festival while they are out of town that Jesus is crucified.

They didn’t have their home comforts (whatever they were in antiquity…) or the comforts of their family and familiar, known environments. Sure, they were used to heading to Jerusalem but it wasn’t their home town.

It gives another layer to just how traumatic the experiences of the arrest and crucifixion would have been for Jesus’ followers. They were really cut adrift.

It also brings the added thought, that sometimes, with all the excitement of life, sometimes it’s time to go back home – or your interim home – and process some things. Particularly if you’ve got a few things that you haven’t quite sorted out yet.

Jesus would be with the disciples again soon – in fact, very soon – so they had nothing to fear.

But near, far, at home or abroad the aim with the gospel is the same: that you see and believe.

Sometimes we see and believe through profound spiritual excursions. Other times it’s in the quiet daily activities that God reveals himself to us.

I pray that God gives you whichever you need today, dear reader.

Yours minus the creature comforts,

Alison