Seeing is Believing

When it comes to the resurrection, John's Gospel stresses the important role of vision.  This is the message that Mary gives the disciples, "I have seen the Lord."  When it comes to the Biblical Easter story, there is no knowing, there is no real believing, without dramatic seeing.  Mary saw that the stone had been rolled away but she did not know where they had taken the Lord.  The disciple whom Jesus loved looked in the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there, but not Jesus.  Then Peter arrived, and saw the clothes lying in separate place.  The beloved disciple followed, and saw the linen cloths and believed.  Then Mary looked in the tomb and saw two angels sitting at the head and the foot where Jesus' body had been, still she did not know where they had taken the Lord.  But when she saw Jesus she knew it was Him.