Are You Running Toward Jesus or Away from Him?

Scripture: John 20:3-10

So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.  The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.  And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.  So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.  For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.  So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

Insights:  As the scene unfolds we find Peter and John running to the tomb after hearing Mary Magdalene’s report.  John is the younger disciple and he outruns Peter, but he does not enter the tomb.  He waits for Peter to arrive.  Peter goes in first and then John enters.  The passage tells us John saw and believed even though they did not understand the Scriptures as of yet.  These two men literally ran to the last place they knew Jesus was.  Now in a spiritual and figurative way I ask the questions you see below about Jesus.  Are you running toward Jesus or away from Jesus?  All too often in this world we run away from Jesus.  He is the only One that can help us and save us, but we pursue every possible option but Him.  We try money, power, relationships, substances, work, recreational pleasure and the list could go on and on and on.  All of these things with which we run toward will leave us empty and unfulfilled.  King Solomon called them vanity of vanities.  In other words, there is no long lasting satisfaction in these pursuits.  At the end of the day Jesus is the only One who will never let us down.  He is the only One who can fully satisfy the longings of our hearts.  He is the only One who can save us from ourselves and our greedy sinfulness.  Beloved, run to Jesus and let Him be your all in all.  Let Him fill you and satisfy you.  As He does this miraculous work in your life, may you respond like John and see Him and believe Him for all of His promises to you.  You will never be sorry that He was the One who you ran toward.

Questions:

1.  Are you toward Jesus?

2.  Are you running away from Jesus?

Prayer: Father, no matter how dark my situation or how poorly I am reading my life situations, please draw on my heart and let me run to You.  You are my only hope and in You I do not have to despair.  Amen.