NL 439 Empty: Tomb
An episode of the Tales of Faith Podcast podcast, hosted by AJ Ochart, titled "NL 439 Empty: Tomb" was published on April 2, 2026 and runs 45 minutes.
April 2, 2026 ·45m · Tales of Faith Podcast
Episode Description
Section 1: John 20:1-10 “Well, That’s Weird”
Section 2: John 20:11-18 “Mistaken Identity” (00:16:49)
Foreshadowing: Next Week on Tales of Faith (John 20, Verifying Thomas)
Intro (00:00:00)
L: Greetings, and welcome back to Tales of Faith, a podcast on the Narrative Lectionary. I am n. we apologize for being out for a couple of weeks.
A: And I am n. This is episode 439 for Easter Sunday on April 5, 2026, though we are recording on March 30th, so if something major has happened between when we record and when you listen, then we won’t be able to comment on it.
L: Today we are talking about John 20:1-18, the Resurrection of Jesus, and will be using the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, with our own edits to de-gender references to God. So let’s get started with the Context:
Context is Key (00:01:05)
Overall Context
* Jesus was dead to begin with
Last Time on Tales of Faith
* Jesus has been arrested, tried by the religious authorities, condemned, and crucified.
‘Ad’ Break (00:03:40)
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Text Me (00:04:20)
Section 1: John 20:1-10 “Well, That’s Weird”
L
20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’s head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed, 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.
Section 2: John 20:11-18 “Mistaken Identity” (00:16:49)
A
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look[a] into the tomb, 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir,[b] if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,[c] “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Who goes to the tomb?
Matthew: Mary Magdalene and the ‘other’ Mary
Mark: Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Salome
Luke: Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, Joanna, and the other women.
John: Mary Magdalene (alone)
What/who is there?
Matthew: Soldiers, Earthquake, and Angel
Mark: Stone already rolled away, a young man
Luke: Stone already rolled away, tomb empty
John: Nothing
Who tells them?
Matthew: an angel of the Lord
Mark: a young man dressed in white, right side
Luke: Two men in dazzling clothes who suddenly appeared
John: No one at first, later two angels
What do they do?
Matthew: Go with ‘fear and joy’ to tell the disciples
Mark: Run from the tomb in terror and amazement, tell no one (telling is implied)
Luke: Tell the apostles, but are dismissed.
John: Tell Simon Peter and the Other disciple
Who else goes to the tomb?
Matthew: No one
Mark: ?
Luke: Peter
John: Peter and super-fast other disciple
Who sees Jesus?
Matthew: The women, later the disciples
Mark: Nobody listed
Luke: Emmaus Disciples, All the disciples
John: Mary Magdalene (on her 2nd visit), rest of the disciples that night, all the disciples next week.
Foreshadowing: Next Week on Tales of Faith (John 20, Verifying Thomas)
That’ll Preach (00:41:38)
Sermon Thoughts
Teaching Children
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