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"Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first" (John 20:4).

On Monday they ran the 129th Boston Marathon. When we lived in New England in the 90's we watched the race several times. One year we were at the finish line and watched the winners complete the race. What a massive crowd cheering on runners they didn't even know. The crowd was so dense I had Ester up on my shoulders.

I ran competitively in high school, cross country in the fall, indoor track in winter and track in the spring. I was best at long distance ½ mile and over. I have enjoyed and often preached and/or written about references to running in the Bible such as Hebrews 12:1: "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us". To be completely honest I can't remember (some 55 years ago) but I certainly hope I won some races and I'm pretty sure I did! One year I was good enough to go to the state track meet but I think I would have remembered if I had won that race. (actually I do remember that I didn't.)

Yesterday we talked about the importance of being reminded of Biblical truths with a text that begins the great teaching on the resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15:1, "Now I would remind you". The longer you have walked with the Lord it's more and more likely you have heard many of the truths in the Bible and less likely you will say "I never heard that before" in regard to a legitimate teaching. That is especially true with a foundational doctrine like the resurrection of Christ.

But I am pleased that after all these years we can still hear new insights (or perhaps insights we had forgotten that we had once heard!)

On Easter Sunday our pastor considered the daily text and noted a detail in this first post resurrection race. Mary Magdalene had gone to the tomb and seeing the stone had been rolled away ran and reported to Simon Peter and the "other disciple". Upon hearing the news flash both of them ran together to the tomb where Jesus had been laid just days earlier following His crucifixion.

The "other disciple" was John who had written this account and feels obliged to report that he outran Peter and had reached the tomb first! Now in the grand scheme of things that's a detail that really doesn't seem that important but it is an authenticating detail. I think if I was in John's place I would also want it to be known that I had won the race. In fact a few verses later he makes it known when he wrote, "Then the 'other disciple', who had reached the tomb first" (v.8). OK John we got it, you won the race. Boys will be boys, after all!

This verse has been a chief factor in depictions of John as a young man. But the verse does not actually say anything about John’s age, nor is age always directly correlated with running speed. We simply do not know why John includes this detail is in the account but we can ask him in Heaven! (From Precept Austin commentary)

Now there may something deeply spiritual about this or perhaps it's just evidence of the human component in the Bible's composition, when the authors "spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

But the main point is how John ends the chapter. "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30,31). Do you believe that this resurrected Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? We do!

B e encouraged today! Hebrews 3:13