Luke 24:12 12But Peter rising ran to the tomb, and stooping over, he saw the linen cloths alone; and he went home marveling to himself at what had happened.
Luke recounts the response of Peter which is also found in a slightly different form in John 20:3-5. Peter must have been in deep remorse and possible confusion about the night of Jesus’ trial and then his crucifixion. Peter’s response stands out in Luke’s writing when compared to the response of the rest of the group of disciples. There is no hint of presence of the beloved disciple (assumed to be John) who is mentioned in John’s account. Peter was the leader and also the one who had denied Jesus. He must have felt deeply bad for not standing up to the truth.
His whole demeanor changed when he got to the tomb. He saw the strips of linen but no body. That was proof enough to him that the words of the women were true. The Greek uses a present tense “sees” (blepei) with the historical force that brings out the excitement and vividness of Peter’s experience. The reader is left with the question of whether the empty tomb was enough for Peter to believe. Minimally, he was marveling (thaumazōn) or wondering about the situation. The evidence had stirred something in his thinking and planted the seed of hope. Luke is building the case for witnesses to the resurrection. The story of the empty tomb was not made up or a myth but historical reality.
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