The Disciple Who Ran Back to the Tomb
When broken faith runs back to Jesus, something holy is already happening — and Peter’s sprint to the empty tomb is one of the most quietly powerful moments in all of Scripture.
Key Scripture
“Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.” Luke 24:12
Reflection
Consider the weight Peter was carrying that morning. Just days earlier, he had stood by a fire in a courtyard and denied three times that he even knew Jesus. Not once — three times. He had wept bitterly over it. And now the women were returning with the most astonishing news: the tomb was empty. Angels had spoken. Jesus was alive.
Peter had every reason to stay seated. Shame has a way of pinning us down, whispering that we have forfeited our right to draw near. He was the one who had promised he would never fall away. He was the one who had fallen the hardest and the most publicly. The other disciples might run to the tomb with clean consciences — but Peter? Surely he should wait. Surely he should prove himself first. Surely he should feel worthy before he approaches.
But Peter ran. That single verb is worth sitting with for a long moment. He did not slink toward the tomb with his head down. He did not send someone else to check. He ran — urgently, breathlessly, with a heart full of questions he could not yet answer. And when he arrived and peered inside, Luke tells us he went away wondering. Not yet fully believing. Not yet restored. Not yet certain of what any of it meant. Just wondering. And here is the extraordinary grace buried in that word: God counted Peter’s wondering as enough to bring him there. The curiosity itself was a form of worship. The running itself was a form of faith.
This is profoundly good news for anyone who has wandered, stumbled, or felt disqualified from drawing near to Christ. You do not need to resolve your doubts before you run to Jesus. You do not need to feel worthy before you seek him. You do not need to have your theology perfectly sorted or your conscience perfectly clear. You simply need to get up and move toward him — even if all you have is a burning question and a lingering sense that something is different about him. Jesus does not despise the person who arrives at the tomb still wondering. He meets them there, and the wondering becomes the beginning of restoration.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that shame has sometimes kept me away from you — the feeling that I have failed too many times, or fallen too publicly, to come running back. But I look at Peter, and I see your kindness on display. You did not require him to have it all together before he sought you. You simply asked him to come. So here I am, Lord, still carrying questions, still working through my own failures, but choosing to run toward you rather than away. Meet me in my wondering. Receive me in my brokenness. And let this small act of seeking you be the beginning of something new. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Today’s Action Step
Today, identify one way you have been holding back from seeking Jesus because you feel unworthy or uncertain — and do that very thing anyway. Open the Bible to one of the Gospel accounts, read it slowly, and let yourself wonder about Jesus without pressure to have all the answers. Show up at the tomb. That is enough to start.
Has shame ever kept you from drawing near to Jesus? We would love to hear your story in the comments below. And if this devotional encouraged you, share it with someone who needs a reminder that broken faith can still run toward the Saviour.