Post Easter reflection....seeking truth!

We had a busy and very chilly Easter Sunday.  You would never know it by looking at this picture of Zeke during our family Easter Egg hunt.  It was COLD!  So cold that Doug and Susie didn't keep Grace outside for very long - just long enough to find her eggs.  The older kids took a fairly long time to each locate their special colored eggs.  Zeke managed to find his quickly.  Ellie was the last done with one egg being particularly hard for her to find. Tim did a great job hiding those eggs this year. 

I love the thought of looking eagerly for something.  I used to spend a great deal of time searching for Bible truths that would speak to me.  In the last months I have lost some of that zeal to look for new revelation.  Yes, that is a sad but true statement. So it was exciting to come across a story on the internet about John 20:7.  This is a verse that I have read many times since it is smack dab in the middle of the resurrection story in the book of John.  That is a curious verse that reads....

while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.

In the past, I mostly just sort of skipped over that verse.  It really did not seem that significant.  So when I read the article on the internet last week, it sparked my interest.  The premise of the article is that the disciples would have seen something very important in the appearance of the folded up face cloth.  According to the article, it would signify to a servant that the "master" intended to return.  So then there would be an additional "Ah Ha" moment for the disciples.  Not only was Jesus raised from the dead, but he intended to return to them.   This sounded like it could be true.  

But, like everyone should, I searched further on the internet and found that this is a totally UNTRUE interpretation of that verse.  There is nothing to support the premise that the disciples saw the folded face cloth to signify Jesus' return.  Most of the reliable sources say that the reason that these "eye witnesses" to this event included this information is to dispel the rumor that Jesus' body was stolen and taken somewhere else.  If that had happened, the cloth would not have been carefully folded and laid aside.  So that is the best and most likely true reason for that verse to be included in the scriptures.  

The interesting thing about this for me, is that this one story has really encouraged me to once again, dig deeper into the scriptures.  I found myself going between multiple Bible translations and looking at multiple sources of information.  If for no other reason, I am so thankful for finding this story on the internet.  Don't you love how the Bible is such an alive book that one little sentence can speak so much?  And isn't it amazing how the Holy Spirit will use a less than accurate story to get me back into digging into the Bible?  

Today I am grateful that the Holy Spirit reminded me to seek truth about a story, rather than just accepting that it was actually fact.  In this day and age, it is really necessary to seek truth in EVERYTHING you read on the internet.  Even when it SOUNDS right and especially if it is related to a Bible verse.  So I am sharing my discovery to encourage you to be excited about seeking the truth.  Even if a "good story" ends up to be false.  The truth is always better.  

Jesus, thank you for a renewed excitement to search the Bible.  Holy Spirit, help me to stay on track as I seek to discover truth.  Give us all those nudges to investigate things we read, before we accept them as fact.  Thank you for your resurrection story - for you great sacrifice for us all.  Jesus, remind us to seek truth with the excitement of children on an Easter Egg hunt.   Amen