Not everyone sees the same thing. In each of the Gospel of John’s miracle stories, two people stand side by side, one believes and the other doesn’t. Like the wedding of Cana, the servants who pour the water that has become wine, believe and see. The master of the feast doesn’t.

John tells us the Easter story through three very different sets of eyes. Peter, Mary, and John represent three people who come to accept that Jesus is alive via three very different routes. As we look at each one try to find the one aligns that best tells your own faith journey.

Peter’ day begins with Mary Magdalene pounding on his door. “Wake up. I know you’re in there. Wake up!” She tells him that someone has stolen Jesus’ body. He is off and running. He is now responsible for what is left of the Jesus Movement. Since Jesus died, the women and the disciples have been depending upon Peter to get them out of Jerusalem and safely to Galilee. He is their leader. Don’t think of Peter as impulsive. Having been through what he has been through this week, he is a changed man. A defeated man. People who have had their hopes dashed tend to become real pragmatic. He has probably spent the whole sabbath packing and planning how to go north by way of all the back alleys.

Then Mary is there saying that Jesus’ tomb has been robbed. He runs to see what she is talking about. He knows that half of the crew won’t leave town with him until he investigates and sets this latest problem to rest. So he comes to the tomb and sees nothing. It takes the rest of the day for him to accept the Easter story.

Many of us are like Peter, accommodating the good news bit by bit. We stick to the practical and depend upon others to explain things to us. We may not describe ourselves as religious. But Peter gets to be a part of the Easter story.