Room for the Puzzled

John 20:11–18 (TPT)

This message shifts from “Room for the Broken” to a different but equally real experience:
“Room for the Puzzled.”

If Mary represents grief and sorrow, Peter and John represent something else:
confusion, uncertainty, and trying to make sense of what God is doing.

They encounter the empty tomb… and instead of immediate clarity, they’re left puzzled.

What It Means to Be “Puzzled”

Being puzzled isn’t just confusion, it’s:

• Trying to understand something unexpected

• Struggling to connect the pieces

• Facing something that doesn’t fit your expectations

Like a puzzle, you have the pieces—but not the picture.

That’s exactly where Peter and John are.

Key Theme: Perception Matters

One of the central ideas in this message is that:

What you see is shaped by how you see.

Everyone at the tomb saw something different:

Mary – Focused on the Obstacle

She saw the stone rolled away and assumed the worst.
Her perspective was shaped by grief and fear.

John – Focused on the Evidence

He saw the linen cloths and began to believe.

Peter – Saw Everything, Understood Nothing

He saw all the details… but couldn’t put them together.
He walked away confused.

Same scene.
Different conclusions.

Why Perception Gets Distorted

The message explains that perception is shaped by:

• Background and life experience

• Emotions and expectations

• Where we place our focus

Just like optical illusions can trick the eye,
life circumstances can distort spiritual understanding.

Your “backstory” influences how you interpret what God is doing.

Faith Isn’t Having All the Answers

One of the most powerful takeaways:

You don’t have to understand everything to believe something.

John believed, even before he fully understood Scripture.
Peter struggled, even though he had seen more miracles than most.

Faith is not:

• Knowing everything

• Having every answer

• Understanding every situation

Faith is:

• Trusting what you do know about God

• Even when you don’t understand what He’s doing

You Already Live by Faith

The message pushes back on the idea that faith is “blind”:

• You trust a pilot you’ve never met

• You flip a light switch expecting it to work

• You rely on systems you don’t fully understand

Faith in Christ is not blind, it’s grounded in historical reality, Scripture, and personal encounter.

When You’re Puzzled, You Need a Guide

Perception alone isn’t enough, you need guidance.

That’s where:

• Scripture

• The Holy Spirit

• Jesus Himself

come in.

They help you:

• Interpret what you’re seeing

• Connect the pieces

• Understand the bigger picture

Peter’s Struggle (And Ours)

After the tomb, Peter goes back to what’s familiar, fishing.

Why?
Because when life doesn’t make sense,
we often retreat to what feels safe.

But Jesus meets Peter there, not with rejection, but restoration:

“Do you love me? … Then follow me.”

Jesus doesn’t demand perfection.
He starts where Peter is.

The Core Truth

When life doesn’t make sense, start here:

You are loved by God.

That’s the foundation.

You may not understand:

• Why things happened

• Why prayers seem unanswered

• Why life feels confusing

But you can know:

• God loves you

• God is working

• God is still leading

Final Takeaway

“Room for the Puzzled” reminds us:

• Confusion does not disqualify you

• Questions do not push God away

• Not understanding does not mean God isn’t working

You don’t need all the answers.

You just need one anchor truth:

He loves you, and if you’ll follow Him, He’ll lead you through what you don’t understand.