John 20:1-18
Easter is coming up this weekend, so all this week on Back to the Bible we're Finding Hope in Jesus' Resurrection by looking at the experiences of different people who encountered and interacted with Jesus after his resurrection. Today our focus is on Mary Magdalene.
I saw hope throughout our passage today, starting right off with Mary's discovery of the empty tomb and concluding with Mary telling the disciples that she had seen and spoken with Jesus (can you imagine having that experience?). But verse 17--where Jesus tells Mary, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God"--just jumped off the page for me as a message of hope.
So how do you see hope in this passage? Were you drawn to verse 17 like me or did some other verse speak to you? Tami W.
As I read today's Scriptures; 2 things impressed my heart. The first was Peter's "boldness" to enter the empty tomb in vs 6 [even though he was outran by the other]. We all need to not just be content in knowing about the empty tomb; but we all must go to it ourselves , and enter in!
The second was Mary's "love" for the Lord in vs. 15. Thinking it was the gardener she was talking to she wanted to know where Jesus' body was moved to so she could carry it back by herself! Boy, she must have been thrilled to find out is was Jesus she was talking to!
I was drawn to the verse as well. Jesus said a profound thing there. He was going to his father and her father. Jesus was acknowledging that she was his sister in God's eyes and in his eyes. That is what we are to him today. His brothers and sisters with God as our Heavenly Father.
The thing that impresses me about this passage is that it wasn't the disciples, the holy men of God, the preachers and teachers of God that found the empty tomb. It was Mary Magdalene. The risen Christ was first revealed to a fallen woman, a person from the lowliest state; not a person from the higher religious life, but a person like you and me. She may not have been able to quote scripture and she certainly hadn't led a perfect life, but she loved the Lord and He wanted her to be the first to hear the Good News that would change the world forever. And that is God. The least, the worst, the filthy, the poor are all His chosen people.
verses 16 and 17 both jumped out at me....moved my hear really..that is the right expression....when Jesus called Mary by her name it seems so gentle and loving and as she cried out her love poured from her heart to Jesus....this is how we should live .... pouring our love out to Jesus and those around us...Jesus be praised!
I found it interesting that the angels in verse 13 as well as Jesus in verse 15 asked the same question of Mary, "Woman, why weepest thou?" Unknowing in her despair at the recent events of Jesus' death and disapperance was the fact that Jesus had risen and there was no need for despair, but for joy. Therefore the question "why weepest thou?" for Christ is risen.
After reading and re-reading the text, there were a few Scriptures that stood out. However, verse 17 is the one for me. He didn't refer to God as God, but included ownership "My God" and "Your God". Jesus the Son was letting her know He hadn't left yet, but would be going home to be with His God soon. Jesus was going to claim His seat by Our God. WOW!
God chose us and loved us before we knew Him. There is hope in knowing that He is Our God, Our Lord and Savior IF you believe in Him.
After reading the Scripture I was captured by the fact that Peter and John finally believed when in verse 7 " and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head". The face cloth was lying by itself and this made them believe that Jesus was alive. The other verses are 15 and 16 where Jesus spoke to Mary but because she thought He was the gardener did not pay any great attention to Him but when He said "Mary" then she knew it was the Lord because only He calls her like that with such love. I can feel the joy in Mary when she looked up to pay attention this time.
The Lord calls us sometimes through His Word but we do not pay attention so let us from today listen out for His call and as Mary His mother said at the Wedding, "Do whatever He tells you to do".
Have a good and godly day.
What stands out for me in this passage is the action of it all. Mary and the two disciples RAN to the tomb- their sense of urgency is beautiful. Their actions portray hope, love, care, etc. for Jesus. Nowadays, for the believer in Christ, we don't have to run to the grave because we know that Jesus conquered death and our home is with Our God.