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Leg 4 Day 72
Jesus In Us
Scripture:
JOHN 20:11-18
JOHN 20:11-18 (NIV)
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
SEE ALSO:
MARK 16:9-11
Life Lessons from Jesus:
Mary Magdalene goes from crying for Jesus to trying to cling to Him, from sorrow and mourning to recognition. And what does she do with that recognition? She sends out the message: “I have seen the Lord!” Her entire attitude shifts and she brings the good news directly to everyone else.
It’s all too common for Christians to study Christ’s teachings but live as though He’s still in the grave. Our lives should celebrate that He’s alive and that we have direct access to Him.
If we aren’t living lives focused on the life and freedom He brings us, we can end up just going through the motions, sad and sullen. Remember, it is not about the rules. The whole point of His mission was to overcome death for us so we could live freely. It’s about finding freedom through Him and seeking His heart and His eternal joy. Recognizing that Jesus was alive radically changed Mary’s outlook, and it should do the same for us.
The WAY:
Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:
Do you tend to view your life through the lens of your circumstances? In what ways?
How could you view things through the lens of your freedom in Christ? What would that look like for you?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to trust in Your power over any issues that arise in my life so I can thrive and experience the contentment and joy that only come from knowing You. I want to live in recognition that You overcame death already. Help my life to be lived in such a way that others see the freedom and love you’ve poured into my life. In Jesus’s name, Amen.