This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Shadows: A Glimpse of a Savior! (WATCH HERE)
John 20:11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 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.”
Why are you crying?
If you have lost a loved one or close friend, tears come easily at the funeral and if you visit the grave. Memories of times together give way to tears because no new memories will be made. Conversations have come to an end. Being in the same room together will not happen on this earth again. All these realities bring tears. It’s sad when we lose someone close to us.
So we can’t be too hard on Mary Magdalene for shedding tears outside of Jesus tomb. So why was she crying?
Sometimes a question like this covers a two-fold purpose. One, it informs the person asking with information they can then respond to or act on and two, it gives the person asked an opportunity for some self-reflection as to what is causing the emotion that is being exhibited. What is a bit ironic about Mary’s answer is that she is not crying because Jesus died on the cross in a horrific way. But rather she assumed when she saw the open grave that Jesus was still dead AND someone had stolen the body. She couldn’t even finish paying her final respects to the man that changed her life and the one she had been following and supporting. Before the angels could respond, this happened:
14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 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.”
The “gardner” repeats the question and adds a second one, “Who is it you are looking for?”
Mary answers the first and ignores the second. She wasn’t looking for a person, she was looking for a body. The “gardner” should know.
The irony is is the “Gardner” wasn’t looking for a body, but he was looking for a person. He came for the very purpose to let Mary know he was alive.
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
Suddenly the question didn’t matter anymore because the question was answered. There was no body…just a living Jesus!
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
Mary found the answer to her questions and the solution for her tears…Jesus. Or should I say, Jesus found Mary and gave her the answer to her question and the solution for her tears.
Will he not do the same for us?
Sometimes we look in the wrong places and carry the wrong perceptions which can create worry, stress, heartache and sadness. We try to answer life’s questions on our own, solve life’s problems in our own way, and try to find Jesus in places he never promised to be.
And Jesus shows up and says our name.
And the questions get answered and the tears dry up and the heart becomes filled with peace.
Because when Jesus is with us nothing else matters.
And he is…just like he was for Mary.
Apply: What is causing sadness and tears in your heart and life? Visualize Jesus coming to you and asking, “Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” After you answer, he says your name. Does the sadness go away? Does peace return?
Prayer: Lord Jesus thank you for loving us personally. It changes everything and brings peace. AMEN.