JESUS SPEAKING
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni! (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and Your Father, and to My God and your God.’” (John 20: 15-18)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
Upon arriving at the tomb, Mary discovered that the body of Jesus was missing. She was so grieved that she began to weep. She had journeyed toward the grave that day expecting to find the lifeless body of her beloved Lord; but instead, she encountered the living God. Mary embraced Him with such ferocity that He urged her to loosen her grip (His return was not permanent; He would soon ascend into heaven and take His place at the right hand of the Father.) Mary was instructed to deliver this news to the disciples who were in hiding as they feared for their lives. Having seen the risen Lord she became the first messenger of the resurrection and newness of life.
Throughout history, many, like Mary, have gone to the tomb expecting to find the body of Jesus; and like Mary, they too have found an empty chamber. Every generation has had its share of doubters; people who believed they could do what no one has ever been able to do […] disprove the resurrection of Christ. In the early 1900’s an English professor and journalist named Albert Henry Ross set out to investigate and refute the claims that Jesus rose from the dead (being a journalist he was skilled in examining the credibility of sources.) As the evidence mounted, Albert was faced with an awesome truth; the accounts matched up; the archaeology was sound, and all of the witnesses were credible; Jesus Christ had in fact risen from the dead. So instead of writing a book that disproved the resurrection, he entitled his book, “Who moved the stone?” In the book, Mr. Ross, a new convert and faithful believer, sought to bring what he had discovered to the rest of the world.
The work that began with Mary on that third day has continued throughout every generation and persists even today. Anyone who goes looking for Jesus Christ in a dusty tomb is looking in the wrong place. He is very much alive, and is sitting at the right hand of God. Both Albert Ross and Mary Magdalene set out to find Jesus; both of them discovered what they were looking for. Anyone who looks for Jesus will find Him alive; and because He has conquered death, we too can have eternal life.
“Lord Heavenly Father, we believe that Your Son has risen from the dead and that He is seated with You in Your Kingdom. Through His death and resurrection may we also have eternal life. We desire to carry this message of hope to others and to boldly preach the truth in love. Give us the strength to spread the gospel to the entire world. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.” God bless all of you!
Jesus Speaks 