Have you ever reached a point in your life where you've tried everything this world says you should try in order to make you happy, but you still feel unfulfilled and empty?
Mary Magdalene had reached that point. Prior to being forgiven by Jesus, she was very sinful. And the Bible specifically tells us that seven demons possessed her.
When we read in the Bible about people who were under the control of demons, we find instances in which they hurt themselves or attacked others. Thus, Mary Magdalene would have been a very evil and tormented individual.
But Jesus had delivered Mary, and as a result, she felt profound gratitude. And from that point on, whenever we read a list of the female followers of Christ, Mary's name is listed first. That's because among these women, there wasn't a more faithful follower than Mary Magdalene. No one loved Jesus more deeply, watched him more closely, or gave to him from her resources more freely.
So, imagine her pain and anguish when she saw Jesus being scourged, nailed to a cross and crucified.
Matthew's gospel tells us that a number of women were present at the crucifixion of Jesus, watching from a distance. Another gospel tells us that Mary stood by the cross. While others retreated, Mary remained close. She could see Jesus, and Jesus could see her.
The disciples, meanwhile, were in hiding, except for John. In their minds Jesus had failed them. He had let them down. Two disciples, after Jesus' death and before his resurrection, summed it up best when they said, "We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel" (Luke 24:21 NLT). We had hoped, past tense. They had given up hope.
Mary stood there at the cross, not caring about what others thought or what might happen to her. She had discovered that nothing mattered in life except Jesus. She knew what it was like to have money. She had experienced the pleasures of this world. And she didn't want to go back to those things.
All she cared about was being close to Jesus. And then he was gone.
But after the Sabbath, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene arrived at the tomb early in the morning. Understand, she wasn't looking for a risen Savior. She had come to pay her respects. She was looking for a dead body to anoint. After all, they didn't have the embalming methods that we use today, so she was bringing more spices.
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Instead, what Mary found was an empty tomb. She didn't know what to make of it. In fact, it alarmed her. So, she went to tell Peter and John what had happened.
We pick up the story in John's gospel: "They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. … Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. … The disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed – for until then they still hadn't understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home" (20:4, 6, 8–10 NLT).
Even after Peter and John went home, Mary stayed. She didn't yet realize that Jesus had risen. But her faithfulness would be rewarded.
John continues, "She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. 'Dear woman, why are you crying?' Jesus asked her. 'Who are you looking for?' She thought he was the gardener. 'Sir,' she said, 'if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him'" (20:14–15 NLT).
Mary was weeping while the one she had been seeking was standing next to her. But isn't that true of all of us? We feel as though we're all alone in life, alone in our pain and suffering. Yet Jesus is there.
Maybe it seems like God has let you down. Maybe he has allowed tragedy into your life, and you blame him for that. But know this: Disappointment is his appointment.
We serve a God who has suffered. God the Father watched his own Son die on a cross. Jesus was abandoned by all his disciples. He was tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights. He has suffered. Therefore, he is able to bring comfort to those who are suffering.
Jesus stood next to Mary as she wept at the tomb that morning. The problem was that Mary was focused on the wrong thing. She was looking at the tomb. She was looking down when she should have been looking up.
That really is our problem in life when we're discouraged or devastated. But where are we looking? Are we looking down? I'm not saying that we should be in denial when tragedy strikes or when a loved one dies. Christians experience sorrow. But the Bible says that as Christians, we don't have to be full of sorrow like people who are hopeless. We are hopeful, not hopeless.
I like this acronym for the word "hope": holding on with patient expectation.
Maybe you're simply holding on today. Hold on with patient expectation. Put your hope in God.
When we look at our world right now, there are so many things that can discourage us. It can cause us to feel helpless and hopeless. Jesus even said that in the last days, the courage of many will falter because of the fearful fate they see coming upon the earth (see Luke 21:26).
So, as we look at the things happening around us, what should we do? Jesus gave us the answer: "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28 NKJV).
Don't just look at the problems in our world. Look up. These things mean that Jesus Christ is coming back again.
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