John 20:1-18
1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes. 11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
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This passage from John is the core of the Gospel; Jesus was crucified and now has been raised. The passage begins the morning of what we have come to know as Easter morning. Mary Magdalene was going to tend to the body of her teacher and friend, Jesus, but to her surprise the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. She immediately jumps to the conclusion that someone has stolen Jesus’ body. Can you blame her for thinking that? Where would your mind go if your deceased loved one wasn’t in their resting place? She immediately runs to get Simon Peter and another disciple. They discover the tomb is empty and only his linen wrappings remain.
Mary weeping then looks in the tomb and she discovers two angels sitting where Jesus had been lying. When she turns around she sees a man who she thinks is the gardener and he asks her, “Whom are you looking for?” She doesn’t realize it is Jesus until he says her name. We imagine her grief and confusion didn’t allow her to really see Jesus at first, but now is overjoyed upon the realization that Jesus is alive. This is Jesus’ new beginning, life after death; his light has overcome the darkness. Mary goes out and proclaims to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” On this Easter morning, we challenge you to slow down, be present, listen, and see the things God is doing and embrace this new beginning.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please open the eyes of my heart and help me to slow down, be present, listen, and see all the good things in my life and the world. Thank you for giving me a new beginning this Easter and help me to be the hands and feet of Christ in my daily life. Amen.
—Jeremy and Elsie Macejkovic