The Greatest Miracle of All – Christ IN you!
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“When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him and who were mourning and weeping.” Mark 16:9-10 (NIV)
Mary Magdalene had been healed by Jesus earlier in His ministry when He freed her of the demons that troubled her, and she became a Christ follower. In fact, she apparently became part of the group of Christ followers that helped support the ministry of Jesus and the disciples. We don’t hear much more about Mary Magdalene until these final chapters of Jesus’ life on earth. She is present in the accounts of Jesus’ death. She was among those that stayed close to the cross during Jesus’ final hours. And she was the first one to appear at the tomb that Sunday morning of the greatest miracle of all.
I think Mary Magdalene may have been someone much like you and me. Quite simply, are you someone who has followed Jesus for a long time? Someone who has served God in many ways for many months and years? And are you tired, weary, and perhaps a bit disillusioned in your faith? Has your work for God replaced your walk with God?
Mary must have been heartbroken, watching this Jesus she had followed and loved endure the agony of the cross. Who knows what she thought about who Jesus was – God? or the Messiah? a revolutionary? or even a future king? She served her Lord – we know that. But I have to think that after Jesus died on the cross and His body was taken down and buried, her world was shattered. Perhaps she was thinking about going back to the ordinary world she had lived in before she encountered Jesus.
Is this you too? Has your encounter with Jesus become tired and faded? Have you lost your first passion for God? Do you feel yourself returning to the ordinary world you started in? It’s time to pause and refresh. Take a walk through a garden and pray, asking God for a fresh encounter with the risen Christ. He will show up in a miraculous way!
The gospel writer, John, tells us in John 20:11-18, that Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb in the garden, crying. We might suppose her grief had blinded her to the circumstances there. The tomb was open, the stone had been rolled away, and two angels were there. The angels asked why she was crying. She answered, “They have taken my Lord away … and I don’t know where they have put Him.” John 20:13 (NIV) You can hear the deep sorrow and complete hopelessness in her voice. She was at the place of giving up.
I think this is profound. You and I have, at times, drifted away from Jesus, thinking He wasn’t there, and we didn’t really know where He was. Of course, He was there. He is always there, but we don’t know where. John goes on to tell us that Jesus was standing right behind Mary. He called out to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” (Vs. 15) When she turned around to see who was speaking, Mary did not recognize Him. From other passages, we know that Jesus’ appearance after His resurrection was different. He had a body, but it was transcendent. And He had the ability to reveal His identity, or not, as He wished. It might also be that Mary couldn’t see clearly because of the tears in her eyes. Sometimes, it’s hard to see Jesus when our eyes are filled with tears. Sometimes, our sorrow keeps us from seeing clearly. When we’ve given up, we stop looking. God will never leave you or forsake you but, when you are hurting so badly, you may or may not feel His presence. Yet even when you can’t feel His presence, He is there. In fact, when you’re brokenhearted, Scripture says in Psalm 34:18 that He’s closer than ever. It’s just hard to see clearly through the tears!
Mary couldn’t see who Jesus truly was. Then, the moment happened. Jesus called her by her first name, “Mary”. Jesus revealed His identity to her. Mary turned – we can only imagine her astonishment – and called Him, “Teacher!” And she ran to Him.
Maybe you’ve been a Christian for a long time, and you’ve gone through spiritual ups and downs. You know that Jesus died for you and that you are in Christ. Maybe, like Mary, you need to experience the greatest miracle of all - the miracle of the risen Christ who has come to live in you and share His life with you! Turn around. Let Him speak your name. Go running to Him. And then, as Mary did, share the good news, “I have seen the Lord! He lives in me!” Let Him turn your weeping to joy!