3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
10 Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11 but 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." 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 "Woman," he said, "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."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" NIV
The other day a friend asked me if we would ever consider being ministers of a church and immediately my reply was "no". My reasoning was that it is entirely too stressful and that Pastors have an extremely rough calling. My answer was a bit selfish and as I repeat the conversation over and over in my mind, I realize that it is not the answer that would be pleasing to my God.
Even though Jesus had told them over and over that He had to fulfil the scriptures, they did not understand. They probably were as we often call it, "in denial" of the fact that He had to suffer and go through much pain and torture. They were heartbroken and now, all the more. When they arrived at the tomb and He was gone they must have been devastated!
They had forgotten all the things He had told them. They had forgotten that He would rise and meet with His Heavenly Father. They had forgotten that He promised to send a Comfortor to them. They had forgotten that He must die in order so they could live.
So of course, at the cross and now at the empty tomb, they were sad and confused. Scripture tells us that while the disciples went back to their homes, Mary remained, crying, aching in the absence of her Lord. His body had been taken and she didn't know by whom.
When Jesus saw her weeping, He confronter her. At first, she did not know who He was. But then...He spoke her name. He told her to go and tell them that He was alive and headed to see His Father in Heaven.
What a moment that must have been for Mary, to hear her Master's voice and see, face to face, Her risen Savior. Jesus called her by name and sent her to tell the world!I can only imagine the day I will hear my Jesus call my name out loud. I can't wait till that glorious day when I meet Him face to face! But until then, I will remain His servant. If His plan is for me to lead a group of people to the knowledge of Him, I want to do just that. If His leads me to go to the ends of the earth, I am willing. Whatever He says, I will do. His desires are the ones I long to fulfill. I just pray that I ferever hear His voice.
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