Apicontent

“Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. Now during the blessing he departed and was taken up into heaven.” —Luke 24:50–51

How like Jesus to bless the disciples before He leaves them! From the area of Bethany—meaning the “house of sorrows”—from His earthly incarnation, Jesus ascends into heaven to reside there. My mind is racing through all the blessings the patriarchs, prophets, and priests gave prior to their departures from this earth. How much greater the blessings from the mouth of Jesus flowing out of His love for us!

We find in the book of Numbers this great priestly blessing:

“The LORD bless you and protect you; The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” — Numbers 6:24–26

Jesus lifts His hands and blesses His followers. Although the exact words are not recorded, we can be sure they were words of encouragement and comfort.

“‘He lifted up His hands and blessed them.’ He did not go away in displeasure, but in love; He left a blessing behind Him. He blessed them to show that, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them to the end. ‘While He was blessing them, he left them’; to intimate that His leaving them did not put an end to His blessing them. He began to bless them on earth, but He went to heaven to go on with it.” —Matthew Henry

The writer of Hebrews tells us:

“Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.” —Hebrews 4:14–16

We too have every reason to hold on to our faith, for He who has called us is faithful! It is Jesus who saves us, lives to intercede for us, allows us to approach the throne of grace with confidence, and grants us abundant grace, mercy, and peace. Paul tells us:

“He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this.” —1 Thessalonians 5:24

“For the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.” —Philippians 2:13

Furthermore, he goes on to say in his letter to the Ephesians that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing:

“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.” —Ephesians 1:3

God has given each one of us special blessings. We have been blessed with every spiritual enrichment needed for our spiritual lives—we need only to appropriate them by faith.

Become More

“God doesn’t just give us grace; He gives us Jesus, the Lord of grace.” —Joni Erickson Tada

Further Reflection

“We came into this world wretched, miserable, and undone creature, in cruel bondage to sin and Satan, under guilt and under wrath, hostile toward God—the fountain of blessedness—and in a state of condemnation leading to everlasting destruction. But when a man is converted, he is brought out of that state of woe and misery into a sure title to glory, honor, and peace forever. When once a man is converted, all this blessedness that we have heard of is his; he has an absolute right to it. God’s work is accomplished for it; His faithful promise is given.” —Jonathan Edwards

“Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these do?’ He replied ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus told him, ‘Feed my lambs.’

“Jesus said a second time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus told him, ‘Shepherd my sheep.’

“Jesus said a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said ‘Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.’ Jesus relied, ‘Feed my sheep.’” —John 21:15–17

I am sitting by the edge of the Sea of Galilee—right where Jesus spoke these words to Peter—right where the sparks were flying upward and the breakfast was sizzling over the warmth of the fire. I read these words from Scripture aloud and the power of them weighs heavy on me. My mind focuses on the setting and the graciousness and strength of the Master’s words. Here Jesus lovingly reinstates Peter. Peter the impetuous, Peter the denier, Peter the deserter, Peter the one that failed.

King David’s words come to mind:

“The LORD is compassionate and merciful, he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love. He does not always accuse, and does not stay angry. He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. For as the skies are high above the earth so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers. As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us.” —Psalm 103:8–12

Hadn’t Peter proclaimed that even if all the others fell away, he never would? And yet, hadn’t Peter denied our Lord not just once, but three times? The over-confident Peter, like the famous Humpty Dumpty, had suffered a great fall. However, unlike Humpty, who couldn’t be put back together, Jesus was about to put the broken pieces of Peter’s life together again. Jesus is the master of making beauty from our ashes! The prophet Isaiah foretold:

“To announce the year when the LORD will show his favor, the day when our God will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn, to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness trees planted by the LORD to reveal his splendor.” —Isaiah 61:2–3

The passage of scripture for today contains two important principles: Love Jesus, love others.

In this passage, Jesus uses a form of the word love–agapao–in His first two questions to Peter that means to “love, esteem, cherish, favor, honor, respect, prize, relish, be devoted to; rooted in the mind and will of the subject, to value; it is God’s love towards man.” Only with the third inquiry to Peter does Jesus lower his expectation, using a different word for love, the wordphileo meaning “to be fond of, to love as a dear friend, friendship love, to have affection for someone” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible–New Testament Lexical Aids). Interestingly, Peter responds all three times with the word for phileo love. Peter knew he loved the Lord, but he also knew all too well the weakness of his own flesh. Unwilling to agree to Jesus’ high expectation, he responds instead with what he truly felt in his heart. And Jesus response shows that He will begin with that level of commitment. Our Lord meets us where we are!

Become More

This series of questions to Peter applies to us as well? Who can claim they have not denied Him? Who has not failed Him? Who has not been in need of restoration and reinstating? Do we truly love Jesus? This is a great question! There is no life where there is no love. Jesus will look over our want of knowledge and our want of faith, but He must have our love. And the grand test of that love is our obedience to Him in all things. We are to live for others, care for others, minister to others, do good to others. He loves most that is most like Jesus.

Further Reflections

“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” —Amy Carmichael

“He says not to Peter, Art thou wise? or learned? or eloquent? But lovest thou Me? Then feed. Love to Christ begets love to His people’s souls, which are so precious to Him, and a care of feeding them.” —Archbishop Leighton

“The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.” —1 John 2:6

“When they got out on the beach, they saw a charcoal fire ready with a fish placed on it, and bread. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just now caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three, but although there were so many, the net was not torn. ‘Come, have breakfast,’ Jesus said. But none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.” —John 21:9–14

Remembering that His disciples are but mere humans—weary and exhausted from their night of fishing—our Lord mercifully and compassionately provides a meal for them by the seashore. And by doing so, Jesus is showing His working disciples that He cares for their bodies as well as their souls. How comforting! Wet and cold, weary and hungry, the Lord supplies fire to warm and dry them, and food to feed and fill them. Jesus is the supplier of all our needs! In Him is the sufficiency for life, both present and eternal. The Psalmist proclaims:

“For the LORD God is our sovereign protector; the LORD bestows favor and honor; he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity. O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, how blessed are those who trusts in you.” —Psalm 84:11–12

Nothing smells better when one arises in the morning than the smell of breakfast—coffee brewing, bacon frying, biscuits rising. Surely the disciples were wide-eyed and appreciative over this labor of love. King David’s words of Psalm 103 come to mind:

“Praise the LORD, O my soul! With all that is within me, praise his holy name! Praise the LORD, O my soul! Do not forget all his kind deeds! He is the one who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who delivers your life from the Pit, who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion, who satisfies your life with good things, so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s … As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on his faithful followers; for he knows what we are made of, he realizes that we are made of clay.” —Psalm 103:1–5, 13–14

Christ tells His friends to bring to the shore the fish they have just caught. He wants them to eat of the labor of their hands. Whatever we have gained through God’s blessing upon our industry and honest labor has a particular sweetness to it, and Christ here desires for them to taste the reward of their miraculous catch. I believe the Lord also wanted to show His disciples that the secret to a successful life will be for them to work according to His command and to act with implicit obedience to His word. It was as if Jesus told them to look into the net to see for themselves how profitable it was for them to do what He said.

Finally, Jesus invites his disciples to join Him! Treating them as friends, He invites them to His table. No one needs to ask about who he is, they fully understand. There seems to be no doubt, only awe.

“To sit, and eat, and drink, in the company with one who had risen from the dead, and appeared and disappeared after a supernatural manner, was no light thing. Who can wonder that they felt awed?” —John Charles Ryle

Our Lord serves as the Master of the feast offering bread and fish. He shows Himself alive and having a true body by eating and drinking with His disciples:

“We are witnesses of all things he did in both Judea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen. Not seen by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen–who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” —Acts 10:39–41

Become More

“God is continually drawing us to Himself in everything we experience.” —Gerard Hughes

Further Reflection

“God’s blessings at times came to us through our labors and at times without our labors, but never because of our labors.” —Martin Luther, emphasis added

“Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he replied, ‘Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it.’

“Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.’” John 20:24–27

Ever had your hope turn cynically skeptical? What was counted on when hope was alive, what was perhaps believed to be a given, in a swift blinking of an eye becomes dashed to pieces without even a shard of hope remaining.

Thomas—one of the Lord’s close-knit group of twelve—had been absent on Jesus’ first appearance to His disciples. Excited and amazed, those present told him they had seen the Lord!

We have no idea why Thomas was not with the others when Jesus came—we only know that he missed out on the blessing. And as a result, he felt shut out and empty in the cold chill of unbelief while the others were warmed and filled.

Refusing to believe what the other disciples tell him with great assurance, refusing to remember Jesus’ own words to him before His crucifixion, refusing to listen to those who have no purpose in deceiving him, Thomas passionately declares that he will not believe unless he himself touches the Lord’s body. He ties his faith to physical evidence. Thomas’ case demonstrates how grief and doubt can influence us to say things of which later we may be deeply ashamed.

And yet, Jesus lovingly and graciously acquiesces to the skeptical demands of the Thomas. We see Jesus oh so gently strengthening a man’s doubting, weak faith, kindly allowing even His wounds to be poked and prodded in order for this friend to believe. Jesus appears to the disciples for the express purpose of convincing and satisfying the mind of Thomas. Thomas, the doubter, who had recklessly spouted his faith could only be had by sight and touch.

Jesus timed His visit when not one of the Apostles was missing. He was completely aware of those who had secretly assembled behind that locked door. He knew not one of them was absent and He times His appearance accordingly. Our Lord’s eye is forever upon His children! I am thankful for David’s encouraging words:

“The LORD pays attention to the godly and hers their cry for help.” —Psalm 34:15

We are also told in 2 Chronicles:

“Certainly the LORD watches the whole earth carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.” —2 Chronicles 16:9

Out of the deepest love and concern for him, Jesus desires freedom for Thomas. Freedom from his persistent doubting. Freedom from his questioning. Freedom from his discrediting of his friends. Remember, Thomas was the one in bondage; the other disciples had been strengthened in their faith, they were joyful and free. Jesus wanted this apostle as well. He wanted Thomas’ unbelieving disposition gone—for his own good and for God’s great glory.

Become More

“Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.” —John 20:29

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. For by it the people of old received God’s commendation.” —Hebrews 11:1–2

Further Reflection 

“After all, the case of Thomas is not an uncommon one. Some people are so strangely constituted that they distrust everybody, regard all men as liars, and will believe nothing except they can see it all, and work it all out for themselves. They have a rooted dislike to receive anything on trust, or from the testimony of others, and must always go over the ground for themselves. In people of this kind, though they know it not, there is often a vast amount of latent pride and self-conceit; and it is almost ludicrous to observe how entirely they forget that the business of daily life could never go on, if we were always doubting everything which we could not see for ourselves. Nevertheless they exist in the Church, and always will exist; and the case of Thomas shows what trouble they bring on themselves.” —John Charles Ryle

“So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.’ And after he said this, he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.’” —John 20:21–23

Again, the Lord Jesus speaks peace to the trembling disciples—peace, not blame; peace, not faultfinding; peace, not rebuke. His words of calm must have been as music to their ears, soothing their anxious thoughts and trembling hearts.

The very next words out of Jesus’ mouth are those commissioning the disciples as His ambassadors to go forth! Their real work is about to begin. He wants to dismiss the delusion that ease and reward have now arrived—that will come later. Their work of going forth to witness Jesus’ saving work will not be accomplished on an easy path. They are to be on a mission to preach His truth, in His name, equipped with His all-achieving power—it is the ultimate and highest calling. They are to proclaim in Jesus’ name the forgiveness of sins to a lost world.

This was the Apostle Paul’s passion! We find in 2 Corinthians:

“For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer. So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come! And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God!’ God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” —2 Corinthians 5:14–21

Finally, Jesus breathes on the disciples the power of the Holy Spirit to ordain the great work in which He intends them to do. This action was remarkably and symbolically emblematic. In Genesis we discover God breathing the breath of life into man formed from the dust of the ground:

“The LORD God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” —Genesis 2:7

Just as there was no life in man until God breathed it into him, it would appear that Jesus is teaching the disciples that spiritual life comes to the believer through the Holy Spirit being breathed into their hearts. The breath of the Savior gives life to His ministers to begin a new work. The Spirit is the gift of Christ! Those Christ sends forth, He clothes with His Spirit who provides power. 

Wind is also pre-eminently the emblem used of the Spirit in Scripture. Paul tells us:

“You, however, are not in the flesh of the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if indeed anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness. Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies life alive through his Spirit, who lives in you. —Romans 8:9–11

Become More

Each one of us is a vessel God chooses to use. The disciples were to go on where Jesus left off. Every subsequent generation of believers is to do likewise. Will those who come behind us find us faithful?

Further Reflection

“And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) —when you believed in Christ—you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.” —Ephesians 1:13–14

“On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together, and locked the doors of the place because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” —John 20:19–20

It is amazing how fear and despondency can change to peace and joy in the blinking of an eye when our circumstances change. The phone call from someone that has been missing, the good lab report after a bad scare of a dreaded disease, the rebellious child returning at the doorstep seeking repentance, the wayward spouse wanting reunion—all of life is filled with these types of situations! Indeed, the proverb is true:

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”—Proverbs 13:12

But this longing is not just any kind of longing. It is a Biblical hope that clings to what we know to be true. It is not wishful thinking or simply optimism. This longing is based on the truth of God’s Word. It rests solidly on the promises of the One who does not change no matter what our circumstances! A firm belief in God’s Word and His faithfulness and unchanging love for us will keep us consistently even—particularly as we face trying and difficult situations. This is not to say life will be easy or without harsh trials and tribulations. Yet as God’s children, everything that happens to us has passed through His loving hands. He wants us to prove Him faithful during our fires. He desires for us to trust Him with our lives. We must choose to trust Him.

Biblical hope is the expectation that what has been promised will be fulfilled. God is good and loving all the time! But it is important to remember that God remains consistently and lovingly focused on our holiness and conformity to the image of His Son. He made us. He knows this is the ultimate way of life for us. That is the promise we find in Romans:

“And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” —Romans 8:28–29

“Could you ask for a better promise? It is better that all things should work for my good than all things should be as I would wish to have them. All things might work for my pleasure and yet might all work my ruin. If all things do not always please me, they will always benefit me. This is the best promise of this life.” —Charles Haddon Spurgeon

In our verses for today, even though Jesus had told them exactly what would take place, the disciples seem to be confused and full of anxiety—holed up in a locked room for fear of the Jews. Surely this is why our Lord enters their presence with the reassuring words, “Peace be with you.” The word peace means “tranquility, repose, calm, harmony, prosperity; it denotes a state of untroubled, undisturbed well-being” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible–New Testament Lexical Aids). It is a peace that is unearthly in its nature.

Earlier in John, Jesus said to His disciples:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.” —John 14:27

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.” —John 16:33

Because of our relationship with Jesus, we too can experience this kind of peace! It is His desire for all of His followers to experience the calm that comes from a heart that is too deeply rooted in God to be affected by the ups and downs of this life.

Become More

God often keeps testing us—seeking to get our attention. Remember: His ways are always aligned with our best interest even if we cannot readily perceive it.

“Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6–7

Hang on to God’s promises of peace—the wind will not always blow. God is always faithful to His Word.

Further Reflections

“Many people owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 8:35–39

“Now that very day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. While they were talking and debating these things, Jesus himself approached and began to accompany them (but their eyes were kept from recognizing him).” —Luke 24:13–16

The same day Mary Magdalene discovered the empty tomb and spoke with the angels, the same day Peter and John had a footrace to the tomb only to discover the grave clothes neatly folded and left behind, this same day we find two more of Jesus’ followers on the road to the village called Emmaus discussing the events that had taken place over the past few days. All of these events occur on the same day that Jesus rose from the dead and came out of the tomb! And in each one of these circumstances, we discover confusion and wonder mixed with discouragement and perhaps even despair and hopelessness. Talking among themselves, these first followers are seeking answers, comfort, and direction that only God can provide.

King David found himself in this same emotional turmoil. He and his troops had just returned from battle, only to discover their town had been raided and burned and all of the women in it, young and old alike, along with their sons and daughters, taken captive. And then the Bible tells us this:

“Then David and the men who were with him wept loudly until they could weep no more.” —1 Samuel 30:4

I would dare to say that confusion, disillusionment, despair, and hopelessness were the emotional state of David and his men. Always loyal to David, these men were now talking of stoning him due to the bitterness of their soul over the circumstances in their lives. We must remember when we are in severe emotional turmoil, chances are, like David’s men, our thinking will be clouded.

But instead of seeking answers or refuge or consolation from his counselors, David turns to the Lord for his strength!

“David was very upset, for the men were thinking of stoning him; each man grieved bitterly over his sons and daughters. But David drew strength from the Lord his God.” —1 Samuel 30:6

David was practicing one of his own life principles: Trust in God in all situations! We see in the Psalms his confidence in God’s deliverance:

“I sought the Lord’s help and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” —Psalm 34:4

“Taste and see that the Lord is good! How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him!” —Psalm 34:8

Walking along the road to Emmaus, discussing the events that had recently transpired, these two followers of Jesus were trying to make some sense of it all. The accounts that had been brought to them regarding Jesus’ resurrection had seemed to them as sheer nonsense. Approaching them to walk along the road with them, they were absolutely kept from seeing Jesus’ true identity. For all they knew, He was just a stranger on His way to Emmaus as well. How like Jesus to come into their midst!

Become More

We see in Scripture and also in the lives of those around us people seeking counsel from someone other than God. While the Bible instructs us to seek counsel from others, this comes only after we have sought the Lord first. Counsel from others often brings confirmation of the Lord’s guidance.

The next time we are disillusioned or facing a crisis, instead of turning to those around us for guidance and consolation, let us turn to the first to the Lord.

“LORD, in the morning you will hear me; in the morning I will present my case to you and then wait expectantly for an answer.” —Psalm 5:3

“Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; I possess understanding and might.” —Proverbs 8:14

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” —Deuteronomy 33:12

Further Reflections

“Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.” —Jeremiah 33:3

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is an eternal God, the Creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or weary, there is no limit to his wisdom. He gives strength to those who are tired; to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy. Even youths grow tired and weary, even strong young men clumsily stumble. But those who wait for the LORD’s help find renewed strength. They will rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.” —Isaiah 40:28–31

“Jesus replied, ‘Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them what Jesus had said to her.” —John 20:17–18

Mary’s actions remind me of the wonderful Hebrew word batah, often translated as “trust” in the Old Testament. It means “to attach oneself, confide in, feel safe, be confident, secure; the basic idea signifies firmness or solidity; denotes a confident expectation” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible Old Testament Lexical Aids).

Oh, the love Mary had for Jesus! With all her might, she wanted to hold on to Him! She simply never again wanted Him out of her sight. The thrill of seeing her Master alive and standing before her created within her an immense excitement and an extravagant joy. I wonder, do I love Jesus like that? Do you? 

No one had loved Jesus or clung to Him more tenaciously than she, and she was richly rewarded for this by being the first to see Him. Richard Cecil, an Anglican priest in the eighteenth century observed, “Singular honor is reserved for solitary faith. Mary has the first personal manifestation of Christ after His resurrection. She is the first witness of this most important and illustrious fact, and the first messenger of it to His disciples.”

Jesus forbids Mary to cling to His bodily presence as before, leading her rather to a spiritual communion which she will enjoy with Him even after His ascension. What perhaps seems harsh to us is actually Jesus lovingly pointing her to look higher. The best service she can now do for Him is to go and tell others. This was the very first work that our risen Savior proposed to John as well. Jesus calls Mary to active duty to others—to arise and be useful. He calls every one of us to this as well.

Mary becomes an apostle to the apostles in reward for her faithfulness in clinging to Christ. She was comforted by the sight of her Master and now she is sent with the good news to comfort others. 

Become More

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5–6

“Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe.” —Augustine

Further Reflection

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” —Isaiah 26:3

“So the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seating where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the foot. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ Mary replied, ‘They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put him.’ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Because she thought he was the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).” —John 20:10–16

In this passage, we see Mary’s deep love for Jesus. The going away of Peter and John highlights the fact that Mary stayed. She was the first to the grave, then she goes to tell the disciples, she returns to the grave with them, and at the grave, she remains without them—an unwavering love which, as we will discover, was richly rewarded by the Lord. As we in faith draw closer to Jesus, He will draw closer than anyone we have ever known. He will never leave or abandon us. Mary knew this.

“All believers have not the same degree of faith, or hope, or knowledge, or courage, or wisdom; and it is vain to expect it. But it is a certain fact that those who love Christ most fervently, and cleave to Him most closely, will always enjoy most communion with Him, and feel most of the witness of the Spirit in their hearts. It is precisely those who wait on the Lord, in the temper of Mary Magdalene, to whom the Lord will reveal Himself most fully, and make them know and feel more than others.” —John Charles Ryle

Jesus was the object of Mary’s affections. Her strong love for Him kept her at the tomb—while others left—with a flicker of hope that something or someone might turn up to explain where her Master’s body had gone. She could not tear herself away from the last place His body had been seen.

Become More

While Jesus’ identity may have at first been hidden from Mary’s desperate eyes, there was certainly no missing the sound of him speaking her name. One single word—one very personal word—was enough to deliver her from her present blindness. Jesus sees Mary’s genuine, persevering love for Him. He is the solitary aim of her soul and He rewards her consuming love. He always does.

“The LORD is compassionate and merciful, he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love … he does not deal with us as our sins deserve; he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserves. For as the skies are high above the earth, so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers. As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt our rebellious actions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on his faithful followers. For he knows how we are formed, he knows what we are made of … But the LORD continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers, and is faithful to their descendants, to those who keep his covenant, who are careful to obey his commands.” —Psalm 103:8–14; 17–18

Further Reflection

“We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul.” —C.H. Spurgeon

“When they returned from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women who told all these things told this to the apostles. But these words seemed like pure nonsense to them, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bending down and saw only the strips of linen of linen cloth; then he went home, wondering what had happened.” —Luke 24:9–12

Hurrying away from the tomb, astonished, amazed, bewildered, and afraid, yet all the while filled with joy, these women experienced the entire range of emotions. They had a story to tell the disciples and they were ready to tell it in reverential fear. I think it was wonderful of God to allow these women to be the first ones to bring the good news of His story. While I realize this is not true in every case, and I am certainly not meaning any offense, women in general are better in giving the details of a story than men. We enjoy hearing and telling all the little particulars—all the nuances to every detail. They had just experienced the supernatural and they were stunned. Mark tells us in his gospel:

“Then they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” —Mark 16:8

The word translated “bewildered” is from the Greek word ekstasis meaning: “Astonishment, amazement, bewilderment; it is a sense of breathtaking and profound amazement coupled with exquisite dread at the sight of something remarkable, incredible, strange, or supernatural; the gripping fascination with some enthralling phenomenon which drives one from his powers of reason in order to encounter it; the word portrays someone as being carried away out of mind, being so psychologically and emotionally moved by some fantastic sight that he loses all sense of his present situation. He is held captive by it and falls under its sway because it is beyond his power to impose rational controls on the object of wonder.” (Hebrew Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids)

Unfortunately, the report the women gave was not well received. Rather it seemed to the disciples as idle talk and sheer nonsense.

“They thought it was only the fancy of the women, and ascribed it to the power of imagination; for they also had forgotten Christ’s words. One cannot but be amazed at the stupidity of these disciples—who had themselves so often professed that they believed Christ to be the Son of God, had been so often told that he must die and rise again, and then enter into his glory, had seen him more than once raise the dead—that they should be so slow to believe.” —Matthew Henry

Slow to believe. Is it not amazing, when the day is cloudy and dark, how forgetful we become of the obvious? Not comprehending the Master’s plan, Peter leaves the tomb scratching his head and wondering. Who would have just stolen the body and not the grave clothes—not to mention leaving them folded so neatly behind? Who moved the stone and chased away the powerful Roman guards?

Become More

I find comfort in the disciple’s confusion. If Peter and John, who had both walked so closely with Jesus, could be baffled on that dark day, then my confusion seems understandable as well. It is easy to believe in Jesus when the day is bright, but let the winds and rain clouds come and it is quite another story. We are then often left forgetful of the promises of our Lord.

Having a firm grasp of God’s Word is critical when the storms of life begin to blow. That is how we are able to rest secure in Him … and that is His desire for all of His children.

“The beloved of the LORD will live safely by him, he protects him all the time, and the LORD places him on his chest.” —Deuteronomy 33:12

“Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.” —1 Corinthians 16:13

Further Reflections

“I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.” —Philippians 4:13

“Now is the time for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God shall certainly, as surely as He built the heavens and the earth, glorify Himself in thy weakness, and magnify His might in the midst of thy distress.” —Charles H. Spurgeon