Read: 
John 20:11-18
Psalms 56:8

Mary Magdalene

Let's attempt to imagine how Jesus’ disciples felt in the days after His crucifixion. Words that come to mind are: traumatized, lost and disillusioned.

When Jesus rose from the dead, He didn’t seek the crowds to announce His resurrection publicly. Instead, He first checked in on those closest to Him, meeting them in their grief, doubt and pain.

Over the next five weeks, we’ll explore five of these powerful post-resurrection encounters.

The first was with Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18). Mary was standing by the empty tomb, weeping and heartbroken. She had lost everything—her teacher, her hope, her future–and was unaware that Jesus had risen. All she could see was emptiness.

As Mary stood there weeping, next to the tomb that represented the great emptiness and loss in her life, Jesus came and asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” (verse 15).

Jesus saw her tears and recognised her pain before revealing Himself and calling her by her name (verse 16).

The story of Jesus seeking out Mary, invites us to reflect on the “empty tombs” in our lives. Is there pain, grief or sadness in your life so significant that you don’t know if it will ever end or what will the future look like?

Jesus wants to meet you! He sees your tears; in fact, He collects them in a bottle (Psalms 56:8).

Like Mary, let the tears flow and allow yourself to feel the emptiness. Stay with your emotions and trust that Jesus will meet you right there, calling you by name.