The Mission

The Mission

John 20:11-18, NLT

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13“Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15“Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 16“Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

Setting the Scene

The women mentioned in yesterday’s Scripture portion had heard Jesus’ predictions of his death, and suddenly their memories and the facts came together. Everything had occurred just as Jesus had predicted. The women rushed to the sorrowing disciples saying exactly what the angel had told them to say. The fact that the message was carried by women gives credibility and persuasive force to this account. No ancient person making up such a story would list women as the official witnesses. And by Jewish law, women could not give evidence.

John and Peter had run back to the tomb and Mary apparently returned with them. When the two disciples left, she was there alone, still crying. John reports that as she stooped to look into the tomb, she saw two angels. They asked Mary why she was crying. Mary answered, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him.”

As Mary turned to leave, she found Jesus standing there but didn’t recognize him. Perhaps her eyes were so filled with tears that she could not see clearly.

Thinking this man must be the gardener, Mary asked if he knew the location of Jesus’ body. Then Jesus simply spoke her name, “Mary,” and she identified his voice immediately. Mary’s instinctive response was to cling to Jesus—joyous in the reunion and fearful of losing him again. But Jesus stopped her and gave her a message to give to his “brothers,” the disciples.

Getting Personal

What tends to keep you from spreading the news about this greatest event in history?

What can you do to stay focused on mission?

The women and then the disciples were assigned the mission of telling people that Jesus is alive. It’s our mission as well. People who hear about the Resurrection for the first time may need time before they can comprehend this amazing story (after all, the disciples had trouble believing). But we need to share this truth with joy, accepting individuals’ need to think through, to wonder, and to investigate the facts for themselves.

Talking to God

Take some time to remember what God has done for you personally in your life. Ask him to help you feel glad about sharing the truth about the Savior everywhere you can.