Mary Did You Know?: Part 3 || Day 5

Luke‬ 8‬:1‬-3‬ NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

Mark‬ 16‬:9‬-11‬ NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

John‬ 20‬:1‬-18‬ NKJV‬‬‬‬

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Church, I can’t imagine the hurt and disappointment that flooded the heart of Mary Magdalene as she watched Jesus die on that cross. All of the thoughts that ran through her mind. How the devil must have laughed at her as she watched them lower Him off of that cross and put Him in that grave. And for two days it seemed like all hope was lost. But on the third day she was going to say her final goodbye.

But as she walks up to say her final goodbye, she meets someone she doesn’t notice. The person she meets is actually Jesus, but she doesn’t notice Him because she is expecting to find Him in the same way she last saw Him. In other words, she’s expecting to find Him dead not resurrected. It wasn’t until Jesus speaks to her that she realizes it’s the Messiah.

Church, there are some of you that had to walk away from some things over the years that seemed to take a piece of your hope away. You had to leave some things that you thought would be in your life forever. The last time you checked the grave it was a hopeless situation. But this year is a year of resurrection!

This year, there will be times where God is going to lead us back to those places to meet what we don’t recognize. And that will be a resurrected version of what we had once hoped for. You will know it not by what it looks like, but what it sounds like.