Mary Magdalene went to see the dead body of Christ very early in the morning, while it was still dark. It showed her passion! Most certainly, the tomb must have been situated far away from her residence, but her passion to visit the body, as soon as she could, together with some other women, enabled her to overcome the hindrances of setting out so early in the morning, and thus she became one of the first of Jesus’ disciples to witness the empty tomb, vs 1! It was she, along with the other women, who then hurried back to the disciples to inform them about the missing body.

On returning back with them, they found things to be just as she said. However, they returned home, without any interest to probe further into the matter, vs 2-10! It was Mary who refused to return home with them, and began weeping outside the tomb on account of the missing body, vs 11, and as she bent and looked in again, she saw the angels, who spoke to her!

Even the visitation of angels did not cause her to stop weeping! It was then that she encountered Jesus Himself, who gave her the greatest news one could ever hear about His resurrection, which she faithfully carried to His disciples, vs 12-18.

Our passion and weeping before God in a spirit of faith, for a solution about any situation touches the heart of God, and will assuredly bring angelic deliverances, and Jesus Himself into our situation, with a revelation of His resurrection, which will give us a solution to our problems. Let us determine not to return home in despair, like the two disciples did, but hang on in faith, for those who trust in the Lord in this manner, will never be put to shame!

Until the disciples refused to accept the revelation that Mary was given, they remained behind closed doors in fear of the Jewish leaders, vs 19! However, after Jesus revealed Himself to them, with this revelation came freedom from fear, peace, joy, infilling of the Holy Spirit and commissioning for service, vs 20-23! Without this revelation we will be unable to fulfill the great commission of taking the Gospel to the Nations as the apostles did! Thomas refused to believe till he saw, and Jesus made sure that he was not left out, but visited them again after eight days, and Thomas believed, vs 24-28!

What must Thomas have been doing during that period of eight days? Surely he must have been diligently seeking the Lord for that revelation too! For God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him in faith, Hebrews 11:6. And although we may not see our Lord Jesus with our natural eyes, yet as we pray diligently in faith for this revelation of His resurrection in our spirit being, He will surely come to us too, and we will be blessed for believing though we have not seen Him with our natural eyes, vs 29!

Although we are not given details of all the miraculous signs that Jesus performed before the disciples, yet we are given what is sufficient for us to believe that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of God, so that in believing we may have life in His Name, vs 30,31!

Thus, genuinely believing in the resurrection of Christ has positive implications, which include, freedom from fear, peace, joy, anointing of the Holy Spirit and commissioning for service. If I lack any of these in my life, He will surely come to me with the revelation of His resurrection, provided He finds me seeking for it in faith with all my heart!

This is the only thing worth weeping for, and just like Mary and the disciples, we too shall not be disappointed! Amen.

Rowena Thomas
Mumbai, India.