when you need to see...
She found herself in the thick of it. Grief. I mean, she really shouldn't have been surprised because he told them it would happen. But still. There's always that hope in the back of the mind that says maybe, just maybe, our plan will prevail. That maybe things really can't and won't go that way. But they went that way. To her dismay, and in horror, he was murdered. Beaten, whipped, and nailed to a cross before her very eyes. He meant what he said. He would die, and sure enough, that's what happened. But that's not all.
And so she stood outside of his tomb. Weeping. Lost in the sorrow and disappointment that it happened. It was like a bad dream, a nightmare, but she couldn't wake up and shake this off. This was reality. It didn't go as planned. It didn't go as anyone planned, in fact. And even the warnings, the foreshadowing and prophecies for thousands of years, didn't soften the blow. He was gone. Cold body lying in that tomb. Mary knew where to find him, but it wasn't finding him that was the issue. It was seeing him. She needed to see him.
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this she turned and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was Jesus.
He asked her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary." (John 20:11-16)
In one word, and it was gone. The grief, the sorrow, the disappointment, the despair. Maybe that's what he meant when he said "it is finished," And it was. And it is. And Mary came to realize that nothing is lost in Jesus. That death, fear, grief, sorrow, disappointment, doubt, worry, none of it is lost in Jesus. Because He is our hope. Our hope that when our plans have been ruined, when our dreams have turned into nightmares, when our grief is too heavy to bear, our sorrow to deep to see a way out, that all is not lost. Hope that it is not over. That it won't last forever. That it won't end this way. Because even though we can't see it in the moment, eventually we will. Eventually, the promise will come. New life will emerge. And when it's time, and when He's ready, and when He says, we'll know it. The horror of what was will one day become the joy of what is. If not on this side of Heaven, then we'll have something extra to look forward to when we step into eternity.
Mary found herself in the presence of Jesus. The veil was lifted. Actually, the veil was torn. Nothing stood between them, not even death. The worst was over. The miracle had come. And the one who came to save wretched sinners and find the lost, opened her blinded eyes, and His grace was all she could see!
And so she stood outside of his tomb. Weeping. Lost in the sorrow and disappointment that it happened. It was like a bad dream, a nightmare, but she couldn't wake up and shake this off. This was reality. It didn't go as planned. It didn't go as anyone planned, in fact. And even the warnings, the foreshadowing and prophecies for thousands of years, didn't soften the blow. He was gone. Cold body lying in that tomb. Mary knew where to find him, but it wasn't finding him that was the issue. It was seeing him. She needed to see him.
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this she turned and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was Jesus.
He asked her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary." (John 20:11-16)
In one word, and it was gone. The grief, the sorrow, the disappointment, the despair. Maybe that's what he meant when he said "it is finished," And it was. And it is. And Mary came to realize that nothing is lost in Jesus. That death, fear, grief, sorrow, disappointment, doubt, worry, none of it is lost in Jesus. Because He is our hope. Our hope that when our plans have been ruined, when our dreams have turned into nightmares, when our grief is too heavy to bear, our sorrow to deep to see a way out, that all is not lost. Hope that it is not over. That it won't last forever. That it won't end this way. Because even though we can't see it in the moment, eventually we will. Eventually, the promise will come. New life will emerge. And when it's time, and when He's ready, and when He says, we'll know it. The horror of what was will one day become the joy of what is. If not on this side of Heaven, then we'll have something extra to look forward to when we step into eternity.
Mary found herself in the presence of Jesus. The veil was lifted. Actually, the veil was torn. Nothing stood between them, not even death. The worst was over. The miracle had come. And the one who came to save wretched sinners and find the lost, opened her blinded eyes, and His grace was all she could see!
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