Thursday
Read John 20:1-18
Early on Sunday morning, while it
was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been
taken away from the entrance. 2She went running to Simon Peter
and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the
Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Then
Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb. 4The two of them
were running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb
first. 5He bent over and saw the linen wrappings, but he did
not go in.6Behind him came Simon Peter, and he went straight into
the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there 7and the cloth
which had been round Jesus’ head. It was not lying with the linen wrappings but
was rolled up by itself.8Then the other disciple, who had reached
the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. 9(They still
did not understand the scripture which said that he must rise from
death.) 10Then the disciples went back home.
11 Mary
stood crying outside the tomb. While she was still crying, she bent over and
looked in the tomb 12and saw two angels there dressed in white,
sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the
feet. 13“Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her.
She
answered, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put
him!”
14 Then
she turned round and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not know that it was
Jesus. 15“Woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who is
it that you are looking for?”
She
thought he was the gardener, so she said to him, “If you took him away, sir,
tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 Jesus
said to her, “Mary!”
She
turned towards him and said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (This means “Teacher”.)
17 “Do
not hold on to me,” Jesus told her, “because I have not yet gone back up to the
Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is
my Father and their Father, my God and their God.”
18 So
Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and
related to them what he had told her.
Think
On the first day of the week - the
tomb was empty. Something very strange and unexpected had
happened. Jesus had risen. Not only did he rise - but he would
return to the Father. Everything has changed because Jesus is alive.
Pray
Lord call my name, just as you
called Mary's name. Help me, against my surprise, against my doubt -
to know in my heart that you are alive and that you reign with the Father in
heaven.
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