The Resurrection of the Lord John 20:1-9 Easter Meditation Bro. Johnson

Easter becomes an opportunity to imagine God would be present in our lives to roll away the stone from the graves in the darkest recesses of our souls.

The resurrection narratives in all four gospels record very precisely how things were moving from one stage to the other. All of them want to give credit to Mary Magdalene as the first person to meet the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. Mary Magdalene had great enthusiasm and love for Lord Jesus Christ. She was healed from seven demons (Luke 8:3). She bathed Jesus with her tears and Alabaster perfume (Luke 7:36-37 & John 8:7). Later she became a strong disciple to sit at the feet of Jesus and to listen to the Word of God (Luke 10:38-42). Mary had faith in the Person and Power of Jesus (John 11:2,32). She continued in her sacrificial giving to Jesus. She brought costly perfume and washed feet of Jesus before death (John 12:1-3).

Mary Magdalene teaches higher qualities of her life on the day of Resurrection. On the first day of the week on Easter morning, three women went to the graveyard. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (and Jesus), and Salome (Mark 16:1). Only a day has gone but everything seems to be bleak, gloomy and non-futuristic. Disciples were afraid of the Constitutional authorities, religious leaders (John 7:13, 9:22) and guards. While the whole company of disciples was living in fear.

Fear factor became their lifestyle. Mary Magdalene took the bold and daring step to organise a team to visit the graveyard of Jesus. We are more familiar with the word ‘’Fear’’ of anything and everything. Fear is a very common emotion in the human body, it leads to instability, unhappiness, sometimes even to death. Fear is an enemy of faith. Fear is one of the by-products of modern life no one could avoid. “It saps spiritual vitality and it can paralyze the soul.

Whereas, when Jesus was alive, disciples stand was entirely different in society. They were happy to move around with Him. Nothing was threatening to them. They were not afraid of anybody – they never worried about either the Tyrant Roman rulers or the Jewish religious hypocritic leaders. As long as Jesus was alive disciples had extra-ordinary powers, they went two by two to preach the Kingdom of God and to cast out demons. Earlier they stood bold in many situations and occasions against the Jewish religious authorities. But now, their master was treated very badly along with robbers, thieves and notorious criminals. Jesus was given a cruel capital punishment of Crucifixion with vicarious sufferings.

The death of Jesus brought great fear and anxieties. They were not seen, they were within their homes they were lockdown, quarantined. It was very natural after the defeat of any leader. Jesus told his disciples not to fear the men who can only destroy their bodies and not their soul (Mathew 10:28 & Luke 12:4). Mathew 10:31 tells us: “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows”.

Mary Magdalene became a daring follower of Christ to visit the Tomb of Jesus along with other women. Now the women as soon as reached the garden they found an empty tomb. So they quickly returned to City and told Simon Peter and John, they rushed to the spot and confirmed the empty tomb. The open grave brought more fear than courage and joy. None of them heeds to the words spoken by Jesus Christ on Resurrection while he was with them. The search for Truth with unbelief always leads to an empty, fearful and useless situation in life. But Mary Magdalene continued her diligent search for Christ. There was an interest to search the dead body of Jesus. She was diligently searching the Body of Christ. She did not give up. The words of Angels did not put off her search for the personal experience with Christ. She was exploring all possibilities to find the TRUTH. But her preoccupied mind about the dead BODY of JESUS blinded her and kept her away from the LIVING WORD of JESUS. She was looking among the dead who was living in the midst of her (Luke 24:5). Her futile exercises of running up and down, finding the dead body went in vain but she never gave up. Mary was crying and searching for Jesus, the TRUTH. Mary did not realise the person of Jesus who was standing with her. The voice of Jesus came to her but because of her unbelief, she could not recognise the voice of Jesus. She thought he was a Gardener. She was searching for a decomposed body but encountered with a resurrected body.

Now the whole world lives under fear. Fear of viruses, fear of germs and fear of death. The economy crashed, productions stopped. Many doors are closed. Company doors are closed. Employment opportunities are closed. Motels and Hotels are closed. Restaurants and Recreation centres are closed. But the Lord opened the closed doors. Noah, Joseph and many others were freed and had given new opportunity to serve people. I am sure there is going to be a great open door for all of us to carry the good news worldwide after this dreadful situation. Evangelism is not harassing or intimidating, forcing your beliefs on anyone. Evangelism is an overflow of our life in Christ. Evangelism happens naturally as unnoticed. In essence, it is the reality of experiencing Christ and helping others to experience him.

Jesus stands at your doorstep and knocks to enter into your house, enter into your hearts and enter into your petty world (Revelation 3:20).

Dear friends, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ comes to us with the good news of peace, joy and love. The open tomb of Jesus leads the disciples to many open doors in life. Our Lord Jesus Christ is known as a God one who opens the doors and no can shut (Revelation 3:8).