Realization

In John 20, we read this:

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 around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it 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.”

Have you stood outside the door of a loved one, crying because you felt God has left you alone and without comfort?  Have you ever felt like God has disappeared and is nowhere to be found, when you need him the most?   There are times in life when we all feel this way.

In this instance, Mary realized that Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb and she feared that someone had taken his body away.  Even when Jesus appeared to her, she didn’t recognize him, because of her grief and concern.  It wasn’t until Jesus spoke her name that she turned and realized who He was – the risen Savior.

I’ve been sobbing and worried and concerned before over circumstances that I could not understand, and was unable to see any good that would come from them.  And I’ve poured my heart out to God on my knees, in earnest prayer that he would show up and do something for me!

He always shows up, but sometimes he lifts my chin to look at his face and hear him say my name, to let me know I’m his and I belong to him, and there is nothing to fear.

There’s nothing more comforting than the assurance that God is with us, he knows our name, and he’s alive and well.

Your Savior lives and he loves you, he knows you, and the tomb is empty – so that you too can live.