This post is Day 26 in a series of studies about “Mary’s of the Bible”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Mary’s of the Bible – Day 26

Mary saw the stone had been moved, and ventured to enter the tomb! Brave lady! As she explained to the angels that she was looking for the body of Jesus, the living Jesus spoke to her from behind asking her why she was crying. But she did not recognise Him.

John 20:11-12

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.

The Thought

Mary saw the stone had been moved, and ventured to enter the tomb! Brave lady! As she explained to the angels that she was looking for Jesus’ body, the living Jesus spoke to her from behind asking her why she was crying (v15). But she didn’t recognise Him. He was the last person in the world that she expected to be talking to outside their own tomb!

In the following verse we read that Jesus said just one word to her. Mary (v16)! As He pronounced her name, this sad woman’s heart was filled with a joy she could not have imagined. A joy she had never known. As He told her what to do next, Jesus gave her the next part of the story. Go to my brothers and tell them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God, and your God.

We can be sure that Mary obeyed that instruction, but we are also sure than nobody believed what was said, or they forgot it very quickly. When they were all eating together once more (Acts 1:4), the disciples were enthusiastically asking questions about the restoration of Israel. They imagined Jesus would be with them forever, and He would, but not in the way these disciples imagined!

Instead of giving them the complete answer Jesus just quietly left the earth and went back to His Father’s Heavenly home (Acts 1:9)!

Action

Read Acts 1 today and imagine the excited disciples, both male and female who were sure that now Jesus had overcome death and would be with them forever.

Challenge yourself to be obedient as Mary was in telling others that Jesus is alive.

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