In the Beginning: The Book of John

(John 20:11-17 [HCSB])

11 But Mary stood outside facing the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where Jesus’ body had been lying. 13 They said to her, “* Woman, why are you crying? ” “Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put Him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not know it was Jesus.

15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? ”

Supposing He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve removed Him, tell me where you’ve put Him, and I will take Him away.”

16 Jesus said, “Mary.” Turning around, she said to Him in * Hebrew, “Rabbouni!”2 which means “Teacher.”

17 “Don’t cling to Me,” Jesus told her, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father to My God and your God.”

Are we also looking for Jesus?

What is your empty tomb experience? Where have you looked for Jesus, and He was not to be found there?

Have you ever been to a spiritual retreat and you could not find Jesus there?

Have you ever attended a new up-and-comingchurch hoping to reboot your faith, and you could not find Jesus there?

Have you ever purchased the latest bestseller by a mega church pastor, and you could not find Jesus there?

Have you ever attended a home group, or hosted one, and you could not find Jesus there?

Are we are looking in the wrong places for Jesus? Often we look first in empty tombs, and not at our side, where He promised He would always be in the Spirit of Truth.

And, while it is never wrong to seek Him in these places we will never find Him unless we first believe that He is the One who is at our side. Our relationship must be with a God who is with us at all times in all places, with all people … our Emmanuel.

It is clear that Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus even though He was standing beside her. She was blinded by her grief and, yes, she did not expect to see Him alive. She thought He was the caretaker since gardeners usually worked early in the morning.

Are we so grieved in our circumstances that we cannot see, or hear Jesus, even though He is right there beside us all day, every day?

Do not let your grief blind you.

In the Beginning: The Book of John

(John 20:18-23 [HCSB])

18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord! ” And she told them what He had said to her.

19 In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because of their fear of the * Jews. Then Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you! ”

20 Having said this, He showed them His hands and His side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

22 After saying this, He breathed on them and said,4 “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Sent and sending

Has Jesus ever appeared to you in the spirit through “closed doors” and shone brightly through all of the sin in your life? I am sure that, as true believers, we all have been blessed by at least one such break through. Our salvation requires it. God will not just stroll around in the wings of our lives if we have truly called upon Him. Furthermore I know that you and I have clearly heard Him say, “Peace to you.” In those moments all was well with us for a time because we allowed God full control.

This happens more frequently than we may be aware of, but we do not recognize it as such because we are conditioned only to see Jesus in Church or in the company of other Christians. However, our God is an unexpected God. Musician Rich Mullins, author of “Awesome God,” called Him a wild man.

Think about this: Where and when have we seen our Lord? How has he touched us and worked in our lives? Which changes in our lives can only be attributed to Jesus and none other?

And this: How is it that you and I know Jesus is real and not just a figment of a story teller’s imagination? Where in our lives did Jesus show us His scars and present Himself as the only reality that is real?

Or this: Try to remember the time when God literally breathed the Holy Spirit into our lives and nothing was ever the same again.

May God bless you and protect you; may God make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May God look with favor on you and give you peace.

–Numbers 6:24-26

Our God is an unexpected God …