Glorious Day!!

The Resurrection
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.  She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved.  She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"  John 20:1-2 NLT 

Simon Peter and the other disciple went after Mary and saw that the tomb was empty and went home.  Heartbroken that Jesus' body had been taken away, Mary Magdalene remained and stood outside the tomb weeping.

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there.  It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him.  "Dear woman, why are you crying?"  Jesus asked her, "Who are you looking for?"  She thought he was the gardener.  "Sir," she said, "if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him."  "Mary!" Jesus said.  She turned to him and cried out, "Rabboni!" (which is Hebrew for "Teacher").  "Don't cling to me," Jesus said, "for I haven't yet ascended to the Father.  But go find my brothers and tell them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."  Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, "I have seen the Lord!"  Then she gave them His message.   John 20:14-18 NLT

Jesus was not defeated by death - He came back to life as He promised.  The resurrection of Jesus is truly a GLORIOUS DAY!  It is a historical fact that authenticates who Jesus is and confirms all that is written in the Bible to be true.  Because of Jesus' brutal death on the cross, we can have peace with God, be forgiven for all our wrongdoing and look forward to heaven after death.  Jesus offers us peace and hope beyond all others for now and forever. 

This is great news for all of us - men and women alike (children too!).  However - I am especially comforted, encouraged and even empowered by Jesus' example as He interacted with women.  Perhaps this is because I often struggle to be comforted, encouraged and empowered myself.  Although I am surrounded by a great support system,  the worries and cares of this life on earth can be great and filled with trouble.  Other women often agree that they struggle with the same issues (we are not all that different after all) and there are times when I have little tangible help to offer.  However, as I look to the hope that Jesus offers, I am greatly encouraged!

Women appear often in the story of Jesus.  Jesus was born of a woman, had numerous interactions with women and revealed Himself first to a woman following His resurrection.  John's account of Jesus' resurrection (above) is astounding not only it its miracle but at this time in history,  a woman's testimony held no credibility in court.  Yet Mary served as the first witness to a risen, death-conquering King.....Jesus.  

Jesus crossed social and cultural barriers to engage women. He also healed, liberated, comforted, and delivered women.  In first century Palestine, Jesus' treatment of women was revolutionary.  He did the unthinkable by interacting with a Samaritan woman (Samaritans were despised by the Jews), by healing a diseased woman, by delivering a demon-possessed woman, and by giving respect and offering forgiveness to a prostitute.  I can only imagine the gratefulness each of these women felt after being offered respect, honor, and in some cases deliverance from pain and shame.

Long-time traditions as well as cultural norms are difficult to break through - yet Jesus did this time and time again.  He showed us by example a new way of living, of relating to and behaving towards one another.  Jesus put aside biases and attitudes of superiority and broke through meaningless traditions to step into the lives of the hurting, forgotten and cast aside.  He chose the unlikely to demonstrate His power at work. 

I need only to look at my own past choices & missed opportunities to feel unworthy and useless for God's service.  Thankfully - I'm learning, through the accounts of Jesus' work in the lives of the Biblical women, that Jesus offers new life, new purpose and new opportunities every day.  Nothing is too complicated, too difficult, too "dead" for Him to renew. 

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
- Casting Crowns, "Glorious Day"

(I attend the Mt. Bethel Church in Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania and our choir sang this song during our Resurrection Day worship service - I had already written these words in this post and was so moved by hearing it again, reminding me of all that Jesus has done for me AND FOR YOU!!)