Wednesday, August 29, 2018
John 20:16-17 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"
SENT BY THE RISEN CHRIST TO TELL OTHERS "HE LIVES"
Mary didn't want to lose Jesus again, she wanted to hold Him tight and never let Him go. But physically taking hold of Him wouldn't be necessary, for unlike Lazarus and Jairus' daughter, Jesus wouldn't return again to the Father through death. Mary wouldn't lose Jesus again, nor will we. For He will be seated at the right hand of God the Father to bless us and all who are His until that day when He takes up His power and comes again to receive us personally, physically, to Himself.
The Christ returns from death not only to comfort His disciples, but to give them work to do for Him. So He entrusts Mary with an urgent and blessed work to carry out -- a message to deliver in His name.
Mary of Magdala is the first of Jesus' disciples given the life-giving Resurrection Gospel to speak. Here we see the love of the Savior again; He adds to Mary's joy by directing her to personally tell others the things which were giving her heart such joy.
According to Jesus' own words, the recipients of her message were not merely His disciples, but His brothers! Once strangers, then disciples, now brothers! Because of sin no man is Jesus' brother. Because of sin all people are justly under the wrath of an out-raged heavenly Father. Man is still an outcast of paradise.
Jesus' Resurrection is the conclusive evidence that God has stepped in and changed our standing with Himself. The final results of Jesus' sacrifice are in. Jesus may call God the Father 'My Father' because He is by His nature the Son of the Living God. But now you and I may call Him our Father by grace through faith.
Christ's resurrection assures us that His work is complete, His sacrifice is enough and we are forgiven in Him. He is God's Son by nature, we are God's children by adoption. Now, as His sons and daughters, we have work to do. The living Christ implants a living, active faith in the hearts of His brothers. Belief in the risen Redeemer results in going and telling-- in eagerly sharing our triumphant faith. We can't cling to the Savior without going forward with His Word.
