Key Thought

Ever have one of those Sunday's when you didn't feel like doing the "church thing" or facing the challenges of getting everyone ready and pointed in the right direction? Most of us have! In fact, some of my hardest mornings have come on Sunday! That was true of Jesus' earliest and most faithful disciples, too. They came to do a very hard and loving thing for their Lord; they came to anoint his body with spices. There are no words to describe how hard this must have been for them -- their spirits crushed and their dreams dashed by the death of Jesus. Yet like many of us and our bad start Sundays, God would turn their hard morning into something precious and joyful. Yes, this Sunday started with horror and hopelessness, yet we know how it ended! So on your bad start Sunday mornings, remember Mary, Peter, and the disciple whom Jesus loved and their bad Sunday turned into a day no believer will ever forget!

Today's Prayer

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Father, thank you for the hard times. I confess that I don't like them, but looking back, I see where you have used those tough times to bring blessing, hope, and triumph from my heartache, sadness, and defeat. Thank you for not only raising Jesus from the dead, but for raising my heart to a place of hope and joy that earthbound sorrow and pain cannot erase. In Jesus name, and because of Jesus' victory, I pray with joy. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Early on Sunday morning Mary Magdalene went to the tomb {where Jesus' body was}. It was still dark. Mary saw that the large stone {that covered the entrance} was moved away. So Mary ran to Simon Peter and the other follower (the one Jesus loved very much). Mary said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb. We don't know where they put him." So Peter and the other follower started going to the tomb. They were both running, but the other follower ran faster than Peter. So the other follower reached the tomb first. The follower bent down and looked in. He saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came from behind him. Peter went into the tomb. He saw the pieces of linen lying there. He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up and laid in a different place from the pieces of linen. Then the other follower went in. This was the follower that had reached the tomb first. He saw what had happened and believed. (These followers did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from death.) Then the followers went back home. But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. While she was crying, she bent down and looked inside the tomb. Mary saw two angels dressed in white. They were sitting where Jesus' body had been. One angel was sitting where Jesus' head had been, and the other angel was sitting where Jesus' feet had been. The angels asked Mary, "Woman, why are you crying?" Mary answered, "Some people have taken away {the body of} my Lord. I don't know where they put him." When Mary said this she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus asked her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Mary thought that this was the man that takes care of the garden. So Mary said to him, "Did you take Jesus away, sir? Tell me where you put him. I will go and get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." Mary turned toward Jesus and said in the Jewishlanguage, "Rabboni." (This means "Teacher.") Jesus said to her, "Don't hold me. I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers (followers) and tell them this: 'I am going back to my Father and your Father. I am going back to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went to the followers and told them, "I saw the Lord!" And she told them the things Jesus said to her.

— John 20:1-18 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.