Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Lord God Almighty, please help my influence and my character at home to be a blessing to my family. Help them see the power of the resurrected Lord in what I do, what I say, and how I treat them. Give me the influence and the integrity to inspire faith among those I love. In Jesus' name I pray. 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.

Related Scripture Readings

"Listen, people of Israel! The Lord is our God. The Lord is one! You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Always remember these commands that I give you today. Be sure to teach them to your children. Talk about these commands when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up. {Write these commands and} tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads to help you remember {my teachings}. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.

But Jesus did not allow the man to go. Jesus said, "Go home to your family and friends. Tell them about all the things the Lord did for you. Tell them that the Lord was good to you."

Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go home. Your servant will be healed the way you believed he would." And at that same time his servant was healed.