“Go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
— Mark 16:7
We might not like to be singled out, but many of us know what that’s like. It may be for a special honor, or it may be for doing something wrong. Either way, being singled out can be embarrassing and make us want to hide.
Peter was singled out by Jesus here. And while Peter may have gulped deeply when he heard about this, it wasn’t a bad thing. Peter had denied Jesus three times, even after saying he would never leave Jesus’ side (see Mark 14:27-31, 66-72). I can’t imagine the guilt Peter must have felt. But Jesus needed Peter to know that he was still welcome among his followers. He was still invited to the reunion in Galilee that Jesus had mentioned. In fact, he was still part of the plan Jesus had for his disciples and the whole world.
We could all make a laundry list of the many things we do that should separate us from Jesus. There are times when we do what we shouldn’t do and times when we don’t do what we should do. But none of those things separates us from Jesus and his kingdom, because his death has covered all the sins of our lives—even the ones we haven’t done yet. That’s how vast the forgiveness of God is! And when the Lord singles us out, we can be sure he is calling us to join with him.
Can you sense the Lord calling you today?
Jesus, thank you for calling us to follow you, even though we have failed you in many ways. Help us to be faithful, we pray. Amen.
--------
Mary Magdalene
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
— John 20:16
On the morning of Jesus’ resurrection, Mary Magdalene went to visit his tomb early—and when she saw the stone rolled away, she quickly went to tell Jesus’ disciples. They came and saw and then returned to where they were staying. But Mary couldn’t leave. She was overcome with sorrow about Jesus’ death and couldn’t imagine life without him. So she lingered in the garden and wept.
Through her tears she saw two angels in the tomb. She explained why she was crying, and then she turned around and saw Jesus there but didn’t recognize him. It’s hard to know why she didn’t recognize him. Maybe her vision was clouded by tears. Maybe Jesus’ resurrected body was somehow different. Whatever the reason, she mistook him for the gardener and asked where Jesus’ body had been taken. And Jesus simply called her by name: “Mary.”
How often do we encounter Jesus and not recognize him? Maybe we are talking with a person in need. Maybe someone is calling us to repentance. Maybe someone is showing us kindness or grace. Or maybe Jesus is present in a random event. Maybe our vision is clouded by busyness or worry, fear, or inattention. But then Jesus, who knows everything about us, gets our attention, and we immediately know he is there. We can tell that he loves us and is always with us. We know that his grace is for us, and that he calls us to follow him in everything we do.
Jesus, thank you for knowing us and calling us to enjoy new life with you. Amen.
--------
Joseph
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.
— John 19:38
Sometimes it’s easier to hide what we believe than to share it openly. This can happen especially when it comes to talking about our faith. In some situations we can be afraid of being ridiculed or of losing status or even of being harmed for our beliefs.
Joseph of Arimathea seems to have been in a position like that. He was a disciple of Jesus, but not openly. He probably kept his allegiance a secret because he, like Nicodemus, was a member of the ruling council of religious leaders that had condemned Jesus (see Luke 23:59; John 3:1-8; 7:45-52). These two men probably acted in secret to avoid being attacked by the ruling council. We might wonder if there were others like them in the council who preferred to remain hidden, but we are told only about Joseph and Nicodemus.
All of the secrecy, however, seemed to change after Jesus’ death. Joseph boldly asked Pilate for Jesus’ body so that he could honor the Lord and prepare his body for burial according to custom.
Maybe Jesus’ death can change things for us too. Jesus wasn’t afraid to go to the cross for us. How can we be afraid to do anything for him? We can step out with boldness and let the world know that we believe in Jesus. We believe that he died for us and that we are now forgiven as children of God. In the Lord’s strength we can be bold in our faith!
Father, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, help us live out our faith with boldness, wherever we are. Amen.
--------
The Centurion and the Guards
“Surely he was the Son of God!”
— Matthew 27:54
Have you ever seen something that was so amazing you just couldn’t stop talking about it? Maybe it was something incredible that happened at a special event. Or something you saw while hiking or traveling, or in a TV documentary. Whatever it was, it was so astonishing that you had to tell everyone around you about it.
That was the reaction of the centurion and the guards who watched over Jesus’ execution. They saw everything that happened to him. And after everything had happened—after Jesus had given up his spirit—they couldn’t help declaring exactly who Jesus was.
Encountering Jesus has that effect on people still today. When Jesus shows up in our lives and does something miraculous or we are able to see the work of his Spirit through an individual or a community, we can’t help sharing that good news with everyone we meet.
What amazing things has Jesus done in your life that you can’t help sharing with others? In what ways have you encountered him when you didn’t expect to?
Not all of us may be able to think of something right away, but on this Good Friday we can look again at the story of Jesus’ death and remember that he died for us. Jesus died so that each one of us can live as a forgiven child of God. This is the foundational good news that we can share with everyone!
Jesus, thank you for showing up in our lives and helping us, by your Spirit, to grow in faith. Above all, thank you for dying for us. Amen.
--------
Mary, Jesus’ Mother
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother. . . .
— John 19:25
Jesus’ entire ministry was characterized by selfless acts. Healing sick people, feeding hungry people, taking the role of a servant, and even raising the dead were major parts of his ministry of bringing the good news of God’s love for us all. Jesus was always looking out for others and putting them and their needs ahead of his own. So we shouldn’t be surprised that as he hung on the cross he was still thinking about others.
Jesus’ mother, Mary, stood by helplessly, watching her son die on a cross. No doubt, she wept with the others who stood with her. And while Jesus neared death, he reached out to make sure that she would be taken care of. He told the disciple that he loved (John) that he should take Mary into his home and treat her as his own mother and that Mary should treat John as her own son.
Of course, Jesus’ death was the most selfless act of all. He gave up his own life and died for our sins so that you and I wouldn’t have to. He took on all of God’s wrath and punishment against sin so that we could be forgiven. Today and every day, let’s remember our Savior who lived a selfless life, died a horrible death to take away our sins, and was raised from the dead to conquer sin and death “once for all” (Hebrews 9:26-10:10).
Jesus, we can’t thank you enough for the selfless act of your death for our sake. Help us to live every day remembering your selfless love for us. In your name, Amen.
México