Day 44: Whom Are You Seeking? (John 20:1–18)
“Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.”
(NASB)
John is the best friend of Jesus (13:23), and he is present with the disciple in his darkest place. The morning of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb and finds the stone moved. She runs to Peter and the Beloved Disciple: 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.' Peter and John run. John arrives first — but waits at the entrance. Peter goes straight in. Both see the linen cloths, the face cloth rolled up and set to the side, separate from the others. This detail matters: Jesus did not cease to exist; He left the grave clothes as a man leaves his bed.
Mary remains at the tomb weeping. She turns and does not recognize the man who stands there. 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' The question is the same question Jesus asked the Baptist's disciples in 1:38: 'What are you seeking?' She thinks He is the gardener. When He says her name — 'Mary' — she knows immediately: it is the voice of the Good Shepherd, who calls His own sheep by name (10:3). The resurrection appearance is a recognition scene grounded in the intimacy of the shepherd's call.
Mary is commissioned: go and tell. She becomes the first witness of the resurrection — a woman, whose testimony was legally inadmissible in first-century courts, is chosen by Jesus as the first herald of the most important news in history. 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' The relationship that cost so much has been secured: His Father is now their Father, His God now their God. They are children of the Almighty, by adoption through the death and resurrection of the Son.
For Reflection
- Jesus asked Mary 'Whom are you seeking?' Is the answer to that question for you, at this season of life, that you are seeking an activity, an experience, or a Person?
- Jesus spoke Mary's name and she knew immediately. How do you hear Jesus speaking your name — calling you to Himself — in your daily experience?
- Mary was chosen as the first resurrection witness despite having no legal standing. What does Jesus's choice of her say about who He invites to carry His message?
