It was Mary Magdalene who was the first one to see Jesus after His resurrection. I love that the Lord chose women to be the first ones to discover that the tomb was empty. When we found out we were expecting a girl, we named her Madeline, a derivative of Magdalene, after Mary Magdalene.
Back in the time of Jesus, it was a big deal that the women were the first to see Him. Women of Jesus’ day were not respected the way men were, and they had very few rights. But God, in His subtle way, showed that all are created equal and have equal value and importance.
When the angel told the women that the tomb was empty, he appealed to their memory about the things that Jesus had told them about His death. Jesus hadn’t just told them He was going to die, He also gave them hope that He would be raised again, that death would not have the final word.
While His death was necessary in order to make atonement for our sins, He also overcame the curse of sin in overcoming death. On the third day, He rose again, victorious over sin, death, and Satan.
Jesus’ death and the resurrection go hand in hand. A dead savior would be of no good to us. We need a savior who can overcome all things, including death. This is Jesus, our Lord!
Like the women at the tomb, we need to do better at remembering what Jesus said. The words in Scripture are words written, not only to the people of Jesus’ day but also to us. His words give us hope and peace. When our lives seem to be spinning out of control, we can remember the teachings of Jesus, bringing hope and peace into our lives.
The women in Scripture had to remember all that Jesus told them because it hadn’t been written down yet. We have it easy: all God wants us to know regarding who He is, what He has done, who we are, and how we should live is found in the Bible. Let this be a year where we commit to studying God’s Word so that we can grow in understanding, love, and holiness. In this way, we can glorify and honor our Savior who sacrificed Himself on our behalf.
