September 28, 2024 • 11 mins
What does Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus teach us about faith and personal transformation? Join us on Living Words Podcast as we journey through John 20:1-18, witnessing Mary Magdalene's discovery of the empty tomb. Feel her confusion and sorrow turn into profound faith and joy as she recognizes Jesus calling her by name. Explore the vital role of women in Jesus' ministry and the powerful message of personal encounters with Christ. We'll reflect on how these moments can profoundly change our own lives and deepen our faith.
In the second part of the episode, we offer a heartfelt prayer inspired by Mary Magdalene's bold witness to Christ's resurrection. Learn how the Holy Spirit empowers us to share the good news with enthusiasm and clarity. We also pray for our listeners, that they may experience the presence and guidance of Jesus throughout their week. Be encouraged to bear witness to the hope and transformation that life with Christ brings, and inspire others to discover the truth and beauty of the Christian faith.
Get a copy of the In His Footsteps devotional here.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning.
I'm Charles Vance and this isLiving Words Podcast.
Blessed Sabbath to you, goodmorning, good morning.
And this week we're in week 26of In His Footsteps, which is 52
weeks in the Gospel of John,and if you would like a copy of
this devotional, you can find alink to it in the show notes or
(00:20):
you can go to Amazon and justsearch for In His Footsteps 52
weeks in the Gospel of John byCharles Vance.
So week 26 is the appearance toMary in the garden and the text
is John 20, 1 through 18.
I'm going to open in prayer.
Yeshua, jesus, we just thankyou for your mercy and for your
(00:40):
goodness.
We thank you that you love us,that you gave your life for us
and that you've extended theopportunity to be restored, to
walk with you in eternity, to beraised with you at the last day
.
That you will raise us up andthat you have clothed us in the
righteousness of the Lamb, andthat you, as the Lamb of God,
(01:02):
have restored the earth.
You've defeated Satan in thegrave and death and hell, and
that you, as the lamb of God,have restored the earth.
You've defeated Satan in thegrave and death and hell and you
are living.
You rose again.
Your tomb is empty.
We thank you for that.
Pray that you would open up ourhearts, our eyes, our ears, our
minds to hear your word, toperceive it and to see your
truth.
In Yeshua's name, amen.
(01:24):
So I've been, you've been doingdifferent things in this format.
Sometimes I'll read scripture,read the passage, sometimes not.
I'm going to go with just,let's just go through the
devotional.
It makes sense to read thepassage, or read portions of the
passage.
I'll do that.
So John 20, 1 through 18,recounts the resurrection of
(01:45):
Christ.
It's a cornerstone event in theChristian faith and it
signifies the victory of Jesusover death and the fulfillment
of God's redemptive plan.
This passage vividly describesthe discovery of the empty tomb
by Mary Magdalene.
It's her encounter with theangels and the profound moment
when she meets the risen Savior.
(02:06):
Through this narrative, themesof hope, revelation and
transformation emerge, offeringdeep insights into the nature of
belief, the personalrelationship with the
resurrected Jesus and themission of the disciples.
First, with the discovery of thetomb empty tomb.
Early on the first day of theweek, mary Magdalene visits his
tomb to find the stone rolledaway and the tomb empty.
(02:28):
She's just wrought and she runsto tell Simon, peter and the
other disciples that his body'sbeen taken, prompting them to
investigate.
Then Peter and John investigate.
They run to the tomb where Johnarrives arrives first, but he
hesitates to enter, and whenpeter arrives, he he goes
(02:49):
directly inside, followed byjohn.
There they find the linenwrappings, but nobody, leading
to the belief, despite not fullyunderstanding scripture, that
he must have risen from the dead.
And this moment marks atransition from confusion to the
dawning of faith.
Now, mary standing outside thetomb, weeping.
She sees two angels in whiteand when asked why she's crying,
(03:12):
she expresses her anguish overhis missing body.
Turning around, she sees himbut doesn't recognize him until
he calls her by name.
This personal encountertransforms her grief into joy
and she becomes the firstwitness to proclaim the risen
Messiah fulfilling his commandto tell the disciples of his
resurrection.
You know, this is actually thisgot front and front of back,
(03:33):
because risen Messiah fulfillinghis command to tell the
disciples of his resurrection.
You know, this is actually thisgot front and front of back.
Because here's the thing youcan't read one account and get
the whole story.
You have to read all of theaccounts Matthew, Mark, luke,
john and then you have to weavethat together into a cohesive
thought.
They don't say things the sameway.
It's not three differentstories, but it's three
(03:55):
different perspectives on thesame account.
And we know that when Mary cameto the tomb early, it was before
daylight and the tomb wasalready empty.
And she did see that somebodythere in the moonlight, because
it was the Passover so the moonwould have been full and she
said you know where have youlaid my master?
That was, she perceived him tobe the gardener, and then he
(04:19):
said Mary.
And then she knew instantly andshe ran to him and he told her
stop, don't touch me, because Ihave not yet ascended to my
father.
And that always puzzled me.
And why she couldn't touch him?
Because he, just a few dayslater, lets Thomas touch him.
And the reason is because hehad not yet ascended, as the
(04:42):
first fruit, the first fruitoffering, had not yet been given
, and she couldn't touch himuntil he had completed that.
So here's the theologicalsignificance.
There's a theologicalsignificance in the role of
women.
Mary's prominent roleunderscores a significant part
(05:03):
that women played in hisministry and in his early
witness.
Her encounter highlights thepersonal and transformative
nature of meeting a risen master, a risen Messiah.
There's recognition inrevelation.
Her initial failure torecognize him followed by
recognition upon hearing thename.
Hearing her name illustratesthe journey from grief and
(05:24):
confusion to revelation andunderstanding in Christian life.
It suggests that recognizingthe risen Savior often comes
through personal relationshipand revelation.
There's mission andproclamation.
He commissions Mary to go andtell his disciples, establishing
a pattern of witness andproclamation that defines the
Christian mission.
Her announcement I've seen theLord encapsulates the heart of
(05:47):
our testimony and some lessonsthat can be gained.
Is the significance of apersonal encounter with the
risen Christ.
Mary Magdalene's personalencounter with the risen Jesus
transforms her grief into joyand empowers her to be a witness
.
This teaches us that our faithis not merely about intellectual
assent to doctrines but aboutencountering Him personally.
(06:07):
He calls us, each by name,inviting us into a relationship
that has the power to change usin our understanding of reality.
The journey from confusion tofaith.
The reactions of Peter, johnand Mary to the empty tomb and
the risen Lord reflect thejourney from confusion and
sorrow to belief and joy.
John's belief upon seeing theempty tomb, even without full
(06:29):
understanding, underscores thatfaith often begins with a
willingness to trust in themidst of uncertainty.
This journey mirrors theprocess many believers
experience in coming to faithand growing in their
relationship with God.
John 28.
Finally, the other disciple,who had reached the tomb first,
also went inside.
He saw and believed.
There's the call to proclaimthe resurrection.
(06:51):
Jesus commissions MaryMagdalene to go and tell his
disciples about his resurrection, making her the first
evangelist of the risen Christ.
This highlights the importanceof witness and proclamation in
the life Believers are called toshare the good news of his
resurrection, bearing witness tothe hope and life it brings to
the world entangled in sin anddeath.
John 20, 17-18,.
(07:14):
Jesus said Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to
the Father.
Go instead to my brothers andtell them I am ascending to my
Father and your Father, to myGod and your God.
Mary Magdalene went to thedisciples with the news I have
seen the Lord and she told themthat he had said these things to
her.
And some questions forreflection and discussion
(07:37):
Reflect on the significance ofJesus choosing to first appear
to Mary.
What does this tell us about hisview of disciples, regardless
of gender or status?
Well, I think he chose toappear to Mary because she knew
him better than the rest.
Honestly, she was the one thatanointed him because she knew he
was going to die, when all therest of them were saying you
(07:58):
know, when are you going to takecontrol?
When are you going to takecontrol?
She knew that he was headed upto Jerusalem to offer his life,
his sacrifice, and she brokethat alabaster jar full of
fragrances and wiped his feetwith her hair.
He knew he had a special placein his heart for her and that he
(08:24):
then chose to appear to herfirst and that was his reward.
Consider the symbolism of thegarden setting for the
appearance.
In what ways does it suggestthe theme of new beginnings and
creation?
You know, the garden is agarden.
I mean, that was where the tombwas.
So I'm not sure that there'sany special significance to the
(08:48):
fact that there was a garden,but a garden can represent new
life.
It's growth.
You know, seeds finding life.
But the most significant thingabout the garden tomb is that
it's empty.
It's empty.
He rose again.
I went to Russia for someprojects and while I was there I
(09:11):
visited Moscow, and in Moscow Iwent to see the tomb of Lenin,
and in Lenin's tomb they havedeveloped a whole science around
preserving the body and hisbody.
It looks just like he diedyesterday.
I mean it's and I don't knowhow much of that's real and how
much of that's plastic,basically, but that's Lenin and
(09:32):
his tomb and they have suchgreat reverence and they have
soldiers that guard him, youknow, 24-7.
But the remarkable thing thatstood out to me as I looked at
the tomb of Lennon was thatLennon is still in his tomb and
Jesus is not.
Now, before we close, I'm goingto do some suggested prayers.
So here's a prayer for apersonal encounter with the
(09:52):
risen Christ.
Lord Jesus, risen Savior, inthe quiet moments and the
bustling days, I ask to hear youcall my name, as you did Mary's
in the garden.
Open my heart to recognize yourpresence in my life,
transforming my understandingand deepening my relationship
with you.
May each encounter with yourenew my spirit and fill me with
the joy of knowing you arealive and active in my world and
(10:14):
my life.
Amen.
It was a prayer for growth infaith.
Heavenly Father, like John whosaw the empty tomb and believed,
grant me the grace to trust youmore deeply, especially in
moments of uncertainty orconfusion.
Strengthen my faith as Ireflect on the evidence of your
love and the truth of your word.
Help me to see beyond my doubtsand fears, growing in
(10:35):
confidence that you are alwaysat work, leading me into a
fuller understanding of yourwill and your ways.
Amen.
Prayer for Boldness and Witness.
Holy Spirit, giver of Life,empower me with the boldness and
joy that comes from knowingChrist is risen, like Mary
Magdalene who ran to tell thedisciples.
Equip me to share the good newsof his resurrection with
(10:58):
enthusiasm and clarity.
Use my words and actions tobear witness to the hope and
transformation you offer,drawing others to discover the
truth and beauty of life withyou.
Amen.
I hope this has been anenjoyable and fulfilling few
minutes.
My prayer for you this week isthat you'll have a good week and
(11:18):
everything will go your way,enjoyable and fulfilling few
minutes.
My prayer for you this week isthat you'll have a good week and
everything will go your way,that you'll have a blessed
understanding of Jesus, messiahand His Word, and how he wants
to be a part of your life.
Thank you for joining me and Ihope to see you next time.
Good morning.
I'm Charles Vance and this isLiving Words Podcast.
Blessed Sabbath to you, goodmorning, good morning.
And this week we're in week 26of In His Footsteps, which is 52
weeks in the Gospel of John,and if you would like a copy of
this devotional, you can find alink to it in the show notes or
(00:20):
you can go to Amazon and justsearch for In His Footsteps 52
weeks in the Gospel of John byCharles Vance.
So week 26 is the appearance toMary in the garden and the text
is John 20, 1 through 18.
I'm going to open in prayer.
Yeshua, jesus, we just thankyou for your mercy and for your
(00:40):
goodness.
We thank you that you love us,that you gave your life for us
and that you've extended theopportunity to be restored, to
walk with you in eternity, to beraised with you at the last day
.
That you will raise us up andthat you have clothed us in the
righteousness of the Lamb, andthat you, as the Lamb of God,
(01:02):
have restored the earth.
You've defeated Satan in thegrave and death and hell, and
that you, as the lamb of God,have restored the earth.
You've defeated Satan in thegrave and death and hell and you
are living.
You rose again.
Your tomb is empty.
We thank you for that.
Pray that you would open up ourhearts, our eyes, our ears, our
minds to hear your word, toperceive it and to see your
truth.
In Yeshua's name, amen.
(01:24):
So I've been, you've been doingdifferent things in this format.
Sometimes I'll read scripture,read the passage, sometimes not.
I'm going to go with just,let's just go through the
devotional.
It makes sense to read thepassage, or read portions of the
passage.
I'll do that.
So John 20, 1 through 18,recounts the resurrection of
(01:45):
Christ.
It's a cornerstone event in theChristian faith and it
signifies the victory of Jesusover death and the fulfillment
of God's redemptive plan.
This passage vividly describesthe discovery of the empty tomb
by Mary Magdalene.
It's her encounter with theangels and the profound moment
when she meets the risen Savior.
(02:06):
Through this narrative, themesof hope, revelation and
transformation emerge, offeringdeep insights into the nature of
belief, the personalrelationship with the
resurrected Jesus and themission of the disciples.
First, with the discovery of thetomb empty tomb.
Early on the first day of theweek, mary Magdalene visits his
tomb to find the stone rolledaway and the tomb empty.
(02:28):
She's just wrought and she runsto tell Simon, peter and the
other disciples that his body'sbeen taken, prompting them to
investigate.
Then Peter and John investigate.
They run to the tomb where Johnarrives arrives first, but he
hesitates to enter, and whenpeter arrives, he he goes
(02:49):
directly inside, followed byjohn.
There they find the linenwrappings, but nobody, leading
to the belief, despite not fullyunderstanding scripture, that
he must have risen from the dead.
And this moment marks atransition from confusion to the
dawning of faith.
Now, mary standing outside thetomb, weeping.
She sees two angels in whiteand when asked why she's crying,
(03:12):
she expresses her anguish overhis missing body.
Turning around, she sees himbut doesn't recognize him until
he calls her by name.
This personal encountertransforms her grief into joy
and she becomes the firstwitness to proclaim the risen
Messiah fulfilling his commandto tell the disciples of his
resurrection.
You know, this is actually thisgot front and front of back,
(03:33):
because risen Messiah fulfillinghis command to tell the
disciples of his resurrection.
You know, this is actually thisgot front and front of back.
Because here's the thing youcan't read one account and get
the whole story.
You have to read all of theaccounts Matthew, Mark, luke,
john and then you have to weavethat together into a cohesive
thought.
They don't say things the sameway.
It's not three differentstories, but it's three
(03:55):
different perspectives on thesame account.
And we know that when Mary cameto the tomb early, it was before
daylight and the tomb wasalready empty.
And she did see that somebodythere in the moonlight, because
it was the Passover so the moonwould have been full and she
said you know where have youlaid my master?
That was, she perceived him tobe the gardener, and then he
(04:19):
said Mary.
And then she knew instantly andshe ran to him and he told her
stop, don't touch me, because Ihave not yet ascended to my
father.
And that always puzzled me.
And why she couldn't touch him?
Because he, just a few dayslater, lets Thomas touch him.
And the reason is because hehad not yet ascended, as the
(04:42):
first fruit, the first fruitoffering, had not yet been given
, and she couldn't touch himuntil he had completed that.
So here's the theologicalsignificance.
There's a theologicalsignificance in the role of
women.
Mary's prominent roleunderscores a significant part
(05:03):
that women played in hisministry and in his early
witness.
Her encounter highlights thepersonal and transformative
nature of meeting a risen master, a risen Messiah.
There's recognition inrevelation.
Her initial failure torecognize him followed by
recognition upon hearing thename.
Hearing her name illustratesthe journey from grief and
(05:24):
confusion to revelation andunderstanding in Christian life.
It suggests that recognizingthe risen Savior often comes
through personal relationshipand revelation.
There's mission andproclamation.
He commissions Mary to go andtell his disciples, establishing
a pattern of witness andproclamation that defines the
Christian mission.
Her announcement I've seen theLord encapsulates the heart of
(05:47):
our testimony and some lessonsthat can be gained.
Is the significance of apersonal encounter with the
risen Christ.
Mary Magdalene's personalencounter with the risen Jesus
transforms her grief into joyand empowers her to be a witness
.
This teaches us that our faithis not merely about intellectual
assent to doctrines but aboutencountering Him personally.
(06:07):
He calls us, each by name,inviting us into a relationship
that has the power to change usin our understanding of reality.
The journey from confusion tofaith.
The reactions of Peter, johnand Mary to the empty tomb and
the risen Lord reflect thejourney from confusion and
sorrow to belief and joy.
John's belief upon seeing theempty tomb, even without full
(06:29):
understanding, underscores thatfaith often begins with a
willingness to trust in themidst of uncertainty.
This journey mirrors theprocess many believers
experience in coming to faithand growing in their
relationship with God.
John 28.
Finally, the other disciple,who had reached the tomb first,
also went inside.
He saw and believed.
There's the call to proclaimthe resurrection.
(06:51):
Jesus commissions MaryMagdalene to go and tell his
disciples about his resurrection, making her the first
evangelist of the risen Christ.
This highlights the importanceof witness and proclamation in
the life Believers are called toshare the good news of his
resurrection, bearing witness tothe hope and life it brings to
the world entangled in sin anddeath.
John 20, 17-18,.
(07:14):
Jesus said Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to
the Father.
Go instead to my brothers andtell them I am ascending to my
Father and your Father, to myGod and your God.
Mary Magdalene went to thedisciples with the news I have
seen the Lord and she told themthat he had said these things to
her.
And some questions forreflection and discussion
(07:37):
Reflect on the significance ofJesus choosing to first appear
to Mary.
What does this tell us about hisview of disciples, regardless
of gender or status?
Well, I think he chose toappear to Mary because she knew
him better than the rest.
Honestly, she was the one thatanointed him because she knew he
was going to die, when all therest of them were saying you
(07:58):
know, when are you going to takecontrol?
When are you going to takecontrol?
She knew that he was headed upto Jerusalem to offer his life,
his sacrifice, and she brokethat alabaster jar full of
fragrances and wiped his feetwith her hair.
He knew he had a special placein his heart for her and that he
(08:24):
then chose to appear to herfirst and that was his reward.
Consider the symbolism of thegarden setting for the
appearance.
In what ways does it suggestthe theme of new beginnings and
creation?
You know, the garden is agarden.
I mean, that was where the tombwas.
So I'm not sure that there'sany special significance to the
(08:48):
fact that there was a garden,but a garden can represent new
life.
It's growth.
You know, seeds finding life.
But the most significant thingabout the garden tomb is that
it's empty.
It's empty.
He rose again.
I went to Russia for someprojects and while I was there I
(09:11):
visited Moscow, and in Moscow Iwent to see the tomb of Lenin,
and in Lenin's tomb they havedeveloped a whole science around
preserving the body and hisbody.
It looks just like he diedyesterday.
I mean it's and I don't knowhow much of that's real and how
much of that's plastic,basically, but that's Lenin and
(09:32):
his tomb and they have suchgreat reverence and they have
soldiers that guard him, youknow, 24-7.
But the remarkable thing thatstood out to me as I looked at
the tomb of Lennon was thatLennon is still in his tomb and
Jesus is not.
Now, before we close, I'm goingto do some suggested prayers.
So here's a prayer for apersonal encounter with the
(09:52):
risen Christ.
Lord Jesus, risen Savior, inthe quiet moments and the
bustling days, I ask to hear youcall my name, as you did Mary's
in the garden.
Open my heart to recognize yourpresence in my life,
transforming my understandingand deepening my relationship
with you.
May each encounter with yourenew my spirit and fill me with
the joy of knowing you arealive and active in my world and
(10:14):
my life.
Amen.
It was a prayer for growth infaith.
Heavenly Father, like John whosaw the empty tomb and believed,
grant me the grace to trust youmore deeply, especially in
moments of uncertainty orconfusion.
Strengthen my faith as Ireflect on the evidence of your
love and the truth of your word.
Help me to see beyond my doubtsand fears, growing in
(10:35):
confidence that you are alwaysat work, leading me into a
fuller understanding of yourwill and your ways.
Amen.
Prayer for Boldness and Witness.
Holy Spirit, giver of Life,empower me with the boldness and
joy that comes from knowingChrist is risen, like Mary
Magdalene who ran to tell thedisciples.
Equip me to share the good newsof his resurrection with
(10:58):
enthusiasm and clarity.
Use my words and actions tobear witness to the hope and
transformation you offer,drawing others to discover the
truth and beauty of life withyou.
Amen.
I hope this has been anenjoyable and fulfilling few
minutes.
My prayer for you this week isthat you'll have a good week and
(11:18):
everything will go your way,enjoyable and fulfilling few
minutes.
My prayer for you this week isthat you'll have a good week and
everything will go your way,that you'll have a blessed
understanding of Jesus, messiahand His Word, and how he wants
to be a part of your life.
Thank you for joining me and Ihope to see you next time.
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