He is Risen!

I'm reading John's account of discovering the empty tomb this morning and in his account, Mary Magdelene first discovered the stone was rolled away from the tomb and his body was missing. She ran to tell John and Peter and they came and saw too. But after they left, Jesus chose to appear to Mary...

Why would Jesus choose to appear to a woman who's past was so dark and wrecked by sin? Why a woman? I was taught to ask questions of scripture as I read so that the Holy Spirit can speak through the Word, and my heart and mind will be open to what He is teaching me.

Why a woman? The gospel tells us that it was predawn on Sunday morning. Sunday was the first day of work in the Hebrew world because Sabbath was from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. So she was getting up early to go and finish the process of preparing the dead body because it was put in the tomb so hastily for Sabbath. She was getting up early to do her work. She was the one coming to care for his devastated body that had been tortured just 36 hours earlier. She was the first one to see the stone rolled away. She was the first one to look in and see his body was gone. And Jesus may have honored that she stepped up first. She was also close to the disciples as she had been a follower for Jesus' entire ministry too. So He may have chosen her because He knew she would immediately start the spread of the news of the resurrection to just the right people. And we also know from scripture that because she believed He was Messiah, and now He had sacrificed Himself for our salvation, she was a new creation, white as snow, without sin, because He had paid it all. So her past was erased from His memory as far as the east is from the west.

On Easter Sunday, let's above all be thankful and full of worship for our Saviour, Jesus, who came, lived a sinless life, related to us in human form, and then went to the cross and bore the horrific punishment for all of our sin, died, was buried, and on the third day, defeated death and the grave! Hallelujah! He is risen!

And as women, let's look to Mary and be ready for the work ahead of us. Let's go where He leads us, because He is already there! We are praying huge things for Alegria this year, and I am believing we will see our little company grow so that we can create more jobs. We have come through the winter, and we are on the verge of Mother's Day and then the summer. God is working and moving on behalf of His daughters in Honduras and I'm so grateful you are praying with me today! 

Happy Easter! He is Risen!