An encounter with Jesus

Mary Magdalene

A grieving woman who met the risen Jesus in a garden

Read the chapter: John 20

“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”

What they wanted

Mary comes to the tomb while it is still dark, grieving, only to find the stone rolled away and the body gone. Now even the chance to mourn Him properly seems stolen. She stands outside the tomb weeping, and supposes the risen Jesus is the gardener.

What Jesus did

Jesus says one word: Mary. And in her own name, spoken by the voice she knew, she recognizes Him. The grief was real, but it was not the end of the story. He is alive, and He has come to her first.

What changed

Mary runs to the disciples with the first words of Christian hope: I have seen the Lord. The one who came in the dark to grieve becomes the first witness of the resurrection.