On the day that changed the world, one person was the first witness.

Jesus rose from the dead. Mary Magdalene had “eyes to see and ears to hear” her Lord, and so she did.
Their encounter, briefly recorded in John 20, reveals an intimacy as Jesus calls Mary by name, and Mary’s response of shock and joy (not romance though – beware of finding things that are not there!).

The ‘men’ had left Mary at the empty tomb in her grief. She had witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross, and in that moment, as she had desired to anoint His body properly following the Sabbath rest, His body was not to be found.
Yet He was there, unrecognised but present. And He made Himself known to Mary, but that wasn’t the end. He gave Mary encouragement and instructions for the disciples and other followers of Jesus. Mary Magdalene returned to the large gathering with the Good News: “Jesus is alive!”

How like the Lord to use an unlikely messenger to be first to see and hear the Good News, and be the one to tell everyone else! This woman who had been wrecked by seven demons (Luke 8:2) was honoured by God on this historical day.

Do you believe you are unworthy… unlikely… ineligible to be used by God, to see and hear Him? To declare the Good News “Jesus is alive!” ?
You are truly worthy to do so when you open your eyes and your ears to what Jesus is doing in your midst. When you place your trust in Him, placing yourself, your skills, talents, time and resources at His disposal, He will use you in ways you could not even have imagined.

I doubt any person in Jerusalem on that one day would ever have believed that Mary from Magdalene would be forever known for her faithfulness and witness to the risen Jesus.
May your own doubts and fears be replaced by confidence and courage that comes from God Himself, who raised Jesus from the dead and who has poured out His Spirit upon those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Jesus is alive! Come, Lord Jesus!

It was an unequal encounter:

• Pilate, the Roman governor with the might of an Empire behind him.
• Jesus, a Nazarene carpenter whose followers scattered when He was arrested.
  

As the interrogation continued, Pilate realised that he might not be the most powerful man in the room… He found Jesus’ answers to his questions unsettling:

• “My kingdom is from another place”
• “I came into the world to testify to the truth”
•  “Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me”

Pilate sent Jesus to be flogged, not caring how the prisoner was treated by the soldiers. They stripped Him, mocked Him, flogged Him, dressed Him up as King with a crown of thorns and an old purple cloth – but still Jesus did not wilt.
Pilate went back to the Jews and asked them why Jesus had been brought to him to be sentenced to death. It just didn’t add up, and their response did not help.
“This man claimed to be the Son of God” they told Pilate.

Oh that’s just great.

Pilate questioned Jesus further and instead of retreating, the Man seemed determined to be crucified, as if it were necessary! Nobody wanted to be crucified!
Pilate finally cracked.

• “Don’t you realise that I have the power to free you or crucify you?”
  

But Jesus’ answer really pushed Pilate over the edge.

• “You would have no power over me if it were not given you from above.”

Pilate was trapped, ensnared by his own weakness because of his desire for power, and peace within his jurisdiction of Jerusalem, to further his ambition in Rome.
So Jesus was condemned to be crucified on the Roman cross.

• Pilate was weakened by his enslavement to fallen humanity.
• Jesus was empowered by His Heavenly Father.

It was an unequal encounter.
 
Jesus was led to Golgotha through the streets of Jerusalem, jeered by the Jews and Romans, grieved by His family and His followers.
He was lifted up on the cross.
As He exhaled His final breath, He declared “It is finished”.
 
The curse of sin from Eve’s first bite of the forbidden fruit, to the last heartbeat before Christ’s return, was atoned for by Jesus, the lamb who was slain.
It was a hell of a cost, to Jesus, to God.

• The heavens went dark.
• The Most Holy Place in Herold’s Temple was exposed.
• The earth quaked.
• Death itself was shaken.

It was an unequal encounter. And as we well know, it is not the end of the story. Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son, prevailed…