Holy Week: “Rabboni!”
“Rabboni!” was Mary’s response when she realized it was her Friend, her Teacher, her Lord, who stood before her—ALIVE!
In my previous Holy Week blog posts Jesus was joyously welcomed into Jerusalem; He shook things up at the Temple; He blessed children and healed afflicted; He taught about love; we saw the last supper, anguish in Gethsemane, and arrest; we witnessed His crucifixion and burial; now today, we see our risen King!
I hope you will read the accounts of the resurrection of Jesus from all four of the Gospel writers. In my book, The Lord has Need of YOU, I focused on John’s perspective, found in the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John.
I tell it like this:
Before the sun came up on the morning of the third day, Jesus’ friend, Mary Magdalene, went to His tomb. She was shocked to see that the stone had been rolled away, leaving the burial place wide open.
She ran and told Peter and John. They pushed into the tomb to find the Lord’s face cloth and linen burial cloth neatly folded. But there was no sign of Jesus’ body. Dragging their feet, the men left and went home.
Mary was left alone. She stood sobbing and looking into the tomb where her Lord had lain.
She could not stop the tears from flowing.
Something or someone was coming into focus. There before her were two bright shining angels—one at the head and the other at the foot, where the body of Jesus had been.
One spoke up and said, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She replied, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
She then turned and saw someone she thought was a gardener. The man spoke: “Why are you weeping? Who are you seeking?”
He
looked her in the eye and said, “Mary!”
Then she knew! She knew that her friend—her
Savior—was standing there—ALIVE!
Thrilled with surprise, she dropped to the ground
at His feet and proclaimed, ‘Rabboni!’ which means teacher.
“Do not hold on to me for I have not yet ascended
to My Father. Go and tell My brethren.”
He then breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
“Go into all the world and preach this Good News to everyone—that all who believe in Me will be saved.”
For several days Jesus appeared to many people throughout the city, so there were lots of people who knew for certain, Jesus was alive!
The big question today is this, “Is Jesus alive to you?”
In these chaotic days we’re living in, we need life, hope, and peace. Jesus is the only One who can give these things, in a meaning and lasting way.
He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 ESV).
Jesus is alive and I pray He’s alive you.
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Please read my blog post tomorrow and see the very last event to this day of our risen Lord on this earth.
At the beginning of this week I encouraged you to read, in your Bible, about the last days of Jesus’ life. A lot happened in those few days. Begin your reading at these points: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19:28, and John 12:12. Go ahead and read through to the end of each of the Gospels between now and Easter Sunday. Be blessed with me as we learn Jesus.
Each day this week, I’m posting a few highlights from those amazing days in history. Also, I’m using some of the pictures and quotes from my book titled, The Lord has Need of YOU.* The illustrations are watercolor paintings by artist, Lesley James.
Thank you for traveling with me through these extraordinary days. God bless you.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.
*The Lord Has Need of YOU, by Connie Wohlford. Copyright Connie Wohlford, 2019, Hoot Books Publishing.
*The Lord Has Need of YOU can be purchased directly from me via email author@conniewohlford.com or through Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1687536104/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
©Copyright 2020 Connie Wohlford
Thank you for this journey Ms. Connie. God's blessings on you and your family this Easter ma'am.
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