John20:1-18
When the Lord Jesus rose from death, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulchre with some other women (Mk16:1-4), and saw that the stone (though sealed and guarded by soldiers) had been rolled away. The Lord’s body was no longer in the grave. They ran to the disciples to get them informed about the happening. Peter and John ran to the sepulchre and they saw as they were told.
“And then the disciples went back to their own home ” verse10. The disciples went back not just to their own house but to their own home, their families and friends. They could not endure the heat of the happening. They went back without seeing their Lord, they went back without making any effort to unravel the situation. They could not stand for the Master any longer. Ho! What a message for us today. The question is ‘will you also go back'(John6:67). As the heat of pestilence called Covid-19 is ravaging the whole world, and famine with wars and rumours of war, persecution and violence every where is getting hotter by every single day passing, ‘will you also go back?’ The love of many are already waxing cold and they are denying the Lord, many are afraid of the government of the day and thereby denying the Lord, some others are ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ and thus they have ‘gone back ‘
The Lord is looking for the likes of Mary Magdalene who will ‘do all to stand and stand therefore ‘
‘But Mary stood ( for, by, and with the Master) without…. ‘ vs11. Mary stood fearlessly not minding the great men-Apostles of faith that have gone back. Leaders may fail, faint, falter or fall but Mary was steadfastly minded. Others may go back but not Mary. Others may desert or deny Him but not Mary. Though no one joined her in this race or expedition, even those women they started the journey together had long gone back for fear and unbelief, but Mary stood. No wonder she saw the vision of heaven, no wonder she saw what others that came before her and even entered the sepulchre could not see, no wonder she got the singular privilege and honour of being the first person to see the risen Lord Jesus.
Jesus said ‘But he(not they because it’s an individualistic race) that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved ‘(Matt. 24:13). Will go back like Peter, disappoint the One that calls you? As the coming of the Lord is drawing faster near, let’s get prepared at all times for we know not when the Lord will come to gather us home to glory. Let’s live each day as if the Lord will come that same day. MARANATHA
