John 20:1–17 — Love Turns Grief into a Mission

John 20:1–17 — Love Turns Grief into a Mission

The resurrection of our Lord was not initially greeted with shouts of victory. It was met with FUD: fear, uncertainty, and doubts. In John 20:1–17, we encounter Mary Magdalene. Her story magnifies the resurrection as we see her confusion turns into faith. Through her encounter with Jesus, He transforms her paralyzing grief into a mission to witness to the disciples.

I. The Grief (vv. 1–13)
Mary arrives at the tomb "while it was still dark." This is not just a description of the event; it is the state of her soul. Her great love for Jesus compelled her to be near Him, even if it meant just being near His tomb. When she sees the stone removed, her intense grief confuses her about what is actually happening. She think, "They have taken away the Lord" (v. 2). Her sorrow is so blinding that when she looks into the tomb, even the sight of two angels cannot snap her out of her FUD. She is looking for a corpse to bury, not a Savior to worship. Her grief proves her love, but it also clouds her vision to the supernatural events taking place right in front of her.

II. The Revelation (vv. 14–16)
Desperate, Mary turns from the tomb and sees Jesus standing there, but through her tear-filled eyes, she mistakes Him for the gardener. She begs this stranger to tell her where the body was. Then, everything changed with a single word. Jesus does not offer a theological explanation; He simply speaks her name in a voice she knew better than her own: "Mary." In that instant, the fog of grief lifted. It was not just seeing His face that brought revelation; it was hearing the Good Shepherd call her by name. She instantly recognizes His voice, and she responded with total devotion: "Rabboni!" This revelation turns her grief into a mission.

III. The Commission (v. 17)
Mary’s natural reaction is to cling to the Jesus she knew, perhaps terrified of losing Him again. But Jesus gently stops her: "Do not cling to Me." He was not rejecting her affection; He was redirecting it. Jesus shows her that because of the cross, the relationship had changed forever. He was ascending, and now His Father was her Father. Jesus does not just comfort Mary and leave her there in happy tears. He gives her a task. He takes the most brokenhearted person in Jerusalem and makes her into a messenger to tell the disciples that the King was alive.

Jesus meets us in our darkest moments and calls us by name. But He loves us too much to leave us in our grief. He meets us in our sorrow to commission us for a purpose: to go and tell others that we have seen the Lord.

Has the reality of the resurrection of our Savior turned you into a witness? Why not?