There’s More to Your Story: Lessons From the Easter Storyنموونە

# A LESSON FROM MARY MAGDALENE: ### There’s More to Your Confusion They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” (John 20:13) “ I don’t know .” These words usually express confusion about the in-betweens of life. The space between good times and tough times. Between certainty and uncertainty. Between hope and hopelessness. Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ earliest followers. He found her in her darkest place and healed her. She traveled with Him and witnessed His miracles. Then, she witnessed His death on the cross. We get to read about the Easter story in hindsight, knowing resurrection is coming. But for Mary, it was three days of uncertainty, without being able to skip ahead to the end of the story. What do you do when you’re in between? When you find yourself between the prayer and its answer? When you’re between the crucifixion and the resurrection? From Mary, we learn the best place to be during uncertain times is close to Jesus . We read about Jesus’ final words on the cross. But Mary was close enough to hear Him utter “It is finished” with her own ears. We read that Jesus “bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30), but Mary saw the life leave His body as He exhaled for the last time. Even then, Mary stayed close until Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross, and followed as He was laid to rest in a borrowed tomb. She was first to find the stone rolled away and see Jesus was no longer in the tomb. Nobody stayed closer to Jesus from Friday to Sunday than Mary. And because of this, she was positioned to be the first to learn that the story didn’t end at the cross. Jesus chose to reveal Himself to Mary as our resurrected Savior, and she became the messenger of the Easter news. Standing in the tomb, Mary didn’t know where Jesus was. Walking away, she knew He had risen. Her clarity came from her proximity to Him. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, His Spirit lives within us when we invite Him in. He longs to be close to you, but the question is, “are you drawing near to Him?” When you need clarity in the midst of your confusion, remember to come close and follow His words: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” ( Matthew 7:7-8) “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18a)