Three Lives Changed by the Resurrectionಮಾದರಿ

No matter what you’re going through right now, you have reason to hope. Hope is different from optimism. Optimism is to trust in yourself; hope is to trust in God. Optimism is what you think you can do; hope is what you know God can do.

Where do you get real hope? You get it from the resurrection of Jesus Christ—the central event in all of history. As 1 Peter 1:21 says, “Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory” (NLT).

After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to many different people. Over the next three days, we’re going to take a look at the accounts of three of those friends and the hope he offered them—and offers you too.

Mary Magdalene: It’s never too late for a miracle.

The first person to see Jesus alive after the resurrection was Mary Magdalene. She had stood with Jesus’ mother at the foot of the cross, and on Sunday morning, she went to his tomb to anoint his body with burial spices. But when she arrived, his body wasn’t there, and she began to cry. Then someone—who she didn’t yet realize was Jesus—stood behind her and asked two very important questions: “Why are you crying?” and “Who are you looking for?” (John 20:15 GW). Jesus was right there with her, but in her grief, she didn’t even recognize him. Mary felt like it was too late for a miracle—but her miracle was already with her! It’s never too late for a miracle. As Jesus said, “The things that are impossible for people to do are possible for God to do” (Luke 18:27 GW).

Ask yourself the two questions Jesus asked Mary: “Why are you crying?” (or grieving or worrying or stressing out) and “Who are you looking for?” Whatever your answer is to the first question, your answer to the second needs to be “Jesus.” He is the only one who will give you real hope and never disappoint you.