Encounter: People Jesus Met, Then and Now预览

Mary Magdalene's Encounter

In this moment, Mary Magdalene is overwhelmed with grief. She has lost someone she loved dearly, and now she fears that even His body is missing. She has come to anoint Jesus, but His body isn’t there. Frantically, she searches, desperate to find Him.

This is the state she is in when she encounters the risen Jesus. At first, she sees Him and speaks to Him - but she does not recognise Him. She assumes Jesus is the gardener. Perhaps her eyes are blurred with tears, or maybe she is so focused on her search that she doesn’t even look up.

But then He says her name: “Mary.” In that moment, everything changes. The voice she knows so well breaks through her sorrow, and suddenly, she realises who she has been speaking to. He is not a gardener - He is her friend, her teacher, her Lord.

This reading plan has explored people who have met Jesus, both in the Gospels and in modern times. We’ve looked at ten different encounters, each revealing how Jesus meets people in unexpected ways.

Mary’s experience mirrors many encounters with God today. It happens when she is caught up in her own concerns, busy with her task, and at first, she misses the moment.

Jesus still meets people today. He steps into their lives, interrupts their plans, and offers them a new journey.

Encounters with Jesus often take us by surprise.

They can happen when we are too busy to notice.

And sometimes, we don’t recognise them at first.

But that doesn’t mean an encounter with God isn’t just around the corner - for you or for someone you love.

Our final modern-day encounter is the story of Jerry Pattengale, who met Jesus at a conservative Christian camp - a place that almost turned him away because he was wearing the wrong clothes.

Jesus met Jerry through a poorly delivered sermon and a call to respond when no one else did. In that moment, everything changed. His life took a U-turn, and ever since, he has done remarkable things for Jesus.

Because when Jesus calls your name, everything changes.

Application

Pray for an encounter with Jesus. Pray you would be ready for it (as ready as anyone can be). And pray that you’ll be ready to have your life changed when Jesus calls your name!