SHE WATCHED HIM DIE ON THE CROSS. SHE SAW HIS BODY BURIED INSIDE THE TOMB. SHE WAS THE FIRST TO SEE JESUS AFTER HE HAD RISEN.
SHE, VOLUME 2, P41
Mary Magdalene is the Mary from whom Jesus cast out seven devils (Mark 16:9), and according to Mark’s gospel (16:9), she was the first to see Jesus after He arose from the grave. Her master and teacher, whom she had seen brutally tortured and crucified, was no longer in the grave but standing behind her calling her name (John 20:16). She had seen HIm, but had mistaken Him for the gardener (Jn 20:15), until He said her name: Jesus saith unto her, “Mary,” and she immediately turned and called Him Master.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
John 20:16
I love that the study guide for this journey points out that “He knew her name, just as He knows ours,” but I am just as moved and somewhat convicted by the evidence that even though she did not recognize Him when she saw Him, when He called to her, she recognized His voice. “Knowing the Lord’s voice indicates experiential knowledge through a relationship with Him.”1 This is an important lesson Jesus had taught the disciples earlier in His ministry. May we never be so busy or preoccupied with life that we fail to see Jesus, and may we always know His voice when He calls our name.
“…she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher..”
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him”
John 20:1-2
“Mary neglected to remember what Jesus had said would happen.”
We know from Mark’s writings that Jesus had taught His disciples that men would take Him and kill Him, but that He would rise again on the third day (Mark 9:31). However, when she found the tomb was empty, she forgot what had been said and panicked she found the tomb was empty. In her panic, rather than running with the jubilant cry that Christ had arisen, Mary Magdalene ran to tell the others His body had been stolen, and we do not know where He is.
Friends, we would be wise to learn from Mary Magdalene and not allow fear or other distractions to cause us to forget what we have heard and seen from Him.
Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d4
Read: Mark 15:16-39/SOAP: verse 39
A purple cloak…a crown of thorns…mocked with the salute…”Hail, king of the Jews!”…struck on the head with a staff…spit on…bowed down to (mockery of course)…and led away to a cross of shame, where more mockery followed as He hung on the cross …there was mocking accusations hurled against Him, some taunting: “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross!” Even the chief priests jabbed at Him with insults, saying: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” The scene is painfully familiar and always difficult to read, especially when we recall that not long before He breathed His last breath, He had prayed in the garden, that this “cup might pass from Him.” Yet, seemingly in the same breath of time, He relinquished His desire for the will of the Father and died on a cross meant for sinners like you and me. He took our place so that we might live – and I find myself standing transfixed alongside the centurion at the foot of the cross, saying: “Truly this man was God’s Son!” And moved at His sacrifice, I hear myself cry out ~ Come, let us bow down and worship this One who left the splendor of Heaven for us. Let us praise the God who sent Him and raised Him up from the grave! Let us give thanks to them both for the gift of eternal life and for the gift of the Spirit in us, who empowers us to live until our work on earth is done.
…I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
JOHN 10:10
Friends, this is not a fable or a what-if imagination I have put to words. Nor is it a mistake. Jesus, the Christ, wasn’t in the wrong place at the wrong time. Neither was He forgotten by God, but rather, He carried out the mission of God, laying down His life for ours. There is no greater love than this.
No one has greater love than this–that one lays down his life for his friends.
John 15:13
The More We Know
For further reading, take a moment to read: Mark 14:32-50;15:-6-15 and 40-47
Today’s Reading: luke 8:43-48 / SOAP: Luke 8:43 and 48
Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone. – Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
Luke 8:43, 48
I encourage you to read this recap as though you’ve never heard the story before.
Hope Surged
She had suffered from the hemorrhage for twelve years now. She sought help and had suffered at the hands of the doctors, she had spent all the money she had trying to find relief but no one could heal her. To make it worse, this particular disease, being one of blood, would have prohibited her from worshipping or sacrificing at the Temple, and most likely lonely – as no one would want to come near her- for to do so made them unclean. Imagine, twelve years of constant bleeding, twelve years of jeers and stares and little to no contact with others, twelve years of searching for help, but to no avail. Weakened by the disease and emotionally tired of it all, her hope fading away as she had nothing left to give for help. At the end of herself, there seemed to be one last strand of hope. She had heard about a man named Jesus, a teacher and a prophet, but what captured her attention was that He was known to be a healer. Hope surged within her, believing if she could just touch His robe, she would be healed. In desperation she made her way through the crowd and reached out from behind him – managing to just touch the edge of His coat – but with that one touch the bleeding stopped and her body was healed.
The Power of Our Faith
Imagine now her excitement and relief mixed with what must have been a certain concern and anxiousness to escape the crowd without being noticed. Remember, those who recognized her would not have been happy that she had been in their midst lest they had been ‘contaminated’ by her touch and certainly she would not have wanted her touch to have rendered the healer contaminated. Yet, somehow Jesus knew that someone had touched Him and he wanted to know who. Now imagine her fear of being found out but then her delight as she fell before Him and shared the details of what had transpired and heard Him say, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. God in peace.”
Afterthoughts:
Simply and Profoundly Faith
It seems at first glance that just touching the hem of His garment was enough to bring the full power of his healing to her body! Perhaps, indirectly it was ; however, we must not miss Jesus’ reply to her as she explained the reason and result of her touch. He did not commend her for reaching out, nor did He boast of some power in His garment, but rather, He made it clear that it was simply and profoundly her faith that made her well .
The Only One
Jesus wasn’t the only one she looked to for help – but He was the only one who had the power to truly heal her – and He charged her nothing.
A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” 31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
Mark 5:25-34
Response to God’s Word
Father, may my faith always be so strong that I draw near and reach out when I am suffering or hurting or afraid or in need – believing that even just a touch of You will be enough to bring healing and peace.
Going Deeper
Before Jesus gets far, however, He feels power going out of Him. He discovers that a woman who suffers from chronic bleeding has had the courage to touch His robe in faith, hoping she will be healed. When she realizes Jesus knows what she did, she is understandably frightened. A woman—a woman with an issue of blood who was therefore considered unclean—touching a rabbi was unheard of. She rightly expects Jesus to be angry despite the deliverance she senses she has received. To her surprise, He calls her “daughter,” praises her faith, and blesses her. For the first noted time, Jesus heals with no overt intent; the woman and her faith call on His power and she is healed.
Read: Hosea 13:4-14 and Mark 10:45; SOAP: Hosea 13:14
Hosea 13:4-14
“I have been the Lord your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt. You must acknowledge no God but me, for there is no other savior. 5 I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land. 6 But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me. 7 So now I will attack you like a lion, like a leopard that lurks along the road. 8 Like a bear whose cubs have been taken away, I will tear out your heart. I will devour you like a hungry lioness and mangle you like a wild animal.
9 “You are about to be destroyed, O Israel— yes, by me, your only helper. 10 Now where is your king? Let him save you! Where are all the leaders of the land, the king, and the officials you demanded of me? 11 In my anger I gave you kings, and in my fury, I took them away. 12 “Ephraim’s guilt has been collected, and his sin has been stored up for punishment. 13 Pain has come to the people like the pain of childbirth, but they are like a child who resists being born. The moment of birth has arrived, but they stay in the womb!
14 “Should I ransom them from the grave? Should I redeem them from death? O death, bring on your terrors! O grave, bring on your plagues! For I will not take pity on them.
Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Israel foolishly turned to its earthly governors instead of turning to God.
At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 34 Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
35 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 36 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”
37 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
39 When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
40 Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. 41 They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.
The Burial of Jesus
42 This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) 44 Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. 45 The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. 46 Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.
24 “At that time, after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
28 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door. 30 I tell you the truth, this generation[e] will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!
34 “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. 35 You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. 36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37 I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”
As we continue to live out the calling we have in Christ, we can seek to do two things:
Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2 The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” 3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary[a] and the brother of James, Joseph,[b] Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
4 Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. 7 And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil[c] spirits. 8 He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money.[d]9 He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes.
10 “Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the same house until you leave town. 11 But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
12 So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. 13 And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. Read the rest of the story
Have you ever felt the rejection of people you thought would welcome you with open arms? Have you ever delivered a message expecting one reaction, only to be met with disdain? – Jesus has.
So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.[a]2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil[b] spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”
And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” 10 Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.
11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”
13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.
19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns[c] of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
Though some in the town had seen what Jesus had done, the man’s testimony of Jesus’ mercy on him was a powerful witness. We too have a powerful witness, testifying to the faithfulness and mercy God has shown us.
One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
22 But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan,[a] the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”
23 Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. 24 “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. 25 Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. 27 Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.
28 “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, 29 but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” 30 He told them this because they were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”
The True Family of Jesus
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers[b] are outside asking for you.”
33 Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 34 Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.
35Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
SOAP Passage
In Christ, we have inherited the unbreakable bond of family with all who believe in Him.
Today’s reading shares an answer to one of the questions that appears frequently throughout the Gospel of Mark: “Who is Jesus?” As Jesus went home after appointing the twelve disciples, experts of the law gathered around and tried to answer that question by claiming Jesus was simply a man possessed by demons. In His own hometown, surrounded by people who should have known Him, Jesus was doubted and challenged, while the demons He had cast out knew Him and called Him the Son of God.
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written:
“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. 3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”
4 This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 5 All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 6 His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus
9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart … Read more
Mark didn’t hide his intentions as he opened his Gospel with the bold statement that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Mark then spent the first eight chapters showing us that Jesus IS the Son of God. Mark’s Gospel is action packed
John the baptizer had an important calling. His job was to preach repentance to all who would hear because Jesus, the Messiah, was coming. It was not an easy calling. In strange clothes with strange habits, John preached a strange message: repent and be baptized.
Me From the Inside Out 