Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 20:18 “Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, ’I have seen the Lord,’ and that He had said these things to her.”
John declared his source for his account. It was Mary. I wonder if Jesus just disappeared, and then Mary went to the disciples or if she left Him there in the garden. We aren’t told, but she did what she was told.
Mary’s testimony can be a example for us all. “I have seen the Lord.” Living to love entails more than just good deeds and service. We are to proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light as Peter wrote in 1 Pet. 1:9. We not only have seen Jesus, He lives with us. We are testimonies of His resurrection life and His mercy and grace.
If you have yet to see the matchless excellencies of Jesus Christ, read the Bible, keep His story before you, and let Him know you are seeking Him—like Mary did. Wait upon Him to make Himself known to you just like He did to Mary. Listen to this Scripture and be encouraged. Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Mary was rewarded and so shall you be if you believe and seek Him.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 20:17.2 “Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”'"
Before Jesus was crucified He told His disciples that He was going to the Father. It is interesting that between the time He was resurrected and the time He showed Himself to Mary that He had not yet gone to His Father. It was as if she was preventing Him from ascending to His Father, and it was time for Him to go. By the time she got to the disciples, He said to tell them He had ascended to His and their Father and His and their God.
This means that the delayed ascension was for one purpose, namely to launch the testimony of His resurrection with Mary. Once that was accomplished, He ascended into heaven to celebrate the glorious work of redemption with His Father.
Jesus is now not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11).
Join me with our brother Peter in blessing God today for His great love. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 20:17 “Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”'"
I want to encourage you today to look at the events of that resurrection morning from this perspective. God moved Mary into Jesus’ path because He planned to love her in a special way and use her for His glory. He wanted her to see the resurrected Jesus.
Today, God is doing it again in all the lives of those in whom the Son dwells. He will put people in your path so they can see the resurrected Jesus in you! Then they will go and tell the world that Jesus lives and is risen. That’s how the Father builds His kingdom. Mary is the first in a series that won’t end until the last one of the elect of God trusts in the resurrected Christ. That last one might be in your path today. Be ready to love with Jesus.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 20:16 “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means, Teacher).
When Jesus wants to be seen, eyes are opened. That’s how God’s light, which is love, works. At one moment Jesus is unrecognizable. You are prevented from seeing Him as we’ve discussed in the previous verses. Mary was the first to experience this blindness to Jesus’ presence on that first resurrection morning, but not the only one. We read in Luke 24:31 “Then their (Cleopus’ and another disciple’s) eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.”
Then He speaks your name, and you see Him. All Jesus said was, “Mary,” and then she recognized Him.
Have you heard Jesus speak your name, and you knew He was present you? I bet you have never forgotten that moment. Can you imagine Mary telling of this moment? I can imagine she shared about seeing Jesus for the first time hundreds of times.
Maybe God will give us a chance today to share about the time our eyes were opened and we saw Jesus. We once were blind, but now we see.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 20:15 “Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’"
Remember John telling us that Jesus was buried in a garden tomb? Certainly the garden was tended by someone. Who else might Mary expect to see early in the morning if she thought someone had taken Jesus’ body. What’s more, Jesus’ questions seem like questions a gardener might ask.
Since she was standing in front of the open tomb, her reply makes sense. Maybe she thought there had been a mixup, and Jesus had been buried in someone else’s grave. The gardener perhaps had discovered the error and relocated the body with the intention of settling on a final resting place for the man later in the day.
So Mary offered to take the problem into her own hands, and take the body off the gardener’s hands.
It’s almost as if Jesus played the part for a moment like He played ignorant of the current events in Jerusalem as He walked with the two on the road to Emmaus. In both cases He gave them opportunities to express their hearts and love for Him. In this case Mary still wanted to honor Jesus even though she thought He was dead.
Have you noticed Jesus may do the same with us? He may leave us in the dark, so to speak, to give us opportunities to express our love for Him in a disappointing situation or confusing circumstance. The safest way to not miss those opportunities is to always be ready to love and serve. Are you ready?

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com