Read: John 20:1-18
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” (v. 16)
In John’s Gospel, Mary sees but cannot see. Mary is stuck in darkness until Jesus opens her eyes to see the true story. When she hears the voice of the risen Jesus calling her, she is named, adopted, and sent. Today, as we celebrate Easter, we celebrate that Jesus is calling each of us, right alongside Mary.
Jesus called Mary by name. “She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher)” (v. 16). When Jesus calls you, he calls you personally. He knows your name. He calls you by your name.
When Jesus called Mary, she was adopted as a child of God and sister of Christ. Jesus called his Father, our Father; and his God, our God. He called the disciples brothers. (v. 17) When Jesus calls us by name, we become part of the family too. We know God as our loving, gracious Father and Christ as our brother.
When Jesus called Mary, she was sent to proclaim him. “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’—and that he had said these things to her” (v. 18). The resurrection story is not meant to be kept quiet. Named and adopted, Mary was sent and announced the good news: “I have seen the Lord! Jesus Christ is risen.”
Jesus’s journey didn’t end at the cross. If you are a follower of Jesus, your journey doesn’t end with the cross either. How will you respond to Jesus’s call?
As you pray, thank Jesus for calling you by name, adopting you into his family, and sending you out with good news.
About the Author
Stephen Shaffer is the pastor at Bethel Reformed Church in Brantford, Ontario.
