Tuesday
April 18, 2022

God’s Mission

John 20-1-18

The Empty Tomb

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples
with the news: “I have seen the Lord!”
And she told them that he had said
these things to her. ~John 20:18

1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

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Pondering Point

Take time to absorb John 20:1-18, one of Jesus’ resurrection accounts in the bible.

At His request, Mary becomes a witness for Jesus, speaking to others about Him from personal experience. How does your personal experience fit into your witness about God’s love in Jesus Christ?

Does Jesus have a request of you to speak with others about Him?

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Prayer for the Day

Converse with Jesus about your role as a witness of His love for you, about His sacrifice for people. Ask for help in identifying key parts of your story and how Jesus (and the Triune God) drew you to Himself. When you’re done with that, pick a person or two to share your thoughts with in order to practice being a witness for Jesus – like Mary Magdalene.

Jesus, I will share our story with __person__ on __day__ at __place__.


John 12:32




The 
Great Sending 
Word of the Day
John 12:32

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 
~ Jesus