Mary’s Past
Mary stood at the foot of the cross watching her beloved Master suffer in agony. His pain was suffocating her. She wished she were the one up there suffering instead of him. She deserved to be there because of her shameful past; her Master did not. He hadn’t done anything wrong.
He had entered her life and turned her world upside down. Before him, she only knew darkness. Her life only existed in a loveless, colorless life. Yet, when Jesus entered her life, he changed everything. He cast out the darkness inside of her, giving her new life and freedom. She began to see life in color for the very first time. He gave her a purpose worth living for. He changed everything for her. She chose to follow him everywhere that he went. Those had been the best days of her life. A sob built in her chest as she watched the one who had changed her suffering and in so much pain.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He had done so much good. Jesus spoke life into everyone around him. He had healed so many people. Mary tightened her arm around her friend, Mary, Jesus’ mother. As much as she herself was hurting, she couldn’t begin to imagine the grief Mary was enduring. Yet, Mary stood stoically, gazing upon her firstborn son. Mary looked around her friend Mary to see Salome, James’ and John’s mother standing on Mary’s other side. As Mary’s two friends, it was their job to stand on either side of her, ready to hold her up if need be.
Mary’s Pain
Hours later, Mary stood in the same position, her heart numb. She tightened her hold on Mary as they stood watching the men roll a huge stone in front of the tomb, cutting off their last view of Jesus’ body. It was then that Mary’s stoic composure finally crumbled. Mary and Salome both knelt beside their friend as her grief consumed her.
Mary had no words to say to her friend. She simply held her as she fell apart. All she felt was emptiness. Her heart felt cold and empty. Why? That was the only word that kept running through her mind over and over on an endless loop.
Jesus’ Choice
Have you ever been there? Have you had your world comes crashing down and the only word that comes to mind is why? All you feel is emptiness. This is where Mary Magdalene found herself. This was the same Mary in whom Jesus cast out seven demons. After that, she became a devout follower of Jesus. That’s what led her to the foot of the cross that day. Even when Jesus’ most devout followers forsook him and fled, Mary followed Jesus. She stood with Mary, Jesus’ mother, and Salome, the mother of James and John—two of Jesus’ disciples.
What makes Mary’s story truly incredible is that Mary is the first person that Jesus appears to after his resurrection. Of all the people he could have chosen to appear to first, he chose Mary.
He could have chosen:
- Mary- his mother
- Peter- the disciple who had betrayed him
- John- his close friend and disciple, “the one whom Jesus loved”
- Joseph of Arimathea- the man who gave his tomb so that Jesus could be buried in it
- Any of his brothers or sisters
- The religious leaders who had requested his crucifixion
- Pilate- the Roman governor who gave the order for Jesus’ crucifixion
Instead, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. Mary had no way of knowing on Friday that the greatest miracle this world has ever known would take place in just three days. Her loss and pain paved the way for Jesus to perform an amazing miracle, one that forever changed the course of history.
Paving the Way for a Miracle
I don’t know what you’re going through right now. You may be experiencing the death of a dream, the loss of a job, a heartbreak, a setback, a relationship that has been destroyed, incredible financial strain, physical pain, bad health, a divorce, a desire that just won’t come to fruition… I don’t know what it is, but I do know this. It’s part of your story. God’s allowed this chapter to be written into your story.
You may not want it as a part of your story. You may be begging God to change your story. I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve been in a place where I knew God could change the story, and I believed with everything inside of me that He would. And when he chose not to, I felt my hope dissipate.
My story didn’t turn around in three days. It took much longer than that, but I finally began to see God working in my life again. And when I finally did, I was so glad I hadn’t given up on Him and walked away.
What if your miracle is just days away? What if your loss is paving the way for a miracle in your life and in the life of your family? Could it be that you just need to hold on to hope a few more minutes, a few more hours, a few more days, a few more months or years?
It could be that God is preparing even now to step in and to give you that miracle. So don’t give up. Keep praying, keep believing, keep hoping. Because when God does step in, He could rewrite your story and change the course of history.
For More Encouragement
For more encouragement, check out my husband’s book, Six Days to Sunday: Turn Your Setbacks into Comebacks and my post: Choosing Hope—The Best is Yet to Come.