The Daily Devotional Podcast

Risen - 7 | John 20: 11-18

• Waypoint Church

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This reflection shows that Jesus meets His followers in the middle of their fear, offering peace through His presence rather than waiting for them to overcome it. It invites us to trust that His nearness can transform our fear into joy and lead us forward in purpose.

The Daily Devotional Podcast

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“May the Lord bless you and keep you — and may His presence guide you this week.”


SPEAKER_00

Today I'll be reading John twenty verses eleven through eighteen. Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white robed angels, one sitting at the head, and the other at the foot of the place where Jesus' body had been laying. Dear woman, why are you crying? The angels asked her. Because they've taken away my lord, she replied, and I don't know where they've put him. She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. Dear woman, why are you crying? Jesus asked her. Who are you looking for? She thought he was the gardener. Sir, she said, if you've taken him away, tell me where you've put him, and I'll go get him. Mary, Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out Raboni, which is Hebrew for teacher. Don't cling to me, Jesus said, for I haven't yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, I have seen the Lord, then she gave them his message. Grief has a way of narrowing our vision. It keeps our focus on what's been lost. Even when something's changed, it can be difficult to see beyond the weight of what we're carrying. Mary stands outside the tomb, weeping. She's already seen that the stone was moved. She's already told the disciples, but she remains there, lingering in the moment, trying to process what's happened. When she looks into the tomb, she sees two angels. Woman, why are you crying? They ask. Her answer is simple. They've taken my Lord away and I don't know where they've put him. Even now, she's not looking for resurrection. She's still trying to locate what she believes has been taken. Then she turns and sees Jesus standing there, but she doesn't recognize him. Jesus is present, alive and near, and still unseen. Grief has shaped her expectations so deeply that even when the answer stands in front of her, she can't yet perceive it. Jesus speaks. Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you're looking for? Jesus is now not just standing there with her, he's actively speaking to her. And yet her mind remains clouded, and then everything changes with a single word Mary, her name. Not an explanation, not an argument, and not proof laid out piece by piece. Recognition comes through relationship. Something in the way he speaks her name breaks through the grief. She turns towards him and responds Raboni, a word filled with both recognition and affection. Before Mary understands the full meaning of the resurrection, she encounters the risen Jesus. Before clarity comes, she is known, and that pattern continues. Jesus meets people where they are, in grief, in confusion, and in questions that have not yet been resolved. He does not wait for full understanding before drawing near. He calls, and in being known, something begins to shift. Before I close in prayer, here's a question to wrestle with. In the places where I feel overwhelmed or uncertain, help me to recognize your presence. Open my eyes to see you, even when I'm not expecting you.