WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK...

John 20:1 -- “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.”

As I was taking a quiet moment with God this morning, I was struck by this verse.  It takes place on the Sunday following Jesus’ death and burial on Friday.  Mary Magdalene and the other disciples of Jesus were in a state of more than grief.  They were in a state of shock.  A state of unbelief, of confusion, of hurt, of pain, of fear.  They did not understand what was going on.  

They didn’t understand why Jesus, the man they had come to hope in as their Messiah, had died.  They didn’t understand why the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday had led to their king’s death, and not His exaltation to the throne of David.  They didn’t really understand what Jesus meant when He had told them He would die and be raised on the third day.  And, so, they huddled together in fear and trembling behind closed doors.  All but Mary.

“While it was still dark…”  While she was still in a time of darkness, facing an unknown future and uncertainty, Mary went to the tomb where Jesus laid.  Why would she do so?  Because even though she did not understand the times, even though she did not know what the future held, even though her Messiah had died on the cross of Calvary, she went to the One she knew had all the answers, the only One who still held her hope, even in death.

In this current situation with the coronavirus pandemic, we are in a similar time of darkness.  We do not know what the future holds.  We face uncertain times.  We are filled with fear, with doubt, with grief, with confusion, with despair.  So, what can we do?  We must follow the example of Mary.  We must go to Jesus.  We must seek Him out.  We must be near Him.  And, look what happened.

“[she] saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.  ‘Woman,’ He said. ‘why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ (John 20:14-15a).  Who is it that we are looking for in this time?  Who should we be 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.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni! [Teacher] (John 20:15b-16). 

As Mary sought Jesus in the tomb, she found the risen Savior.  As Mary came to the grave while it was still dark, Jesus brought light and life and love.  As Mary sought answers to her confusion and doubt and fear, Jesus came to her and called her by name.  He will do the same for you. 

Seek Him today.  Go to Him today.  And listen for His voice to call to you today even when it is still dark in your life, even when you are still in the storm.  Remember, it is always darkest before the dawn, and the light is always shining on the other side, and you can’t have rainbows without a storm.