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Who Is It You Are Looking For?

John 20:11-18, NIV
11 but 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 "Woman," he said, "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 returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning 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.


Jesus conquered the dominion of sin and death and rose from the dead. Jesus' resurrection opened the way to eternal life for all humankind. Christianity is a religion of life and hope.

1. People crying in despair.
Mary Magdalene was the first person to experience the grace of Jesus' resurrection. Mary was living a miserable life possessed by seven demons, but Jesus changed her life when she met Him. Thankful for the grace of Jesus, she followed Him around, listened to His words, and served the Lord with joy. Mary loved Jesus, trusted in Him and depended on Him, so when He died on the Cross, she was greatly saddened and discouraged. On the first day after Sabbath, she visited Jesus??tomb to put perfume on His body and discovered that the tomb was empty. In front of an empty tomb, Mary cried in despair. Without Jesus, people are bound to be in despair. After sin entered the world, all people live in despair. Some are so frustrated by despair that they even give up their life. However, despair is not the end. A night of despair is gone, and a dawn of hope comes.

2. Jesus Christ, eternal hope.
Jesus appeared before Mary who was crying in front of an empty tomb. Jesus, the eternal hope, and the only way, truth, and life, comes to us when we are in despair (Jn 14:6). Jesus asked Mary, "Who is it you are looking for?" (Jn 20:15). Even now, Jesus comes to us when we are facing problems in our family, job, and human relationships, and He asks, "Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" However, with Mary?셲 eyes dimmed by sorrow and despair, she failed to recognize Jesus. When our spiritual eyes are dim, we cannot see Jesus who is right before us. Therefore, I hope you will listen to the voice of the Lord and wake up spiritually. Lay down your heavy burdens, be released from your problems, and experience the amazing grace of the Lord.

3. Jesus Christ gives mission.
After Jesus rose from the dead and called Mary?셲 name, her spiritual eyes were opened (Jn 20:16). When we are lonely, troubled, abandoned, and crying in failure, frustration, and despair, the Lord comes to us and gently calls our names. The Lord knows us. He says to us, "You are mine. Do not be afraid" (Isa 43:1). Hearing the voice of the Lord, Mary answered, "Rabboni!" This was her confession, that she would devote her life in following the Lord, since Jesus was her Lord, power, hope, and resurrection. Then Jesus gave her a mission, saying, "Go to my disciples and tell them the news of my resurrection" (Jn 20:21; Mt 28:18-20). The resurrected Jesus gives us a mission. According to His mission, we should become witnesses to tell people about His resurrection, and share His love and hope with our underprivileged neighbors.

Jesus overcame death and arose again. Now we must rise up from despair, accept Jesus as our eternal hope, and live the life of a witness?봲preading the hope of resurrection and practicing love.