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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
Jesus released Mary Magdalene from the torture of seven demons. She was completely controlled by them. Before Jesus drove those demons out, we get a picture of Mary. “. . . bereft of will and reason, with vacuous eyes, screaming and tearing at her clothes.'1
After Jesus healed her, “She is thought to been beautiful and gracious. Her love was warm and glowing.”2She felt so grateful to her Lord that she, like other women who had received healing, became one of His followers. Mary exuded warmth and love. Her thankfulness was as noticeable to others as her former depraved self. She enjoyed being able to be in the Master’s band of followers.
When Jesus chose to go to Jerusalem and celebrate Passover, Mary and the other women among his followers also went. These women were in the crowd that followed the Master to Calvary. They watched with sadness while their Leader died a horrible death, one reserved for the vilest of criminals.
On the morning of the third day after Jesus died, Mary, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the garden called Gethsemane. They brought with them burial spices. Their plan was to finish preparing His body for burial.
What they found alarmed them. The stone the soldiers placed over the opening to the grave had been rolled away. When they looked inside the tomb they didn’t find His body. Had someone taken it?
The trio of ladies departed the garden hurriedly and ran into the city to tell the others. Mary later returned to the garden tomb.
She fell against the stone, emotions having got the best of her. She heard a man asking her a question, “Woman, why are you crying?” (John 20:15)
She thought this was the gardener. “Sir, if you have carried have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
The man calls her by name. “Mary.” (v. 16a)
She looks at him through her tears. She recognizes Him. “Rabboni!”(v.16b)
He instructs her about what she must do. She departs and runs into the city to tell the others of the good news that Christ has risen.
The Christian world should feel indebted to Mary Magdalene. She carried the news of Christ’s triumph over the grave first. Had she kept it to herself, the disciples would not have been empowered to carry on the message of the risen Christ to the different parts of the known world.
Has Jesus Christ healed you and me of illnesses? Has He taken care of a need we had? Have we been blessed by Him in a way we never expected? Has having him in our lives made a difference in how we live? Shouldn’t we be telling others about what He has done for us? Sure He has We should be eager to give testimony before others in our worship services.
1. Women of the Bible. Frances Vander Velde, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids © 1957,1985, p.216
2. IBID
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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