Eyewitnesses!

For Tuesday, April 29, 2025:

Mark 16:9 longer ending, NLT: “After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons.”

Did you ever notice that Jesus often casts out demons as he restores a person? Their healing will proceed better and faster if demons aren’t standing in the way. Demons are the devil’s workers, sent to disrupt our lives and divert our attention from the Lord. Indwelt by seven demons, Mary Magdalene must have been a mess! But with the demons out of the way, she became a loyal disciple of Jesus.

So after the crucifixion, it makes perfect sense that Mary Magdalene would be among the first group visiting the tomb, to prepare the body for long-term burial. We know how the story unfolds. When the women arrived, they found the stone rolled away and Jesus’ body missing. In fact, he had been resurrected, risen from the dead. Jesus had told everyone that things would play out this way, but never having seen this before, the disciples didn’t understand.

Mary lingered behind in the garden outside Jesus’ tomb. She assumed the man there was the gardener until he spoke, “Mary.” She answered, “Rabboni,” which means teacher. Mary ran straightaway back to where they had all been staying, and told the men what had happened, that Jesus was alive. As a group they didn’t believe her, but the ever-curious Simon Peter had to see for himself. John joined in and eventually won the footrace to the tomb. They saw for themselves what the women had experienced – stone rolled away and body missing! The risen Jesus would later visit the disciples who would come to believe.

What happened that day was so unusual that at first even the disciples didn’t believe the eyewitnesses. They eventually believed, especially after Jesus visited them! As the disciples evangelized, it was a difficult story for unbelievers to swallow, but it’s a major plank in our theology platform. It must be taught convincingly. Our eyewitnesses are from 2,000 years ago!

The world thinks death is the end. Believers know it’s the beginning of eternal life in God’s Kingdom!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship