Woman on a Mission
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17, ESV).
At times, Christianity has gotten a bad rap because some people complain it teaches that women aren’t as important or as valuable as their male counterparts. But look at today’s passage…clearly Jesus valued women highly. Look at the huge responsibility He handed Mary Magdalene!
Here’s a recap: Jesus dies on the cross for your sins and mine, three days later Jesus defeats death and rose from the dead, Mary came to look for Him, couldn’t find Him, and started crying. She had a short encounter with a couple angels…then met with Jesus Himself!
Remember this about Jesus: He was very intentional. He didn’t just “let things happen.” He planned carefully and had a purpose in everything He did. It was no accident that He chose Mary to be the first to see Him after His resurrection.
Now, look closer. Jesus didn’t just tell Mary, “Hey, look! I’m alive!” He gave her a mission:
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:10)
“Go and tell my brothers” He said, “Tell my brothers to go to Galilee” This is huge! Jesus trusted Mary with the important job of convincing a bunch of men that He had indeed risen from the dead and that He was alive. I mean, what if she had kept this information to herself?
The whole crux of Christianity is based on the fact that Jesus defeated death by coming back to the life. Don’t you think Jesus might have wanted more than female eyewitnesses to His resurrection? No, He fully trusted Mary to get the job done.
If you’re a woman, know this: Jesus loves you and values you and has big plans for you. Get to know Him, and you’ll begin to discover that.
