The Hope That Dries All Tears

Read John 20:11-15.

Jesus had delivered Mary Magdalene from seven demons that had tormented her (see Luke 8:2). He rescued her from the crushing weight of shame that sin had piled upon her. So, she followed Him. Mary was devoted to Jesus, staying by His side even while He was tortured, beaten, and nailed to a Roman cross. Though most of the disciples fled in fear, Mary stood by her Lord in His darkest hour—faithful, steadfast, and unashamed.

It’s likely she was there when Jesus’ body was taken down. She may also have been there when Joseph and Nicodemus prepared the body for burial and placed it in the garden tomb (see John 19:38-39). Mary had no doubt that Jesus had died. So, when she saw that the body was missing, she could only conclude that it had been stolen.

Standing there, Mary wept, probably for quite some time, because she was asked twice why she was crying—once by the angels who met her in the tomb and once by Jesus Himself, who asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” (John 20:15).

It wasn’t that Jesus couldn’t understand why she would be crying. Jesus was never one to hide His own emotions (see Luke 19:41; John 11:35), and He never told others to suppress theirs (see Luke 23:28). Rather, with His question, Jesus was saying to Mary, “Your tears are unnecessary.”

How many times do we grieve and fret over our circumstances, whether it’s the loss of a job, a scary diagnosis, or some other earthly and therefore temporary trouble? We weep and worry because we fail to see the resurrected Jesus in the midst of our troubles. But He is alive and with us. So He asks us in our difficult circumstances, “Why are you crying?” He wants to clarify our thinking, like He did for Mary.

Jesus pressed Mary: “Who is it you are looking for?” (John 20:15). Well, she was looking for a dead body. But God had given her a resurrected, powerful, living Savior. She was looking for lifeless remains, but God had given her the assurance of her own resurrection. She was looking for a life of sorrow, but God had given her eternal hope.

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that my tears are unnecessary. Though this life will have sorrow, all my trials pale in comparison to the glory that awaits me in You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.