Finding Worship in Listening to His Voice

At the center of holy leisure is a heart that longs to worship Jesus. Mary Magdalene couldn’t imagine her life without Jesus, and once she encountered the risen Christ, she never wanted to let go of him again.

Grief & Disbelief

Early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and a few other women rose before light to anoint the body of Jesus at the tomb. On Friday they witnessed the horrific event of the crucifixion of their beloved leader and teacher, Jesus, as he died on a criminal’s cross.

On their way to the tomb, they realized they had no way of getting to Jesus because there was no one to move the stone away from the entrance. But when they got there they found the stone had been rolled away and an angel was sitting where Jesus once lay.

The other women ran away in fear, but Mary stayed behind, sobbing, and numb.

Love & Logic

John 20 adds more detail to this encounter. Jesus appeared and stood behind Mary but she didn’t recognize him and thought he was the gardener. He said to her, “Woman. Why are you weeping?”

“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

Mary loved Jesus and wanted to minister to him, even if he was dead. Even in her grief and sorrow, her love outweighed her logic. She hadn’t thought about how to roll away the stone and believed she alone could move Jesus’ body and return it to the tomb (or at least she’d figure out a way). Then Jesus interrupted her grief and said one word.

“Mary.”

He said her name with such a familiar intonation, that she immediately knew it was him. With her face in her hands, she suddenly stopped crying and stood upright, realizing instantly it was Jesus. He was alive and standing right in front of her! Her only response was to run into his arms and never let him go.

Amazement & Worship

The empty tomb and the risen Christ changed absolutely everything for Mary and for us. Jesus knows who you are, and he knows what doubts you wrestle with. Mary heard her name, and she believed and worshipped him as Lord. He invites you to also see him as the risen Savior and to respond like Mary did — in worship.

If you enjoyed this plan, you might also enjoy this free resource: Quiet Time to Holy Leisure Time . It helps you reframe the way you view your daily devotions with the Lord. You'll set up a new system to enjoy the best part of your day with the Lord.