You Have a Superpower

Do you remember Jesus‘ reaction toward Mary Magdalene after His resurrection?

This might be one of my favorite passages in the Bible. I get emotional just thinking about this moment. Mary is weeping, grieving over His death (she had been by His side through the crucifixion and when His body was brought to the tomb), and all of a sudden, her beloved Savior stands in front of her.

I feel the urge to run into His arms, just as Mary did. „Mary’s grief instantly turned to inexpressible joy (John 20:16), and she embraced Him as if she would never let Him go.“

BUT… 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).

What are we to make of this reaction? Doesn’t it sound a bit harsh? John MacArthur writes: „Jesus conferred on her a unique and unparalleled honor by allowing her to be the first to see and hear Him after His resurrection.“ And now He wanted her to go and testify to His disciples.

Her. A woman (women were not seen as trustworthy during that time). And a woman who had been enslaved to many sins. But Jesus doesn’t care about what society thinks of us. He doesn’t care about our past. He sees our hearts. And Mary Magdalene genuinely loved Him.

What a beautiful passage! But it’s not the end. Jesus didn’t tell Mary to stop clinging to Him just because He wanted her to spread the news. Mary shouldn’t cling to His visible presence because Jesus was about to give her something even better: the Holy Spirit. A permanent union with Him was about to come. But He had to ascend to the Father first.

Have you ever thought about this? The living God is IN YOU. He is always by your side. You don’t need to wait for eternity to be united with Jesus—you already are! You can share all your fears, doubts, hopes, dreams, questions, etc. with Him, and you can expect Him to move. The Holy Spirit is your „superpower“ in every season of your life. Read that again. And now: Let’s go and worship Him!

Love,
Mirjana Joy