I am your Lord.

Easter time is full of stories concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus, such as, the sadness of His death and the joy of the resurrection. However, I thought it could be a good idea to reflect on both topics from a different approach; therefore, I am using Mary Magdalene as an example.  It is mentioned in John 20:11 that, "Mary stood outside the tomb crying." It may be Mary was upset at the passing of Jesus but she could also been waiting for her Saviour to return, such as , the need to worship Him.

Let's look at verse 13 where an angel asked Mary, "Why are you crying?" Her response was in verse 14, "They have taken my Lord away." This can be seen as a woman grieving but also a woman who wants answers, such as, what the truth is about Jesus. I think Mary Magdalene was a brave follower of the Lord.

In verse 14, it is said Jesus was standing near Mary Magdalene but she didn't realise who standing before her.  I feel Mary was a overwhelmed at what was going on around her.  It can be said:

•  Jesus wanted her to seek the truth, such as, He had risen from the dead
• She was challenged to know that it wasn't just anyone but Jesus standing before her
• Mary needed to see through her tears of sadness that there was joy about the situation

In verse 15, Mary thought Jesus was the gardener but in verse 16 Mary realises  the truth that Jesus is standing before her. In fact Jesus had risen from the dead. It can be sad that Mary was challenged to see the truth, that Jesus had come alive and she had  faith to believe in the Lord's presence before her.

In conclusion, Easter it is a time of reflection that Jesus did rise from the dead and that He died for our sins on the cross (so we could be forgiven) and also there is joy in knowing that Jesus is our Lord, our strength, our peace, our protector.  Awesome.

Remain in the Lord.

SCRIPTURE: John 15:4 (NIV)- "Remain in me as I remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in  the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

MESSAGE:   My Grand-Mother(Mary) loved to be in the garden. She had a golden touch in planting seeds, then she would nuture the flowers and fruit trees, such as, watering them to develop good growth. I always found this a wonderful thing to see, such as, the love and care my Grand-Mother would take in doing her garden.

In John 15-4 we can see about a branch not bearing fruit by itself. Meaning the branch needs some help. This verse is about a fellowship with Jesus. Jesus is know as the vine and a Christian is the branch. For example, if a branch or fruit on a tree doesn't grow because it is not watered, then it will  dry up. What does it mean to a Christian? It means that if a person is not growing in the spirit, then they may need food , such as, the Bible is food (spiritual food) whereby people can receive growth by reading God's word and also people can have a fellowship with Jesus.

Do you want a challenge? Then seek the truth by seeking the Lord. Jesus is the vine and the truth will set you free. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life..."  John 14:6 (NIV).