Saturday in the Word | The Morning Everything Changed

John 20

There are moments in life that divide everything into before and after. You know, like September 11 or the pandemic. In the Gospel of John, chapter 20, we encounter one of these moments.

It begins in darkness.

Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb early, while it is still dark. It’s a detail that matters because it doesn’t just describe the time of day, but the state of the heart. Grief dims everything. Hope feels buried. Death seems final.

And then, Mary encounters confusion.

The stone is rolled away. The body is gone.

Panic sets in.

Where is Jesus?

Peter and John run to the tomb. They see the linen cloths lying there, but they don’t understand what their eyes are seeing.

Scripture speaks plainly: they still did not understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

How’s that for truth?

They had walked with Him and heard Him speak and teach. They witnessed miracle after miracle. And still, they didn’t see this coming.

Read John 20 here.

When God Is Doing Something You Don’t Yet Understand

This chapter reminds us that God can be moving powerfully while we are still confused.

Mary assumes the worst: “They’ve taken the Lord.”

But what she thought was loss turned out to actually be victory. What she thought was the end was simply the beginning.

How often do we stand in the middle of something we don’t understand and call it defeat?

“Mary.”

One word changes everything.

Jesus speaks her name.

He doesn’t preach a sermon. He doesn’t give an explanation. Jesus just says her name.

“Mary.”

And she knows.

“Rabboni!” (Teacher)

Their interaction is deeply personal. After all, the resurrection isn’t just an event to believe in, it’s also a voice to recognize.

Jesus still calls people by name.

He still meets us in our grief, our confusion, our searching.l

From Fear to Sending

Later, the disciples are locked in a room. All the doors are shut. Fear is running high.

And Jesus enters and says, “Peace be with you.”

Notice, He doesn’t shame them. He doesn’t lecture them. Jesus speaks peace into their fear. He gives them words of life.

Then He declares something remarkable:

“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

The same men who were hiding are now being sent.

That’s what the risen Christ does.
He doesn’t just comfort you. Jesus commissions you.

Thomas and the Need for Proof

Truthfully, I think Thomas gets a bad rap, but he’s honest.

“Unless I see, I will not believe.”

And Jesus meets him there too.

“Put your finger here. Stop doubting and believe.”

Jesus is not afraid of honest questions.
He guides us beyond them.

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

That’s us.

What This Means for Us

John 20 is not just about what happened. It’s about what is still happening. God is still at work when things look finished. Jesus still meets people personally. Peace still enters locked rooms. Doubt can still turn into faith and He still sends those whom He encounters.

A Simple Invitation

My friend, where does this chapter meet you today? Do you find yourself in the darkness like Mary? Are you running in confusion like Peter and John? Perhaps, you’re hiding in your fear like the disciples or wrestling with doubt like Thomas?

The good news is that Jesus meets you wherever you are and He calls you by name.