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Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20:1-18
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Victory is an exhilarating feeling. To win at something in life means that we rose above, conquered, and achieved a desired outcome. Sometimes it means we pull ahead of others and are awarded titles or trophies, attached to feelings of triumph and celebration.
But what about the victory that is impossible for us to achieve in our own power, but is only obtained by another who is willing to step in and win on our behalf? It’s humbling and inspiring that someone else would go to bat for you and I so that we might know victory in our lives.
There is no greater victory in which we stand than to have been rescued out of the clutches of sin and Satan, to stand forever victorious in freedom and right-standing with God! Dead in our sin, we could do nothing for ourselves. But God, through Jesus – his life, death, and resurrection – accomplished the greatest victory for our lives. Through Jesus we are called whole and complete [Colossians 2:10], adopted [Romans 8:17], forgiven [Psalm 103:12], free [Romans 8:1-2], more than conquerors [Romans 8:37], reconciled to God [Romans 5:10], a new creation [2 Corinthians 5:17], and blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ [Ephesians 1:3]. And that’s just a start!
After reading through the passages of Scripture today, consider what your response could be as an offering of gratitude in light of Christ’s triumph. Write a prayer of thanks to Jesus for all He has secured for you.
FLOURISH
A Mentoring Journey
FLOURISH: A Mentoring Journey is a year-long curriculum guide, rooted in Scripture and developed by The Flourish Team of Passion City. Now available in two volumes, this mentoring journey encourages women from different stages of life to share their lives with one another through the studying of the Word of God and relevant life topics. Find out more about Year One and Year Two of FLOURISH by clicking the link below.