When Grief Met Grace

By: Anonymous

“Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and said unto him, Rabboni: which is to say, Master.” John 20:16

Confusion - Everything she thought she knew, she was now questioning.

Fear - His body was gone, and now so was her last hope.

Heartbreak - The One who had given her life meaning was no longer there.

Grief has a way of blinding us. It clouds our vision, steals our hope, and drowns out the familiar sounds of joy and peace. If you have ever cried until you couldn’t anymore, if you have ever waited desperately in the silence for God to speak into your pain - then you know a little of how Mary Magdalene must have felt that morning at the tomb.

She came to mourn. No doubt, the questions were swirling around in her head: “Was any of it true?”, “Was He really who He said He was?”, “What am I supposed to do now?”. I am sure the gruesome and horrifying events that had happened three days before, on Calvary, were also flashing in her mind. With spices in hand, she came to anoint what she thought was the lifeless body of her precious Savior but instead, she found nothing but an empty tomb. The grief must have been crippling - especially with the added fear that someone had taken her Lord away.

Then, everything changed.

Jesus didn’t show up with a fanfare of trumpets. He didn’t part the skies and get ushered in by a legion of angels. He simply said her name, “Mary”. And with that one word, grief met Grace! I can’t help but imagine that in that instance, every question, every doubt and every fear was immediately silenced. And just like when He spoke “Peace, be still” to the raging storm, the storm in her heart and mind laid down.

Many people had called her by name before that morning - but only one had ever said it like that before. This was the voice of the One who saved her, the voice of the One she heard teaching and preaching, the voice of the One she heard cry “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”, and the voice she thought she would never hear again.

In the midst of her deepest sorrow, Mary was one of the first to witness the greatest triumph the world has ever known! 

Dear friend, this Resurrection story is not just about an event in history - it is about a Savior who is alive and well today! The Savior that meets us in our tears. It’s about Grace that speaks through the deafening silence and calls us by name. It is about Jesus showing up in the middle of our brokenness, not with judgment but full of compassion. 

Maybe today you feel like Mary - lost in a sea of grief, confusion, and disappointment. Maybe you’re waiting for hope to rise again in a difficult situation. Don’t lose hope, Dear Lady! Jesus is closer than you think. He is not hiding from your pain. In fact, He may be speaking your name, even now, calling to lift your eyes from the grave and see Grace standing right in front of you.

Mary’s grief turned to joy the moment she recognized Jesus. And then, He gave her a purpose. “...go to my brethren, and say unto them…” He told her in John 20:17.

Her sorrow didn’t just end - it was transformed into a mission of hope for others!

From teenage girls searching for direction to seasoned saints holding onto faith after a lifetime of storms - know this: This same Jesus who rose from the grave is still meeting women in their sorrow, calling them by name, and commissioning them with hope!