The Lord comforted me from John 20 this morning, reading the story of Mary Magdalene seeing Jesus when He was resurrected. He said, "Don't cling to me just yet, I'm going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." -- The crazy thing is, Jesus doesn't need to really say much to comfort us. He just IS! And that alone is comforting. And if that's not enough, He also SPEAKS.
He just stands there, totally resurrected from the grave, having completely conquered death itself, wounds still in his hands from being crushed for our sins -- and He just stands there and says, "Mary!" . . .
It comforts me because He knows my name, my hurts, my sin, my faults, my habitual failures. He knows them all. He still loves me. He stands there and says, "Julia, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? It's me! I'm here! I love you."
Jesus says "My God and your God" -- He says that to Mary -- who didn't live the "model Christian life". He is in union with Mary because Mary has chosen to place her faith in Him. She didn't clean herself up, she cast herself on Mercy. That's what we get when we place our faith in Christ. We get union with Him. We get to be in His family. He's our Brother. "My God AND your God, My Father AND your Father."
Jesus also says, "Peace be with you." The same voice that calmed the crazy storm is the same voice that calms my freaking out heart. "Ssssh! Julia! I am with you. I love you. I am here."
