The Garden Tomb.  

At the time, gardens were common places for burial tombs or caves to be found.  The unused garden tomb where Jesus was placed belonged to Joseph of Arimathea – a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin and, as John’s gospel describes him, a secret disciple of Jesus.  It was situated beside Golgotha, the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion and death.   When Mary Magdalene came by to attend to Jesus’ body – she found the tomb empty. 

This is the account in John, chapter 20, beginning in verse 11.  ‘Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.  She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.  “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”  She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him.  “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”  She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”’  

Then Jesus said something that changed Mary forever – He called her by name.  

It is beyond imagination to enter into this scene with Jesus and Mary.  The level of despair that Mary was experiencing—she hadn’t just lost her teacher, her mentor, her dear friend, she had lost all hope.  Her world was upside down.  And she did the only thing that she knew to do.  She went to him.  She went to his body.  And in her despair—he called out to her BY NAME.  Just as he calls us to each of us BY NAME, saying, “ I know you, I have claimed you.”  Romans 8 verse 39 says, “nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Are you in a place of despair or are you just in a place of day to day busyness?  His promise to us is the same:  he will never leave us and that is a promise that we can count on.  He overcame death and the grave and met us in the garden—calling out to us by name.  

Heavenly Father, when we think of your promises and the tenacious way that you keep them for us, we can not despair but rather be renewed and encouraged.  

Thank you Lord!