Sure Enough He's Here

John 20:11-14
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 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.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

Mary Magdalene missed Jesus. He died on the cross on Friday and on Sunday morning she hoped to honor him at his tomb. Except, he wasn’t there. When she looked into the cave where his body rested, she found two angels and his death shroud. What on earth just happened? Where was her friend and Lord? In her panic to find where Jesus had been moved, she totally missed him. There he stood, a few feet away, but she didn’t recognize him. She’d spent a lot of time with her Lord, yet she didn’t know the guy standing beside her was the same one she’d spent countless hours listening to.

I hate to think how many times I’ve panicked or been stressed and prayed for Jesus to be by my side. Sure enough, He was there. Right beside me. But I was too caught up in my own agenda to recognize my Savior and King. Sometimes people ask, “Where is God in the tragedy?” He’s there. He’s the one holding me up, hugging me with his spirit and filling my heart with comfort. Sometimes in my human state I fail to understand, yet He is there. Of course Mary eventually realized she was talking to Jesus and joy filled her. Whether I call him my Savior, King, Lord, no matter, He’s right beside me and dwells in me as I follow Him.