Devotional: For Easter

He is Risen!

We rotate who does the weekly women’s Bible devotion at work - we have been working through learning from the women of the Bible.  I was given Mary Magdalene.

I had things I thought I knew about her but what I found out proved to show that she is an excellent women to study the week before Easter!  

Who was Mary Madalene?

She was a Christ follower!  (Mark 15:41)

Her name lets us know that she was probably from Magdala in Galilee

She was healed from 7 demons (Luke 8:2)

She was a key witness to Christ’s:

Death:                          (Matt. 27:56)

    Burial:                          (Mark 15:47)

Empty tomb:                      (Luke 24:1-10)

First one to encounter the risen Christ:  (John 20:18)

As a women and a disciple of Christ myself, I always love when I find gems like this in God’s word.  

Here was a women so devoted to Christ that she was there at the cross.  I can only imagine that once Mary Magdalene was healed she recognized who Christ was and that was the only place she wanted to be was near Him.  

Can you imagine suffering with “7 demons”  it may have been a number of physical or mental illnesses, or it could have been actual demons but regardless she was free from her infirmities.  She was healed, she was forgiven and she knew that Jesus was worth her devotion.  

She was a witness at his Death - there at the cross.  Can you imagine the oppression when Jesus took our sin upon himself and died.  The weight of all that sin darkening the sky, the utter darkness.  I can’t really even imagine it.  When all the weight of the world’s sin was paid by the ultimate sacrificial lamb and the curtain in the Holy of Holy’s was rendered from top to bottom.  Only God could have done that!  

When the body was taken away and she saw it laid in the tomb and she knew because of the Sabbath she couldn’t treat Jesus' body the way she would have wanted. So she went home and waited for the Sabbath to be over.  

When she approached the empty tomb, wondering how they could roll away that heavy stone.  Wondering - thinking about all she had learned as she followed Jesus - what did He mean, “In three days I will...?”  What did he mean by that.  Grief stricken and then the stone is already rolled away.  Running inside and - He is gone.  Where is He she asks the gardener.  

“Mary!” (John 20:16)

Not a gardener - but her Lord!  Rabboni!  

Clinging to Him - not wanting to let Him go ever again.  But his quiet voice saying tenderly, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father...” John 20: 17.

What I am struck by here is Mary not recognizing Jesus until He says her name.  Then she knows that this is her beloved.  The lover of her soul.  She knows without a doubt who He is and her immediate reaction is to cling to Him.  

In John 10: 1-3 it says:  “Truly, truly I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

He calls his own sheep by name and the sheep hear his voice!

She heard his voice call her name and she knew this was the one to cling to.  Here was truth in the flesh, risen from the dead, worthy of her utter devotion. 

He told her what to do - John 20:17  ...”go to My brethren and say them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.” 

And what does she do - she runs to the disciples announcing,  John 20:19 ...

”I have seen the Lord...”

This is what our own response to our own encounter with the risen Christ should be.  We are also witnesses to His work in and through us.  Here was a women utterly devoted to Christ, she followed Him, she learned from Him and she told about Him.  She is a awesome example for me as a disciple of Christ’s to share with others...

“I have seen the Lord.”

He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

My Bible Reading Plan

I've used many plans to read my Bible.

The current plan that I am using is  Professor Grant Horners Bible- Reading System.
How is that for a title?




What Professor Grants suggests to do is read 10 chapters a day.  Yes, I said 10.  He says to get one Bible and stick with it.  Read the 10 chapters briskly but with understanding.  Don't get bogged down, don't journal.  Not that your not thinking but your going to be coming back over these books quicker than in any other Bible reading plan you've ever done.  Your going to become so familiar with your Bible as you continue with the plan.

So what are the 10 chapters
1.  The Gospels you read through them over and over.
2.  Genesis - Deuteronomy
3.  Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians,
     Philipians, Colossians and Hebrews
4. 1 & 2 Thessalonians 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon,
     James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude and Revelations
5. Job, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon
6. Psalms
7. Proverbs
8. Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings,
    1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
9. The Prophets
10. Acts

What I like about it - I like that there are no dates on this plan.  I don't ever have to feel behind.  I pick up where I left off and read as much as I can.  Some days I don't read all 10 in one day.  I might read 5 one day and 15 the next or I might end up reading 3 chapters in one book because I just love it so much and in the end I end up reading 9 chapters total but not of the whole 10 list.  This is a flexible plan you could read 5 in the morning or 5 at night.  I do jot notes down - right in my Bible though I know some people would be aghast to do that.  I have nice wide margins and my Bible was made as a study bible to be written in and highlighted with symbols and colored pencils.   I've been using this plan since January and I plan to stick with it for a long time.

Other "systems" I have used in the past are:

The One Year Chronological Bible NIV (One Year Bible: Niv) is one that I used for many years.  This was my devotional Bible not the Bible I brought to church with me.  Since it was in Chronological order I found it really helped me focus on the Bible as one whole historical account not just random books.  There is a logical sequence of events.
  

The One Year Bible NLT (One Year Bible: New Living Translation-2)  I would do this one when I got tired of doing the Chronological Bible this is not my favorite format but it is good to get you in the habit of reading the whole Bible in a year.

I once did something similar to Horner's system which was to read:
1. The Books of the Law
2. Everything between the Law and Psalms
3. Psalms
4. Proverbs
5. Everything after Proverbs up to the Prophets
6. The Prophets
7. The Gospels
8. The rest of the New Testament

I did this for a period of about 3 months then my life changed and I dropped it and went back to the Chronological Bible.  I think that Horner's suggesting of reading Acts each month is a good one since it is such a missional book.  He says if you don't know why you should read through Acts each month - that just shows why you should read it every month.

Developing the habit of reading through the Bible in a year was one thing that really grew me as a Christian and my walk with the Lord.  I can't say I have less questions but I do have a richer understanding of God and my relationship with Him did deepen.