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Giving Attention to Jesus
Text: John 20:1-18 Word of the Week: ATTENTION Speaker: Russ Muse
Takeaways
Like a child relaying the details of their imaginary play, John is skilled at providing unusual details about people’s experiences with Jesus.
This passage shows seven instances of people “seeing” things after Jesus’s crucifixion. While the words we observe in our translations are typically “saw” or “seen,” the Greek uses words that further show what was happening.
Physically Seeing Something
1. v1 – Mary Magdalene sees the stone rolled away.
2. v 5 – John seeing the linen cloths
Seeing and contemplating, with puzzlement/bewilderment
3. vv 6-7 – Peter, entering the tomb, sees the linen cloths and a face cloth neatly folded, but nobody
Seeing with profound attention to Jesus / Seeing and believing
5. v 8 – John again observes the empty tomb and believes, likely remembering that Jesus said He would rise again
vv 11-12 – While the disciples head home, Mary Magdalene maintains an attentive and emotional presence at the tomb and sees two angels
6. v. 14 – Mary Magdalene sees Jesus Himself!
7. In verse 18, Jesus tells Mary to go to the disciples and tell them she has seen the Lord.
Why was Mary Magdalene privileged to be the first to see and interact with Jesus after He arose? While there are different theories, we see here that she paid deep attention to Jesus.
While God chooses WHO He will reveal Himself to and WHEN He will reveal Himself, our deep attention to Jesus sets the stage for Him to reveal Himself to us even more profoundly. Why wouldn’t we want to see Him as much as possible!?! Today and in the days to come, choose to receive and respond to whatever He wants to show you!
Reflection Prompters
What significance do you think Mary’s deep attention to Jesus had in her being chosen to be the first to see and interact with Him after His resurrection?
How does “seeing with deep attention” change how you think about your relationship with Jesus and how you approach Him?
Reflecting on the different ways people “saw” after Jesus’ crucifixion (physically, with puzzlement, with belief), how might you be invited to “see” Jesus in new ways in your own life?
Why do you think the Bible emphasizes people’s different responses to seeing the empty tomb and the risen Jesus? What do these responses teach us about faith and belief?
How can you cultivate a more profound, attentive presence with Jesus, similar to what Mary Magdalene did at the tomb? What might that look like in your everyday life?
Additional Scripture to Consider
Hebrews 3:1
