March
30, 2003
MY
FATHER AND YOUR FATHER
"Jesus
said to her, '-- go to My brethren and say to them, "I
am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and
Your God" ' " (John 20:17, NKJV).
"Mary
stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped
down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white
sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where
the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, 'Woman,
why are you weeping?'
"She
said to them, 'Because they have taken away my Lord, and I
do not know where they have laid Him.' Now when she had said
this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and
did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman,
why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?'
"She,
supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, 'Sir, if you
have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and
I will take Him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!'
"She
turned and said to Him, 'Rabboni!' (which is to say, Teacher).
Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to
Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My
brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and
your Father, and to My God and your God.'
"Mary
Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the
Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her" (John
20:11:18).
Jesus
said to Mary, Go tell my brothers that "I
am ascending to My Father and Your Father, and to My God and
your God." How may we succeed in setting before
the world the wonderful and precious love of God? John said,
"Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed
on us, that we should be called children of God" (1 John
3:1).
God,
our Father, has adopted us into His family through Jesus,
His Son and our Brother. What a relationship! "To all
who did receive Him, to those who have yielded Him their allegiance,
He gave the right to become children of God, not born of any
human stock, or by the fleshly desire of a human father, but
the offspring of God Himself" (John 1:12, 13, NEB).
Praise
be to God, for His love and mercy is forever. To all who receive
Him, He gives the right to become His children, His family,
to those who put their faith and trust in Him.
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