Grace to the Humble

I find it fascinating to study these accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus found in John’s Gospel. The death and resurrection of Jesus forms the apex of all of history and certainly the centerpiece of New Testament Christianity.

There are two things that stand out to me:

One is that that the hero and main person in each event was Jesus (and His Father working). Everyone else is simply a bystander. The group of women had faithfully followed Him, and, as some had some financial means, they provided for Jesus and the traveling band of disciples. Here they just look on. And among the disciples were Peter and John, who were prominent in the Gospel narratives and also leaders through the Book of Acts, and even wrote books in the bible. Yet they, too, stood to the side, watching Jesus in His walk to the cross and out of the tomb. Jesus is clearly the hero!

The second thing I notice is that, when Jesus had risen, He shows Himself first to Mary Magdalene. That name sounds so beautiful, but Mary had lived her life possessed by seven demons. Demons would often cause people to dash themselves upon rocks, throw themselves into fire, and more. So, after being delivered by Jesus from the seven demons, her body probably bore the marks of her past torment. This is almost all we know about her: she is present at the crucifixion and also the empty tomb. So, she is certainly a humble and lowly figure here, and Jesus chooses her to first reveal Himself to.

In our day we often think, “Go to the top to get anything done!” Jesus sees things differently. One would think He’d show Himself to the religious leaders (they were too busy killing the Son of God); instead, He picks this humble girl who had endured years of suffering and destruction. In other words, He gave greater grace to the humble—our verse at the top (1 Pet. 5:5b–6).

I think this is an important life message for us. Even today, we call people with blogs and social media sites “influencers.” Jesus looks for the lowly and humble of heart, not those who are the loudest and flashiest. Perhaps we need to realign our vision of influence and leadership to Jesus’ view. Let’s each day humble ourselves beneath His loving hand, because He will bless with greater grace.