Resurrection Sunday is a celebration of the life of Jesus, the life that he gives. Death has been defeated, the restoration of life is real, there's real life out there.

Today, in the story of somebody called Mary Magdalene, we will see the power of the resurrected Jesus to bring life, to bring spiritual life.

Now why … why Mary? Why would we focus on Mary this morning? She was an amazingly devoted follower of Jesus Christ, who at one time was in the grip of the darkness of the world.

She is intricately associated with this day, with Resurrection Day, because she is the first one mentioned in every account of the resurrection. Mary Magdalene is there. In her life, we're going to see, and this is our primary claim, a divine encounter results in lively devotion to the risen Lord Jesus Christ. There's no power to change a life that's greater or more necessary than the power of Jesus and his resurrection.

Jesus does what nothing and no one else can do because he has done what no one else has done.

So. in him we find the fulfillment of desire, in him we find life. It's my prayer this morning that we will encounter this kind of life, this kind of resurrection power together this morning.

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