The Risen Shepherd

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20:1–18

Today is the day everything changed. Not just because the tomb was empty. Not just because Jesus rose from the dead. But because the Risen Shepherd still comes, still speaks, and still knows His sheep—and He knows us by name.

1. The Shepherd Seeks the Lost

Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb early, while it’s still dark. She comes weeping, confused, and alone.

Isn’t that often how we come, too?

When you come to church on a Sunday morning, you bring with you all that is happening in your life right now. We all put on our best facade for church—we make sure we look presentable and greet everyone with a smile—but we carry a lot more inside.

No one could possible tell that you were up all night with a teething child or with the aches and pains of old age, that you were made redundant during the week, that an unresolved conflict reared its head again yesterday, or that you got pinged for speeding on the way to church this morning.

And that’s just when you come to church. The other times we come to Jesus are much more raw—the frustrated prayer as you drive along, the rushed morning devotion, or the fleeting thought of guilt that I really should read my Bible more…

Even on the day of the resurrection, we can be full of emotion, but not always full of understanding. Like Peter and John, we can run to the empty tomb and be greeted by angels, and still miss the point.

But Jesus isn’t lost. He is the one doing the seeking. He is the Shepherd who goes after His lost sheep. “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” (John 10:14)

It’s not Mary who finds Jesus. It’s Jesus who finds Mary. That’s how it always works.

Jesus said if I am lost,
He will come to me.
And He showed me on that cross,
He will come to me.

Verse from Jesus Strong And Kind, CityAlight

Luke’s gospel in particular makes it very clear that Jesus came precisely to seek and to save the lost (Lk. 19:10). On Easter morning, Jesus seeks Mary out and comes to her. You don’t have to go looking for the risen Jesus, either: He comes to you.

2. The Shepherd Calls by Name

She doesn’t recognise Him at first. She thinks He’s the gardener. But then comes one word: “Mary.” And just like that—she knows.

I have never met a person who claims to have a particular gift for remembering people’s names. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say to me, “I’m terrible with names.” Whoever you are, remembering names takes discipline.

A technique I’ve been taught is, when someone introduces themselves to you, use it as many times as you can during the rest of that conversation. Make it stick then and there. And, if you can’t remember the next time you see them, admit it and ask. Don’t let it go too long, because then it does get awkward.

Why bother? Why make the effort to remember a name? Because it matters. Because it shows that you care enough to remember. And, odds are, you will remember more than just their name when you make that effort.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

One word is all it takes. Mary’s name. Jesus doesn’t just rise in power—He rises in relationship. He doesn’t say “Do not fear, mortal one,” or “I have returned.” He says “Mary.”

Jesus knows your name, too. He knows your story, your struggles, your doubts. The same voice that spoke the universe into being now speaks to you.

3. The Shepherd Goes Ahead

Jesus doesn’t let Mary cling to Him—because the story isn’t finished. “Go to my brothers,” He says. The Shepherd is on the move again.

He goes ahead to gather His flock, to send out the good news: “The Lord is risen!” – “He is risen indeed!”

He is the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20), the cornerstone the builders rejected (Psalm 118:22), the first voice in the garden of a whole new creation (Isaiah 65:17).

And now, He sends you. He sends us. Listen for His voice. Rejoice with Mary. Proclaim with confidence: “I have seen the Lord, and He knows my name!”

Conclusion

Today, the risen Jesus speaks.

He’s not just risen in history. He’s risen for you. He knows your name.

No matter how lost, weeping, confused, or forgotten you may feel—your Shepherd lives, and He’s calling your name.

May the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.