There is a great hymn whose first line goes like this: “I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.”

This week we have decided to take those words literally. We are going to follow Jesus on the journey of his last week on earth; the most important, impacting week that was ever lived on this planet.

Each day take a little time (20-40 minutes) to read each passage and devotional thought. Reflect on the questions at the end of each section and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Receive the truth, even it if hurts, because He gives it with love. Allow Him to transform your thinking, your agendas, your outlook and your passions. By doing so, you are following the path of Jesus and will experience a greater measure of life that you never thought possible. It will be a week that will change your world.

Rocking Your World (John 20:1-18)

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalenewent to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.² 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!” ³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. ¹³ 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.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.¹⁵ 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.” ⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). ¹⁷ 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.’” ¹⁸ 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.

Try to read this passage as if you were Mary Magdalene. When Jesus died, your world became dark and silent. Though your heart is still beating, you are as dead as the stone rolled across His tomb. You are numb, beyond grief and zombie-like as you go through the day’s routine.

Then you notice some things. The stone is rolled away. The grave clothes are there, but the body isn’t! You conclude, “Someone has stolen the Master’s body!” You are so freaked out, you don’t know what to do. You see a couple of people who try to help you, but you really don’t notice them. Another guy tries to help you, but you’re so focused on the missing body… that voice? Then he calls you by name, and slowly you look up and you see … Jesus!

Mary, your world has just been rocked!

Do you feel it? Whenever you really see the Risen Jesus, your world gets rocked. I’m convinced that angels didn’t move the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb. The presence of the Risen Christ caused the stone to move itself. It’s amazing what comes alive when they realize that Risen Jesus is there!

Jesus wants to rock your world. He wants to bring in life, transformation, love and redemption. He wants to take away fear and smallness of heart. Sometimes we get caught up in trying to be Christians that we forget to see Christ. Look up! See the face of Christ! Fall to your knees! Let your world be rocked!