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One of my favorite episodes in the Bible is when Mary Magdalene meets Jesus after His ressurrection (John 20:1-20).

Just a few days before, Mary had seen Jesus die. She believed He was the Messiah and the Son of God, but now He was dead. How was she supposed to continue living after everything she believed in was taken from her?

She was still shocked by what had happened when she went to Jesus’ tomb and she found it empty. Not only had Jesus died in a cruel manner, now someone had taken his body as well. It was more than she could bear. And Jesus knew that.

Then in an unexpected turn of events, He just shows up. She doesn’t recognize Him at first, but when she hears His voice she knows it’s Him. She bursts with joy and moves towards him, but He says:

“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.’” – verse 17

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life – John 3:16

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You probably have already seen this phrase before. A lot of times. Have you ever really thought about what it means?

What strikes me about this specific verse is its simplicity and objectivity. The whole plan of salvation in one sentence. On the other hand, there is a lot to say about it. Max Lucado wrote a whole book to explain it.