John 20:1–18
There is a kind of perseverance that is not merely about surviving hardship. It is about continuing with Christ until we are changed by what we encounter in Him.
John 20:1–18 gives us a beautiful picture of this through Mary Magdalene. Her encounter with the risen Jesus did not unfold in one instant. It came through stages of seeking, waiting, weeping, looking, questioning, misunderstanding, recognising, and finally receiving a commission.
Her journey teaches us something important: deeper revelation often belongs to those who refuse to stop too early.
She Came While It Was Still Dark
Mary came to the tomb early, while it was still dark.
She did not yet understand the resurrection. She did not know what God had done. She simply knew that she wanted Jesus.
That is often how our journey of becoming begins.
There are seasons when we seek God without having full understanding. We may not know why something happened, what God is doing, or why He seems hidden. Yet hunger keeps us moving.
Sometimes we want clarity before we continue, but perseverance often requires us to continue before clarity comes.
Mary came in the dark.
And sometimes faith does too.
She Stayed When Others Left
Peter and John came to the tomb, investigated what had happened, and then went home.
Mary stayed.
That distinction matters.
She remained outside the tomb, weeping.
There are revelations we may never enter if we are always quick to leave difficult places.
Perseverance means remaining in prayer when the answer does not come immediately.
Remaining faithful when you do not understand.
Remaining obedient when emotions are unsettled.
Remaining hungry when others are satisfied.
Mary stayed because information about Jesus was not enough for her.
She wanted Him.
She Stooped Down and Looked Again
Mary did not remain standing at a distance. She stooped down and looked into the tomb.
This is a powerful picture of humility.
Sometimes deeper revelation requires a different posture.
There are things we cannot see clearly while standing in pride, assumption, self-sufficiency, or certainty.
Becoming in Christ requires the humility to say:
Lord, show me what I am missing. Correct what I have misunderstood. Teach me Your ways. Break what resists Your work in me.
The person who refuses to stoop will eventually stop growing.
She Saw Angels but Still Wanted Jesus
Mary looked into the tomb and saw two angels.
For many people, that experience alone would have been enough.
Angels. A supernatural encounter. A heavenly manifestation.
But Mary was not looking for angels. She was looking for Jesus.
She said, “They have taken away my Lord.”
This is where spiritual maturity becomes important.
There are many things around Jesus that can become distractions if we are not careful.
Miracles. Prophecy. Anointing. Spiritual gifts. Ministry. Titles. Visions. Platforms. Manifestations.
All these may have their place, but none of them can replace Christ Himself.
Mary was not satisfied with what was connected to Jesus.
She wanted Jesus. That is the cry of a maturing believer.
Not merely, “Lord, show me Your power.” But, “Lord, I want to know You.”
Do Not Settle for Glimpses
Mary had already seen evidence that something supernatural had happened.
She had seen the empty tomb. She had seen the angels. Still, she kept seeking.
This is important because believers can sometimes become satisfied with glimpses.
One past encounter. One prophecy. One miracle. One revelation. One season of intense prayer. One experience of God’s presence.
But there is always more of Christ to know.
Paul had already encountered Jesus, preached Christ, suffered for the gospel, walked in revelation, and seen the power of God. Yet he still said:
“That I may know Him.” Phillipians 3:10
The deeper you go with Christ, the more you realise that there is still more to know.
Jesus Can Be Present Before You Recognise Him
Mary turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus.
This may be one of the most striking moments in the entire passage.
She was looking for Jesus while Jesus was standing in front of her.
She was asking where He was while He was already present.
This can happen spiritually.
God may already be working while we are still asking:
“Lord, where are You?” “Why have You not answered?” “What are You doing?” “Why is nothing happening?”
Sometimes the issue is not absence. Sometimes it is recognition.
Becoming in Christ includes growing in discernment so that we increasingly recognise His hand, His voice, His ways, and His presence.
She Thought He Was the Gardener
Mary saw Jesus but interpreted Him incorrectly.
She thought He was the gardener.
Her desire was sincere, but her understanding was incomplete.
She was still looking for the Jesus she had known before the crucifixion. But now she was standing before the risen Christ.
This teaches us that old expectations can sometimes limit new revelation.
We may know something true about God and still need to grow beyond our present understanding.
God does not change in character, but our revelation of Him must deepen.
Mary had known Jesus before the cross. Now she had to know Him in resurrection.
There are seasons when God is not contradicting what you previously knew. He is taking you deeper than what you previously understood.
She Kept Seeking Even While Misunderstanding
Mary’s perception was incomplete, but her hunger remained.
She told the One she thought was the gardener, “Tell me where You have laid Him.”
She still wanted Jesus. That is perseverance.
You do not need to understand everything before continuing to seek God.
Sometimes our discernment is developing. Sometimes our theology is still being refined. Sometimes our interpretation of a season is incomplete.
But if the heart continues after Christ, He can correct what we do not yet understand.
A teachable heart can grow. A hungry heart can be led. A surrendered heart can be corrected.
Then Jesus Called Her Name
Everything changed when Jesus said: “Mary.”
One word. Her name. Revelation became personal.
She had already seen Him. She had already heard Him speak.
But when He called her by name, recognition came.
“Rabboni!”
This is the movement from knowing about Jesus to knowing Him personally.
There is a difference between hearing sermons about Him and knowing His voice.
There is a difference between studying His works and recognising His ways.
There is a difference between being around His presence and belonging to Him in relationship.
Jesus calls His sheep by name. John 10:3,
And there comes a depth of relationship where His voice becomes increasingly recognisable.
Revelation Changed Her
Mary’s journey began with confusion.
She was saying, “I do not know where they have laid Him.”
It ended with certainty: “I have seen the Lord.”
That is what revelation does. It changes the seeker.
And Jesus did not allow Mary to remain only in the moment of encounter.
He sent her. “Go to My brethren and say to them…”
True revelation leads to responsibility.
If we genuinely encounter Christ, something in us must change.
Our language changes. Our understanding changes. Our character changes. Our priorities change. Our assignment becomes clearer.
We do not persevere merely to receive something from Jesus.
We persevere until Christ produces something in us.
Perseverance Is About Becoming
The Christian life is not only about what God gives us.
It is also about who we are becoming.
Scripture teaches that tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. (Romans 5:3–4)
So there are seasons God uses not simply to remove difficulty, but to form Christ in us through it.
We may enter a season asking God for an answer and leave that season with deeper character.
We may enter asking for deliverance and leave with greater discernment.
We may enter asking Him to change the situation and discover that He has been changing us.
This is why perseverance matters. The process is producing something.
Do Not Stop Too Early
Mary could have stopped many times.
She could have stopped at the empty tomb. She could have left when Peter and John left. She could have stopped because of grief. She could have stopped after seeing angels. She could have stopped when she did not recognise Jesus. She could have stopped because she misunderstood what was happening.
But she kept seeking.
And because she kept seeking, she moved into deeper revelation.
Many people do not fail because God was absent.
They stop too early.
They become discouraged in the middle of becoming.
But what if the next stage of revelation requires you to remain?
What if there is something God is forming that cannot be produced through convenience?
What if perseverance is not delaying your destiny but preparing you to carry it?
The Goal Is Christlikeness
The ultimate goal is not simply that we become stronger, more successful, or more spiritual.
The goal is Christlikeness.
We are being conformed to the image of the Son.
That means becoming in Christ requires ongoing surrender.
Lord, form Your nature in me. Teach me to think like You. Teach me to love like You. Teach me to forgive like You. Teach me to obey like You. Teach me to remain faithful like You. Teach me to carry responsibility without losing intimacy.
Teach me to desire You more than what comes from You.
This is the deeper work of perseverance.
Keep Seeking Until Revelation Becomes Transformation
Mary’s journey can be traced through a simple progression:
- She sought.
- She stayed.
- She stooped.
- She looked again.
- She refused distraction.
- She continued through confusion.
- She heard her name.
- She recognised Jesus.
- She received an assignment.
This is what perseverance can produce in us.
It moves us from information to revelation.
From revelation to relationship.
From relationship to transformation.
From transformation to assignment.
So do not settle for glimpses. Do not stop at yesterday’s encounter. Do not become satisfied with what you already know about Christ.
- Keep seeking.
- Keep remaining.
- Keep stooping.
- Keep learning.
- Keep listening.
- Keep obeying.
- Keep becoming.
Because the goal is not merely to say, “I know about the Lord.”
It is to come to the place where our lives declare: “I have seen the Lord.”
And beyond that: “Christ is being formed in me.”
Reflection
Where have you stopped in your pursuit of Christ?
Have you become satisfied with an old revelation?
Are you looking for God only in the way you previously knew Him?
Are you willing to remain long enough for your understanding to deepen?
Are you persevering merely to get an answer, or are you allowing the process to transform you?
There is more.
Keep seeking until Christ is not only revealed to you, but increasingly formed in you.
