December 24

Rabboni

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). — John 20:16 BSB

Even in His death, Jesus hadn’t forgotten Mary’s name. The ancient pagan belief was that death wiped away all memory of earthly life—its loves, its sorrows, and its recollections. But here we see Jesus, having passed through death, remembering His friends as He always had. He met Mary and the others, picking up the threads of love and friendship as if nothing had changed. This should be a great comfort to us. Love is stronger than death. When our loved ones pass through death, whatever changes they experience, their love for us remains the same. Death doesn’t sever the bonds that unite Christian hearts. We will meet again in the afterlife, remember each other, and continue the love that began on earth, weaving love’s story forever.

When Jesus called Mary by name and she recognized Him by His voice, she responded with a single word, “Rabboni!”—“Master!” This one word reflected the loyalty in her heart and her total devotion to Him. Many people only have a partial understanding of Christian faith. They trust Jesus as their Savior but don’t fully accept Him as Lord. They see faith as simply trusting for salvation and don’t realize it also means obedience and service. Mary understood the full picture. Her response to Jesus showed that she had surrendered herself completely to Him. True faith accepts Christ in two ways: first as Savior, trusting Him alone for salvation, and then as Lord, yielding to Him in complete obedience. A saved soul owes Jesus both trust and loyalty.