The First Morning-Jesus Speaks My Name-

The First Morning, The First Appearance

Following Jesus From the Edges

Pastor Calvin Cook

April 6, 2026  

Scripture: John 20:1, 11–16; Mark 16:9

It is the first morning after the resurrection morning. There is something about the first morning.  For more than two thousand years followers of Jesus have been gathering to remember, celebrate, and think on that first Resurrection morning.

With all the pageantry of that Easter morning celebration on the first Easter morning. Today seems a bit different and a bit reflective.  It is not a loud, victorious kind of morning we might expect… but a quiet one. A heavy one. A morning that still carries the weight of everything that has been.

I find myself there.

Somewhere between what was… what is… and what I hope will be.

Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early—while it was still dark (John 20:1). That detail matters to me. Because there are moments in life when we are walking toward God…and it still feels dark. When we are trying to follow Jesus from the edges of life and it almost feels overwhelming. There seems to be a great separation between what we should be doing and what we are actually following through with.

On the thoughts that struck me this Easter was that Mary wasn’t going there expecting resurrection. She was going there out of love. Out of grief. Out of devotion. Out of commitment.

And I think about how many times I’ve shown up like that— just trying to be faithful, not fully understanding what God is doing.

She stood outside the tomb crying (John 20:11).

I understand that place.  After years of dealing with my own grief and loss both personal and in ministry.  After walking with people through grief, loss, hospital rooms, and hard conversations, there are still moments where I stand before God and simply weep.

Not with polished prayers. Not with theological answers. Just present.

And then something shifts. Jesus appears—but Mary doesn’t recognize Him. Jesus asks her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” (John 20:15)

That question reaches deep. Because sometimes as I am looking for Jesus, I am looking through my own lens and feeling of my own pain, my own expectations, my own understanding.

And I miss seeing Jesus, even when He is standing right in front of me.

Then it happens.  He says her name. “Mary.” (John 20:16)

That’s all it took. Not a sermon. Just her name, spoken by the risen Savior. And at that moment—everything changes.

I think about that for my own life. The first appearance of Jesus after the resurrection was not to a crowd, not to religious leaders, not even to the disciples. It was to one person, in a quiet place, in the middle of grief.

That’s how Jesus often meets us. Not always in the big moments, but in the personal ones.

In the stillness. In tears. In the places where we are just trying to hold it together.

This first morning reminds me: Resurrection is not just an event; it is an encounter. It is the moment when Jesus steps into our darkness, calls us by name and reveals that death, loss, and despair do not have the final word.

Today, I find myself asking: Am I listening to His voice? Am I willing to recognize Jesus even when He shows up differently than I expected?

Am I open to the possibility that resurrection is already unfolding in places I thought were finished?

Because sometimes, the first sign of resurrection is not a trumpet sound.

It’s simply this: Jesus calling your name.

I want to encourage you today to come to a quiet place and just sit and hear Jesus speaking your name. Then be willing to respond.

Maybe as a declaration, an open and public commitment, you can post in the comments “I am ready to respond”.

See you tomorrow, as we follow Jesus From the Edges.