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The Searcher Becomes the Witness - Saturday, 04/11/2026

Scripture: John 20:17–18; Acts 1:8; 1 John 1:1–3

Mary came to the tomb looking for a dead body. She ended up being the first person in history to announce the resurrection. 'I have seen the Lord' — four words that changed the world. She didn't plan to be a witness. She wasn't appointed to the role or trained for it. She was just a grieving woman who stayed close enough to hear her name, and then went and told the truth about what she had seen.

That pattern — the searcher becoming the witness — runs all the way through the New Testament. The disciples were fishermen and tax collectors looking for something more. Paul was a persecutor of Christians before an encounter on a road turned him into the faith's most prolific writer. The Samaritan woman at the well went to draw water and ended up telling her whole village about the Messiah. Again and again, the people who become witnesses are not the ones who had it all together. They're the ones who had an encounter.

In the Wesleyan tradition, there's a deep emphasis on what John Wesley called 'going on to perfection' — not meaning sinless perfection, but a life that is continuously being shaped and formed by grace. The idea is that the Christian life is not a destination you arrive at, but a journey you are always on. You don't have to be fully formed to begin telling others what you've found. You just have to be honest about the journey.

In Monroe, there are people around you right now who are in the dark — who came to the tomb before sunrise, so to speak, not sure what they're looking for. Your story — even the incomplete, still-searching version of it — is exactly what some of them need to hear. Not a polished testimony, not a complete theological explanation. Just: 'Here's what I found when I stayed close enough to listen.'

As this week ends and a new one begins, the question Easter leaves us with is this: Who needs to hear from you? Not a sermon. Just your honest four words, whatever they are. 'I have seen something.' 'Something changed.' 'I'm not who I used to be.' The searcher always has something to say.

Reflection Question:  If you were to put into four words — like Mary's 'I have seen the Lord' — what you've experienced or discovered this Easter season, what would those four words be?

Action Step:  Think of one person in your life who is searching. This week, find a natural moment to share one honest thing about your own faith journey — not to persuade them, just to let them know they're not searching alone.

Prayer:  God, make me a witness — not because I have all the answers, but because I've been close enough to hear your voice. Help me share what I've found. Amen.