Acts 1:14  They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.  (New Living Translation)

Luke 8:19-21 
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.”
Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”
(New Living Translation)

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Suddenly, Jesus wasn’t so crazy. 

Resurrection will shift perspective like that, won’t it?

Mary always knew—always knew—her boy was special. Now, her other boys knew, too. 

Resurrection changes everything. 

Meeting in prayerful expectation of something spectacular, just as Jesus promised (See verse 4), they who wondered about his sanity joined with those who saw what only they had ever seen. 

Jesus died a horrible death. 

Jesus was raised from the dead in glorious revelation with a body and a mission that could not be stopped. 

Seeing it with their own eyes, they could only believe, only trust him, only follow in his steps, only go where he sent. James and Jude would lead in significant ways. They would write words of truth and life inspired by the Spirit. 

Mary, well, it was just like Luke 1 and 2 all over again. In 2:19, we read, “but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” Her hopes and fears, her joyful pride, and her unspeakable grief were eclipsed by what happened next. If anyone ever deserved to die with a smile on her face, it was Mary.

Resurrection refocuses our perspective. It shifts the ending from breathlessness to breathtaking. It swaps graves for glory. It releases all unused tears and receives everlasting laughter. 

The resurrection, ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit in power reorder death and life. 

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I will lean into life from above and invite others to do the same.

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Our Father, thank you for refocusing our hearts and minds. Thank you for reorienting us from a disposition toward death to a determination toward life. Amen.