Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early…the stone had been taken away from the tomb…Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
John 20:1-18
John tells the story of Mary Magdalene coming to Jesus’ tomb to complete the anointing of Jesus’ body which Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had begun. The other gospels tell of other women coming, as a group, to Jesus’ tomb. John shows us the realization of Mary that Jesus, indeed, had risen from the grave. John tells us it was “still dark” while the other gospel writers use other descriptions to depict the dimness of the light just before sunrise. There was just enough light for Mary to see that the tomb was open with the stone having been rolled aside. Mary goes no closer to the tomb, thinking that grave robbers have come and stolen Jesus’ body. Instead, she runs to the Disciples with the news that someone had taken Jesus’ body. Her announcement causes Peter and John to run toward Jesus’ tomb to see for themselves while Mary trails behind them. The younger John outruns Peter, arriving at the tomb first. Out of respect for his elder friend, John only looks inside to see the tomb is empty and, as Peter arrives and enters the tomb, John follows, seeing the graves clothes and head wrap laying there and John believes. Peter and John depart to tell the other Disciples of what they have seen. Mary decides to remain and peer into the tomb. She continues to weep, still thinking someone has stolen Jesus’ body. She sees two angels in the tomb who ask her why she is weeping. Her response tells us she still believes Jesus’ body was taken. Matthew tells us the angel told the women that Jesus had risen. But, Mary, un-consoled, turns and sees another person. Thinking him to be a gardener, she answers him the same as she had the angels. Then, Jesus says her name, “Mary,” and she recognizes her Lord, falling at His feet and clinging for dear life to Him. Jesus assures Mary that He is not leaving just yet and that she must go to tell the Disciples what she has seen and heard and that she will see Him again and again in the coming days before His Ascension into Heaven. Christians, the risen Savior, Jesus, is the firstfruits of the resurrection that is to come. He shows His chosen ones what their bodies will be like in the resurrection. For forty days, Jesus shows those who love Him and obey Him what they will be like and what they will be able to do in their resurrected bodies. By extension, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the writers of the New Testament books have described to us what we can expect when we receive our glorified bodies, at the calling of the Church of Christ, on the last day. What little we read of the glorious body each of us will have is only a foretaste of the complete existence we will share with our Savior and Lord throughout eternity! Pray earnestly for the spread of the gospel! Live in expectation of our Lord’s soon arrival!!
Source: S C Ball April 9, 2023
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