Facing Jesus #15 - Mary Magdalene

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Matthew Mark Luke John
Words of Jesus are underlined

(This section is intended for Easter Worship)

A full harmony of the resurrection from each Gospel would be quite a challenge.  One thing’s for sure: there was a lot of running.  In fact, Mary Magdalene went running twice to the disciples.  The first time, she ran to tell them that the tomb was empty.  Sadly, since she left so soon, she seems to have missed the angels telling the other women that Jesus had risen from the dead – hence her confused tears as she returned to the tomb.  But then she also got to see the risen Lord face-to-face.  How did she see Him?  As her teacher certainly, but more importantly, as she ran back again and announced to the disciples: “I have seen the Lord!”

How do you face Jesus?  If you only see Him as a great teacher, you miss the point.  He is the one who bore the punishment for your sins on the cross and died in them.  And rose again!  And shall raise up all who put their trust in Him, to live with Him forever!

Jesus Rises From the Dead

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” Looking up, they noticed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away.

Mary Magdalene went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying.

But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.

They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”   “Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”

Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?”   Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.” 

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”   Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”

“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what he had said to her.

(Mark 16:1–4; John 20:1–18 CSB17)

Women were not considered reliable witnesses in that time and culture.  Why did the gospel writers make a point of showing that they were the first witnesses to the resurrection?

Why was it so hard for Mary to understand the meaning of the empty tomb or to recognize Jesus?

Again, Jesus as God doesn’t ask questions to get information.  Why did he ask Mary “Why are you crying?  Who is it that you are seeking?”