A woman is the first to describe her encounters with a risen Jesus in an era when women were often misunderstood and ignored. Yet, she was the first person Jesus commissioned to share the Good News of his resurrection.
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Turn in your Bibles, if you will, to the Book of John, chapter 20. No doubt many of you have heard this story or at least have read this passage of Scripture. The portion from John 20:1-9 can also be found in Matthew 28:1-7, Mark 16:1-8, and Luke 24:1-12. We will read through the first nine verses, but our focus will be on verses 10-18.
We noticed that it was the first day of the week. Now, we must stop for just a moment to consider that thought, the first day of the week.
This is prior to the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in the 1500s, the one that we use today, that places Sunday as the first day of the week. The point I want to stress here is that it does not matter what the name of the first day of the week was back then.
The Resurrection of Jesus
Now, we notice that the stone was taken away from the tomb’s entrance. It was not moved to allow Jesus to get out. Without moving the stone, He could have left in a heartbeat. The reason for the stone to be moved away was to allow others to enter and observe the empty tomb. Jesus had left?
Before they can comprehend this amazing account, people who hear about the resurrection for the first time may need time to process the truth.
There are four stages of belief, just like what Mary and the disciples went through. In the beginning, they might believe it to be a fabrication that cannot be believed (John 20:2).
Second, as with Peter, they might examine the evidence and remain perplexed as to what had transpired (John 20:6). Thirdly, they are unable to accept the resurrection until they actually meet Jesus.
Finally, they begin to fully comprehend the reality of His presence with them as they make a commitment to the risen Lord and dedicate their lives to serving Him (John 20:28).
Verse four states that Peter and the other disciple left at the same time, but the other disciple arrived at the tomb way ahead of Peter.
Maybe Peter was walking along, mumbling to himself, trying to decipher what was going on. Who knows. The other disciple got there, and stooped down to look in, but he did not go in. He was probably a bit scared. But look at what Peter did, and he went into the tomb.
It appeared as though Jesus had passed right through the grave clothes. They apparently had not been touched. The napkin, or headcloth, was wrapped in a separate location.
It was impossible for a grave thief to steal Jesus’ body and leave behind the linen clothes that appeared to be still wrapped around him.
A lot of speculation has been out about the “folded napkin.” Some people would believe that it is an old Hebrew custom that it means of one returning. But it was a burial cloth. There is no evidence of it being a table napkin.
In John 11:44, Lazarus’s face was wrapped with a “napkin.” We need to look at the original Greek for the KJV “napkin” to find the meaning. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible shows us (G4676), “Soudarion — a towel for wiping the perspiration from the face, or binding the face of a corpse.”
Peter and John’s surprise that Jesus was not in the tomb serves as further evidence that the disciples did not fabricate this story.
John thought Jesus had risen when he saw the clothes on Jesus’ grave that looked like an empty cocoon from which He had emerged.
They did not remember what the scriptures and Jesus had said that He would die, but He would also rise again until they saw the empty tomb.
The resurrection of Jesus is essential to the Christian faith. What? Why? First, Jesus rose from the dead, as He had promised. As a result, we can be sure that He will carry out everything He has promised.
Second, the physical resurrection of Jesus demonstrates to us that the living Christ, not an imposter or false prophet, is the ruler of the eternal Kingdom of God. Thirdly, Jesus’ resurrection assures us of our own resurrection. Death is not the end; there is life after death.
Fourth, our spiritually dead selves can be brought back to life with the same divine power that brought Jesus back to life. Fifth, the church's witness to the world is founded on the resurrection.
So now that we have gone through the first part of the chapter, we can now get to the heart of our message. Our Scripture context is that in John 20:10-18, where a remarkable scene is described.
The Importance of Mary Seeing Jesus First
A woman is the first to describe her encounters with a risen Jesus in an era when women were often misunderstood and ignored.
Outside of Jesus’ empty tomb, Mary Magdalene meets two angels and is followed by Jesus. She speaks with the disciples as instructed by Him. This event is yet another illustration of how John includes specific details without repeating the same points as the other gospels.
In verse 10, we see that the disciples have left, and Mary Magdalene is still at the tomb crying. She investigates the tomb again, but now she sees two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the foot, of where Jesus had laid.
They asked her why she was weeping, and she told them that someone had taken her Lord away. But then she turned and saw Jesus standing behind her, but she didn’t know that it was Jesus.
He asked her why she was weeping and who she was looking for. Mary thinks this person is a gardener and wants to know where Jesus had been taken so that she can take His body.
At first, Mary did not recognize Jesus. She was blinded by her grief. She did not expect to see Him, so she could not see Him.
Then, when He mentioned her name, she recognized Him right away. When she heard her Savior call her name, just imagine the love that flooded her heart. Jesus is calling out to us from nearby. Can we respond to Him by saying, “Master,” as Mary did?
Then Jesus tells her, “Touch me not.” Mary did not want to lose Jesus again, so this can also be translated as, “Do not hold on to me” or “Do not cling to me.” The resurrection was a mystery to her at this point.
She might have misinterpreted this to mean that this was His promised Second Coming (John 14:3). However, Jesus did not wish to be hindered by the tomb. The Holy Spirit would be unable to descend if He did not ascend to heaven. He and Mary had significant responsibilities to attend to.
What was Mary’s responsibility? She was to “go and tell.” Her job was to go tell the disciples that Jesus was going to ascend to God the Father. This is where we see that Mary Magdalene was the first person that was commissioned to share the Good News of the risen Savior.
It would have been against the prejudices of the time regarding women that the first person to receive a message from the risen Christ was a woman. In fact, the disciples will dismiss the message that Jesus asks her to share as feminine hysteria (Luke 24:10-11, 22-24).
The specifics of Jesus’ statement are somewhat hazy. He speaks of the disciples as “brothers” to emphasize that salvation is a spiritual adoption by God (Hebrews 2:11-18).
The same idea is echoed when the Father is referred to as “His God and their God” at the same time. Christ also talks about His ascension, which will happen when He leaves the apostles to build the new church (Acts 1:6-11).
Why Does This Matter?
Mary did not see that Christ had risen from the dead until she found that the tomb was empty. When she told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and told them what she was instructed to tell them, she did so with joy and obedience.
How does a sinner meet Christ? By someone doing what Mary did, go and tell them. They will not know unless they are told. Are we filled with the joy of this Good News? Do we share the joy that this good news brings with others?
He rose, He rose from earth’s domain,
Upon Golgotha’s brow.
He lives on high beyond the sky,
His tomb is empty now.
For further reading:
Why Did Only the Women Go to Jesus’ Tomb?
What Happened to Mary Magdalene at the Tomb?
How Did Jesus Treat Women in the Bible?
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