10Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "
18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "
18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20: 10-18
I believe! I can only imagine how Mary felt coming to the tomb to prepare Jesus' dead body! How she must have felt such disgust and outrage to see that someone had taken his body away. And then, she did finally recognize Him... and how? Was it the way He said her name? The way he looked at her? Or was it that He is God and opened her mind to see Him? To know her thoughts would be marvelous... and what did she want to do immediately? Hug Him. After watching Him suffer such a cruel death, to touch Him was what she wanted.. to 'hold on' to Him. and He must have had to pull her away! Then to tell her that He must go to His Father must have been still puzzling to her, to have Him back, only to lose Him again?
I believe! I believe what Mary saw. I know that she saw my Lord and Savior. I know He rose again, and while I don't understand the ins and outs of how that works, my faith tells me that this man did just that. The God-man sent to earth to die for my sins, to be an example of my faith and walk, laid His life down for me, and then just rose right up from the grave. I believe... I know... I have faith.
Happy Easter to you! May the risen Christ fill you with joy today and forever. May you feel the peace that Mary felt seeing her Lord that Easter morning! May you always remember that your Redeemer LIVES!
1 comment:
Amen.
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