Based on John 20:1-18 (New King James Version)
1 “Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’ 3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’ 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, ‘Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ 16 Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’ (which is to say, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’’ 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.”
In this passage, we see very important things, like the resurrection of the Lord, which is the most important piece of our faith, but we can also see the meaning of this miracle and how it is relevant to us at a personal level. Quite simply, the resurrection of the Lord is the key point in that we believe in a living God. No other being with religious significance has this valuable characteristic. With all due respect to other religions, their principal figures are still buried. Mohammed did not rise, nor did Buddha. And so many other beings that say that were gods continue buried without any sign of life. But, Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, left His tomb empty, and now sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of the Eternal God, as the God and Lord He is. But, in the end, what does that mean to you and me?
To be able to understand this more clearly, we need to focus better on a key person in this passage, on Mary Magdalene. What is it that makes Mary so special? A lot! Furthermore, she possibly becomes in this very moment the most important person of the Gospel because through her is that the miracle of the resurrection is transmitted. Otherwise, the disciples would have never found out in the precise moment the fulfillment of what was said, that the Lord would be raised on the third day. If it were not for Mary, maybe a lot of time would have gone by because the disciples did not go looking for the Lord like she did. She was the only one of the Lord’s followers that went to at least be close to His body. She was the only one that went looking for Him, and the soonest possible. And as a result, she went ahead to tell the disciples, that the Lord’s body was nowhere to be found. And this is what makes Peter and John run to go see.
The other curious thing that we see, even though the Scriptures say that Peter and John believed, that the Lord did not manifest Himself first to them. And even more curious, Mary did not yet understand what had happened. But, because she was the first one searching, the Lord manifested Himself to her first, and in a very privileged and personal manner. No other being had this privilege. And through this manifestation, Mary is the first one to not only give the news that the Lord was raised, but that she saw Him with her own eyes. What is it that allows for Mary to have such a privilege, to have even more of a privilege than Peter and John? To understand this, we need to see Mary’s life. The Bible teaches us about Mary: 2 “and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons.” Luke 8:2. The Bible also teaches us this about Mary, which is what makes her so very different to the others: 36 “Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ‘This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’ 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ So he said, ‘Teacher, say it.’ 41 ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?’ 43 Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’ And He said to him, ‘You have rightly judged.’ 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’ 48 Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ 49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ 50 Then He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’” Luke 7:36-50. This is Mary’s story: A sinful woman, despised and a social outcast, someone who the Lord had compassion on and freed her from the power of seven demons. Mary simply felt a deep gratefulness and love for the Lord, something that went beyond what others felt. This is what made her look for the Lord. And this very special feeling in her turned Mary into the most important figure involved with the Gospel’s announcement: that Jesus was raised and is alive!
Now, what does this mean to us? If you feel what Mary felt, you too can look for the Lord, and He will show Himself to you personally, and He will do great things in your life and through your life because He is the God that conquered death. So then, are you looking for the Lord just like Mary did? Lord bless! John