From John 20:1-10
The sun was still below the horizon as she slipped out the door and made her way through the quiet streets and dark windows towards the outskirts of town and the garden where he lay. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the past few days. Memories of that tortuous day kept flooding her mind. She had watched as they mocked him, spit on him, and crucified him!
They had killed her Lord! And grief had stolen peace.
But today was a new day. And today, she and the other women were going to take spices to complete the burial preparations for Jesus’ body.
They had arranged to meet at sunrise, though how they were to move the large stone away from the entrance of the tomb, they had not quite figured out yet, and were worried about it. Mary was the first to arrive, but what she saw when she got there turned her blood cold.
The stone was already rolled away from the tomb.
Fear gripped her like a vice.
Her heart began to pound. Her palms began to sweat.
The basket of spices slowly slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground. The pungent aroma of myrrh, cassia and aloes wafted up through the air, enveloping her, suffocating her!
They had taken him! Grave robbers had taken him! Gathering up her skirts around her, she began to run…as fast as she could – straight to where Simon Peter and John were staying.
“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”
Startled by her words, Peter and John rushed out, needing to see for themselves if what she said was true.
Mary was left standing in the middle of the room, alone.
She turned to follow, thoughts coursing through her mind as she made her way back to the garden. Had it come to this? All she wanted was to show her love for her Savior! And now, losing him twice. Once to the cross, and again to the grave.
When she reached the garden, she didn’t see Peter, John or any of the other women. Heartbreak overcame her and she stood, weeping outside the tomb. But she had to see. She had to see where the Lord had lain. When she stooped to look inside, she saw two angels, sitting there. Before she could process her surprise, they asked her, “Why are you weeping?” She said, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him”.
Overcome with emotion, Mary turned to step out, but saw someone else standing there. He said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
Perhaps she did not look him fully in the face. Perhaps she wasn’t listening closely enough to recognize his voice. Perhaps the tears in her eyes clouded her vision. Whatever the reason, she did not know that it was Jesus.
She did not know her Savior was standing right in front of her.
Until he said her name.
All he had to do was call out her name and suddenly she saw him fully, she heard his voice plainly, and her vision became clear.
“Mary!”
“Rabboni!” she cried, dropping to her knees, clinging to his feet. Oh the joy! What once was profound sorrow had turned into ecstatic joy! He’s alive!
Her Lord was alive!
And…he had a message for her to tell to the disciples! So she went. She went and told them, “I have seen the Lord! He is alive! He’s alive!
I have seen the Lord!”
“He is alive!”
Oh my friends! Jesus is alive! He’s not in the grave! He is alive! Are you able to recognize his voice? Is there something clouding your vision? He is calling your name! He is alive! And He is calling your name!
