#33 – Knowing God Better – John 20 (cont.)

I realized that in the last study, I never really explained what a tomb looks like. Jesus wasn’t buried in the ground.

Instead, he was put in something that looked like this (take a look):
http://tinyurl.com/yhw4vgy

Ok, in the last lesson we noticed that Peter and John SAW something where Jesus was buried. No body. But empty linens that had been around Jesus’ body and head.

Today, we’ll see that Mary Magdalene also saw something. (Mary was the first one to see the open tomb and ran and got Peter and John.) Now, Peter and John have left. But Mary is still at the tomb…sobbing.

Q – What did Mary see? (see below)
A –

11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.

The angels asked her, “Why are you crying?”

Q – Did Mary realize that Jesus had been raised from the dead? Look at Mary’s explanation for her weeping. (see verse below)
A –

13 Because they have taken away my Lord…and I don’t know where they have put him.

So then someone else shows up and asks her the same question, “Dear woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” But the really cool part is…the person was Jesus!

14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

I love Jesus’ reply!!

16 “Mary!” Jesus said.

That was all she needed. Verse 16 continued:

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

It makes sense that Jesus’ next words are “Don’t cling to me…” That is exactly what Mary wanted to do!!!

But Jesus has instructions for her, and she follows them. Here they are:

17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”

18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

Mary Magdalene was someone that Jesus cast 7 demons from. (see Luke 8:2). She followed Jesus from then on, literally all the way to his crucifixion, and now to his tomb, wanting him to have a proper burial.

Jesus appeared to her, turning her sorrow into joy (something he promised the disciples he would do through his resurrection).

It is against all Jewish norms for Jesus to choose a woman to first appear to. She was also the one who first grabbed Peter and John to come to the tomb. And now she is the first one to announce that she had seen Jesus risen!!

Some have pointed to this as further confirmation that the gospels are accurate, because no one would have scripted it this way!

But Jesus did. He often delivers the surprising. Next lesson, we’ll see what Thomas sees.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Adamson
director of EveryStudent.com
and StartingwithGod.com