The death of a loved one is a very sad, and sometimes distressing time. Imagine then, if right after the death of someone dear, you went to the funeral home and found that their body was missing. It just wasn’t there anymore. That would certainly add to your grief and distress! Our Scripture today gives a somewhat similar scenario. Let’s look into one of the most joyous passages in the Bible.
Our Scripture begins very early on a Sunday morning. The sun hadn’t even come up, yet Mary Magdalene was already up and had her supplies ready. Late the previous Friday afternoon, the Lord Jesus had been crucified. Several of His followers had removed the body from the cross, and laid Him in a tomb donated by a wealthy believer, Joseph of Arimathea. Because sunset was quickly arriving, the beginning of the Sabbath, they could only give superficial anointing and care to the body of Jesus. A proper anointing had to wait until Sunday, so that was why Mary Magdalene was up before dawn, ready to go to the tomb to take care of that. That’s when she found that the grave was empty.
Running back to the remaining disciples, Mary Magdalene told them what she found, and they all assumed that the body had been stolen. In their state of deep grief and shock, having just witnessed the brutal execution of their beloved leader and friend, the disciples seemed to have forgotten the words that Jesus had told them several times, just a few weeks earlier, that He would betrayed, turned over to His enemies, crucified, and that on the third day He would rise again (Mark 8:31, 9:31-32, 10:32-34). Sure enough, Jesus had been betrayed and crucified. And now, the third day, evidence was indicating that He had indeed risen. Yet they did not comprehend that.
Grave robbers were an occasional occurrence. Sometimes wealthier people might be buried with valuables or jewels, which the robbers would steal. Also, if the dead were wealthy, the body might be held for ransom. Pay them money and they would return the body so it could rest in peace. However, the disciples, along with Mary, didn’t really think that theory through. Jesus was not wealthy and had no valuables or jewels to be buried with. Nor was His family or the disciples wealthy in order to pay a ransom. Also, with the religious authorities against the disciples, along with Roman guards, what robber would want to risk getting involved with that?
Another clue that it wasn’t grave robbers was the fact that when Peter and John arrived at the tomb, they found the grave clothes lying there, neatly folded (vs. 5-7). These would be the linen sheets that would be loosely wrapped around a dead body, somewhat like a mummy, only more loose, with ointments to slow down decomposition. A grave robber would have left the grave clothes on. It would be easier to carry a wrapped up body, and certainly more pleasant. Even if they had taken the linen off, they wouldn’t have taken the time to neatly fold them! So it was obvious a grave robber hadn’t come.
Another point to consider as we consider this Gospel account of the Resurrection, is that when Mary Magdalene first came to the tomb, the stone covering the entrance was already rolled away (vs. 1). This stone weighed possibly 1,000 lbs or more. Mary, even with several other women, could not have moved it. Even several men would have had a difficult time, and the Roman guards would certainly have prevented that. That stone was not rolled away for Jesus to get out. He, in His resurrection body, could have walked through it, as He did through doors later (John 20:19-26). The stone was rolled away so that people could get in and see that Jesus had indeed risen!
As our Gospel account continues, the disciples Peter and John left the grave, but Mary Magdalene remained. Jesus had cast seven demons out of Mary, and thereafter she was a faithful follower and financial supporter of His ministry (Luke 8:2-3). (Nowhere in the Bible does it ever say she was a prostitute. That slander started in the late 6th century.) She remained at the tomb crying. She was crying both for the loss of the Savior she loved, and also with the thought that His body was taken and was lying who knew where. It was then that, not only did she encounter two angels (vs. 12-13), but moments later she saw the Lord Jesus, the first person to see Him (vs. 14). However, Mary did not recognize Him (vs. 15). Perhaps tears blurred her eyes. Also, she would have had the vivid memory of Jesus’ battered and tortured body in her mind. Now Jesus appeared in His resurrection body.
As soon as Jesus spoke Mary Magdalene’s name, she recognized Him. Just as Scripture says, His sheep know His Voice (John 10:27). Mary did not meet the risen Jesus until she had discovered the empty tomb. We, too, cannot really meet Jesus until we discover that He is alive, and that the tomb is empty. Have you met the Risen Savior yet, and know that He is alive?
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