Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
When we find ourselves in strange or awkward situations it is very difficult for us to “look natural” as if nothing unusual just happened. Take, for instance, a recent event that occurred when my wife and I were buying groceries at the beginning of the social distancing measures taken in response to the COVID-19 virus.
We had finished our shopping and we were at the checkout counter, when my wife complained that the store was too warm. What she actually said, however, was, “I’m burning up!”
I glanced around the store to see if anyone else had heard her declaration, and I was relieved that no-one seemed to notice. As soon as I could I pushed our shopping cart out of the door and into the parking lot. I then quietly said to my wife, “Sweetheart, it isn’t really the best thing to do in the middle of a pandemic to loudly announce in public that you are burning up!”
Blessedly, as I write this my wife and I and all of our family are safe and healthy and we are praying for all those affected by the COVID-19 virus. My point is, however, when something unexpected happens it is easy to feel awkward or out of place. It is hard to “look natural.”
What we find in our focal passage for today, however, is that everyone involved with this episode was acting very naturally. Let me expound on this idea.
First We See That Mary Came Looking For The Dead:
This was a natural act on several levels.
First, everyone who was a witness to the crucifixion knew Jesus had suffered a physical death. While some critics of the Christian faith claim that Jesus merely “swooned” or faked His death, the reactions of the observers gave lie to such theories. As John himself related,
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.
No, regardless of what the skeptics say, Jesus died, and it was natural to look for a dead body in a cemetery.
It was natural for Mary Magdalene to come for Jesus as well.
She loved Him because He had transformed her life. She had been possessed by seven demons, but Jesus has freed her and she became one of His most dedicated followers. Mary knew that there is not enough time on Friday to properly anoint His body, so she wanted to show her love to Him in the only way she knew how, by anointing His body properly.
Finally, it was natural for women to do the dirty work.
From the dawn of time women have done the hard work of keeping our households running. This was as true in the 1st Century as it is in many places today. When my wife and I were missionaries in Africa, it was the women (or young girls) who would walk miles and miles with buckets on their heads so their families could have water. One of the major complaints of women in the 21st Century is that they work at a job during the day, and then they have to come home and work most of the evening at home.
Although it was natural for women to do much of the dirty work, Jesus clearly saw their worth as individuals. He, in a true counter-culture move for His day, taught them the Bible and treated them with a genuine respect. Of course, this was natural too, because Jesus is the master of everything, even the master of social norms!
Next, We See That Mary Didn’t Find What She Was Looking For:
Looking for something and not finding it is natural also.
It seems to be a part of the human condition in this fallen and broken world that we spend much if not most of our lives seeking something that we never find. What we seek is as varied as our own lives; some seek power, others seek relationships, some seek pleasure others seek money, most of us seek peace. The problem is that, as we seek these things, we are treating the symptoms and not the disease.
Mary didn’t find what she was looking for, because she was looking in the wrong place. Jesus wasn’t dead; He was alive, He’d been resurrected. Like Mary, we look for satisfaction in this life in the wrong place. This fruitless quest reminds me of the old song, “Looking for love in all the wrong places.”
The true cure for our longing is not in any earthly balm, but in seeking after Jesus. Compare 2 Chronicles 12:14, “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord . . .” with Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Jeremiah 29:13 tells us, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Mary did seek Jesus with all of her heart, but there would be a detour before she found Him. This seems to be a natural part of life, too!
Next, Mary Looked For The Disciples:
Again, this too, was a natural reaction.
Mary was naturally upset to find the stone had been rolled away. Something was wrong and she needed help, and so she turned to the disciples, and, in particular, she turned to John and Peter.
This, too was natural.
John and Peter were two of the three closest disciples of Jesus. They, along with James, had been with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. They also were the one whom He drew close to Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed. They loved Him and He loved them. It was natural for Mary to turn to them in a time of trouble.
Naturally, Peter and John reacted quickly to the news from Mary. They raced to the tomb, and Peter, naturally, barged right on inside. Yet, as concerned as they were there was nothing to be done. The tomb was empty!
We know, now, that the empty tomb is a good thing. A empty tomb means that Jesus was resurrected and that He has power over death and hell and that He can give us that power too. Naturally, however the disciples did not yet comprehend these facts. They were no doubt stunned and bewildered, and they returned to their safe house to await what came next.
Mary, however was beside herself. She didn’t know what to do, so she just stood there, crying. She had given up looking for Jesus. That’s when He found her.
Finally, We See That Jesus Looked For Mary:
When Mary had given up looking for Jesus, Jesus came to look for her. This, too is natural. Jesus, Himself, said that He came “to seek and save that which was lost.” At this time in her life, Mary was feeling as lost as she ever had!
From the beginning of the Bible God has demonstrated His love for us by seeking after us. He came to walk with Adam and Eve in the Garden in the cool of the day. He came for Moses in the burning bush so that He could deliver Israel. God came to Isaiah in the night to call him as a prophet, and God came to earth in the form of a man to save all who trust in Jesus from their sins. It comes naturally to Jesus to take the initiative, and, like the shepherd of the parable, go and find the lost sheep.
Remember, Mary, like all of us, was a frail, limited, and fallen human being. She could do nothing to save herself. Indeed, in this instance, she couldn’t even find Jesus! It was when she was at her wits end, when she had nothing else to try, and when she had no-one else to turn to, that she found Jesus, because He was looking for her.
Conclusion:
My mother-in-law has always had a pithy way of saying things that lodge that thought firmly into my mind. One day she was talking about a young couple who had just been married. She said about their courtship that, “He chased her until she caught him.” In this case the opposite is true. Mary was looking for Jesus, and then He found her.
The same can be true for all of us today. Jesus wants a relationship with us. He will come to us, but we must give up our feeble efforts to make our lives something useful. When we do, He will catch us, and we will find Him.
And in Him we will have all we ever need or want!
Every blessing,
Dr. Otis Corbitt
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