Mary Magdalene: The First Witness of the Risen Christ
John 20:11–18 (NKJV)
Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene
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.
Message
I. Mary’s Grief and the Empty Tomb (11-13)
It was Mary Magdalene who first discovered Jesus’ tomb to be empty (John 20:1-2). Peter and John heard of it, came and saw the tomb empty, but they went back home. However, Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping (1a). She saw two angels in white inside the tomb (12). The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” (13a) What was her answer? See verse 13b.
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
She thought some people had taken away Jesus’ dead body. She did not even consider the possibility that Jesus had risen and walked out of the tomb.
We are used to thinking that death is the end. Our hearts are negative and darkened by the power and finality of death. When Jesus took His disciple with Him to raise the four-day-dead Lazarus in John 11, Thomas, one of His disciples thought they were going to die to see Lazarus in the realm of the dead (John 11:16). When Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”, Martha didn’t expect that Lazarus would rise now but at the last day (John 11:23-24). When Jesus wept because He was saddened by their unbelief in the resurrection and their belief in death, they mistakenly thought He was grieving over Lazarus’s death (John 11:35-37). When Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”, Martha advised Him of the stench from the four-day-dead body of Lazarus, reminding Him of ‘being too late’ due to her faith in the power of death (John 11:39).
Thanks to Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life, we are no longer bound by such negativity and darkness.
II. The Risen Jesus Appears to Mary (14-16)
Her belief in death was so strong that she couldn’t even recognise the risen Jesus when she saw Him alive—until He called her name (14-16)!
III. Jesus' Instruction and the New Relationship with God (17)
See verse 17.
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.’ ”
Here, ‘My Father and your Father’ and ‘My God and your God’ reveal that the barrier between God and humans was removed through Jesus’ redemption on the cross (Matthew 27:50-51, Mark 15:37-38, Luke 23:45-46). From this point on, as Jesus promised in John 16:23, they could pray to the Father directly in the name of Jesus.
IV. Mary as the First Witness and Messenger of the Resurrection (18)
Jesus had delivered Mary Magdalene from seven demons (Luke 8:2). She thanked and loved Him because of His forgiveness and salvation (Luke 7:41-48). Verse 11 also reflects this. Jesus not only forgave and saved her but also honoured her gratitude, love, and faith in Him by blessing her as the first to see the risen Jesus (14-16) and proclaim His resurrection to the disciples (18).
