We sorrow--but not like those who have no hope (1 Thes. 4:13-18).

Introduction In the 20th chapter of John there are a series of startling discoveries and revelations; an empty tomb; a great recognition by Mary and a great charter given by Jesus to his disciples. Mary has come to anoint the body and has found the tomb unsealed. Peter and John have come to the tomb and found the burial shroud of Jesus lying on the tombs ledge. Mary is on a journey. The journey includes a brief bout with grief. Has grief or sorrow ever grabbed you by the throat and threatened your very existence? Mary s distress will lead to a remarkable discovery; distress and despair become delight. The Biblical description of the resurrection certainly frustrates many readers. I want to know more details. The Holy Spirit knows better than I what to include and what to exclude. The Lord is risen from the dead. God is love and God has shown His love to me and also to you; God demonstrated this love in a supreme fashion; while we were sinners Christ died for the ungodly. Have you recently thought, or whispered or shouted God what do you want from me? I do not pretend that this answer is a full or complete or satisfying answer; but God wants you to believe Him, and trust Him, and love Him; the Lord God wants you to know Jesus and to love Jesus and to trust Jesus. We live in a world where we want to keep our health and keep our jobs and keep our marriages and keep our children. It only takes a moment to shatter our world. When disaster strikes we ask why and search for answers. Joy seems so distant; so far away. We sorrow and grieve because of what seems like the apparent defeat of goodness and truth. We look for evidence that God is good and God is in control. Mary is looking for a life-less body; she has no idea that what she will find is the living Lord. The day is Sunday--the day after the Sabbath. According to Jewish Law; this is the day on the Holy Jewish Calendar that required the High Priest to take the sheaf of firstfruits and wave it before the Lord (Leviticus 23:10-11). We sorrow--but not like those who have no hope (1 Thes. 4:13-18). Lingering Sorrow Near The Empty Tomb (v.11) John 20:11 (NKJV) But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. Peter and John have left the tomb; but Mary lingers. You have heard the expression; Good things come to those who wait! How true. What was Mary thinking as she stood outside the tomb weeping? Don t imagine a kind of silent sobbing or whimpering whisper sneaking from between her lips. Imagine deep sobs and loud audible wailing. What has Mary brought with her 1

to the empty tomb? Perhaps a poem to dream; or some philosophy to speculate. Clearly she has brought love and that love is manifest in her flood of tears. Did she want the pain to go away and the sorrow to stop? What was your introduction to grief? For me it was the death of my dog Buster. We walk in a world where there are unexpected turns; a family member is born with a birth defect; a young couple wake up in the morning to a crib where a baby has died and the medical authorities tell you its SIDS; sudden infant death syndrome. The litany of loss does not require a great deal of imagination. You probably know someone or are someone who has lost a child. In our church we have families who have had to deal with the kidnapping and murder of a loved one; children with cancer; the releasing of a child through adoption; the pain of divorce; the aftermath of rape; the grief that comes with mastectomy, disfigurement or disability. The Talmud says; The deeper the sorrow, the less the tongue has to say. All sorrow and suffering are designed to teach us lessons we would not or could not learn in any other way (Max Heindel). Grief may bring unwelcome or unwanted opportunities. Sorrow like rain, makes roses and mud. Proverbs 8:17 (NKJV) I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. Luke 8:2 (NKJV) and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, Jesus had delivered Mary Magdalene from the awful bondage and control of demons. Some people can simply walk away from the tomb; but not Mary. I suspect Peter and John s earlier examination emboldened Mary to peek inside the tomb. Grief is sometimes laced with courage. Mary stoops down and peers into the tomb. She is looking through the tear filled eyes of pain. What she sees and hears in the next few moments will forever change her life. We rarely consider lingering at an empty tomb as revolutionizing a life. Too many people rush past the empty tomb and its testimony. Loitering Angels Appear In An Empty Tomb (vv.12-13) John 20:12 (NKJV) 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. Two angels are sitting; one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. Remember Angels are ministering spirits, messengers sent by God to carry out God s will. The angels were not seen earlier by either Peter or John. But Mary sees the angels. I wonder if they had been there all along. They are dressed in white; fitting symbol of purity, 2

perfection, sinlessness; the freedom from stain and impurity. Those who grieve often only see the natural; and not the supernatural. The scene reminds me of the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:17-19). John 20:13 (NKJV) 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. The angels question why Mary is weeping! Is it because they don t know the answer? The question is asked in order for the angels to minister and to provide comfort. Aren t graveyards the place where people are supposed to weep? Grief is itself a medicine wrote William Cowper. Never ask a person why are you weeping unless you are prepared to hear the answer! Some responses might include; I feel numbness, I feel disbelief; other emotions might include denial, outrage, confusion, emptiness, depression, guilt, fear, abandonment and isolation. Grief is about our loss; our loneliness; our desolation; we rarely give way to the thought that our loved one is now God s guest; our tears sometimes blind us to God s glory. We read the Psalms. We read the book of Job. We read C.S. Lewis A Grief Observed. Here is a man who believes in God; but is struggling to find evidence of His goodness. C.S. Lewis wrote; And no one ever told me about the laziness of grief. Not only writing but even reading a letter is too much. Even shaving. What does it matter now whether my cheek is rough or smooth? Lewis describes his own feelings as he was processing the loss of his wife Joy; It feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says.... Perhaps the bereaved ought to be isolated in special settlements like lepers. The angel s ask--do you have a good reason for weeping! Jesus had earlier told the disciples and the women that he would rise on the third day. Why is it that she still does not understand? Mary s answer; Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him. She speaks to the angels in almost the same words that she had spoken to Peter and John. Does she recognize these men as angels? Does she understand that these are beings from heaven? I want you to read for a moment between the lines: Mary is looking for a man who is dead. Is Mary devoted? Is Mary loyal? The answer is yes. The spiritual significance has yet to break through into her troubled thinking. She is still looking for a dead man. 3

Mary watched her Lord die. She watched Joseph and Nicodemus take him from the cross and prepare his body. Dead men have no power over life and death, sin or salvation. For this moment Mary s world is focused on a grave--where a man s dead body had once been. Mary was living just like the rest of the world; a stranger from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world (Eph. 2:12). The resurrection properly understood; prevents us from weeping some of the more bitter tears; the hopeless tears; but weep we will. We have tears that become consolation. We see the shadow of death but we know the substance is Jesus Christ risen! Living Jesus Seen Clear At The Empty Tomb (vv.14-18) John 20:14-16 (NKJV) Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Mary speaks, but she senses a presence behind her. 15 (NKJV) 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. Jesus repeats the angels question; Woman, why are you weeping? Mary thinks the man asking her the question is the gardner! She wonders if he has removed the body for some inexplicable reason. Why doesn t she recognize Jesus? Has His appearance changed? Has grief and tears combined together to cloud her ability to see Jesus? Is it possible that she doesn t recognize the Lord because her mind believes her Lord is dead and her eyes are so filled with tears she cannot recognize what is a short distance behind her? Grief clouds reality and obscures what is obvious to everyone else. Think for a moment. Mary for a moment fails to recognize Jesus because of her tears. Mary fails to see Jesus because she is facing in the wrong direction. She is facing the empty tomb; it is difficult for her to take her eyes off the grave; and so it is with us. We see the cold earth and the bitter ground; but that is not the place where are loved one lies. We may see a casket or a crypt, an urn or a plot of ground; but our loved one is not there. Their body may be there; but the real person the saved person is with Jesus. When the spiritual circumstances of their heart and life are unknown to us; we can rest assured that everyone will be dealt with according to the perfect understanding of Jesus; Jesus will exercise perfect justice. 16 (NKJV) Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to Him, Rabboni! (which is to say, Teacher). 4

A clue is provided in verse 16; Mary turned around! She has been facing in the direction of the empty tomb! Her face and focus has been towards the grave--but now she turns around and sees Jesus! Peter is first in the empty tomb. John is the first to believe Jesus rose from the dead and left the empty tomb. Mary is the first to see the living risen Lord near the empty tomb! How are we to confront our grief and our sorrow? We TURN around--and look at JESUS. Fix your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim; in the light of his glory and grace. If you live long enough; chances are someone you love will die. We see our dead and we linger at their graves and we sometimes forget about the risen Savior. We weep and we grieve, but not like those who have no hope. Mary will simply turn around and see Jesus and her grief will be turned to joy! The Scriptures give us permission to express rather than supress our feeling of grief. Isaac grieved for his father Abraham and Jacob and Esau both grieved at the grave of Isaac. The family of Joseph grieved for him. Even Jesus wept when he came to the grave of his friend Lazarus. Please note one more thing; Mary hears the voice of Jesus; she hears her name spoken in the familiar endearing voice of her Savior. Mary hears and recognizes His voice before she sees His face! We know the Lord by His voice. We sense the Holy Spirit and we sense His presence. Jesus said in John 17:17; Every one that is of the truth hears my voice. Behold I stand at the door and knock: If any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me (Rev. 3:20). Mary calls Jesus Rabboni or My Master; not simply Rabbi (master or teacher). The title is of course intimate and respectful. Mary acknowledges Jesus as both Lord and Master and she her humble servant. Mary s sorrow has been transformed to surprise and joy. John 20:17 (NKJV) 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. The KJV reads touch me not. The verb is hapto and is found in the middle voice; meaning to touch to lay hold of something or someone. Jesus is telling Mary to stop clinging I think it means stop clinging in the sense of you will need to let me go--that is my flesh. Mary loves Jesus. But Jesus can t stay physically present with Mary forever. Jesus has an appointment with ascending to His Father. The physical body of Jesus will ascend and remain in heaven; at least for a season. The NASB correctly translates this; Stop clinging to Me or the NIV Do not hold on to me. Who can blame Mary. The flood of feelings; the former loss; the sense of desertion and abandonment; if we are honest with ourselves we would cling too. 5

Clearly Jesus invites Thomas in a few short verses (20:27) to touch Him; In Matthew s gospel we read they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him (Matt. 28:9). The resurrection creates a new level of intimacy and relationship. Jesus is not simply an earthly rabbi or human teacher. Jesus is the living Lord of all worlds. Jesus is Lord and God. Jesus will ascend into heaven. Clearly Jesus has risen from the dead. But the message Jesus imparts to Mary to tell the disciples begins with I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God. The message in part is I will not be remaining with you physically on the earth. Jesus must go away. Jesus will send the Comforter. Jesus will ascend into Heaven and take His place at the right hand of the Father as Mary and the disciples representative and High Priest. Jesus is the first fruits of redemption; Jesus is both High Priest and Sacrifice; Jesus is the first fruit of redemption and Eternal Lord. Mary clings for a moment. Jesus reveals to Mary that part of His plan includes going back to heaven. Does this mean another bout of grief? Do you think it is possible that Mary is not happy with Jesus plan? I am going back to Heaven. I don t want you to go back to Heaven. I would rather you stay right here with me. Please. I need you to stay. I need help. John 14:16 (NKJV) And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Covetousness is the driving lust that insists that you need more of something that you already have enough. We to be content. We are to refrain from complaining or what the Bible calls murmuring. We murmur and complain when we question God s rights; God s authority; God s command. We are to believe. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God (Heb.3:12). Do you sometimes have the awful feeling that God isn t there? But go to my brethren --This is the first time Jesus refers to his followers as brethren. John 12:24 (NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. Paul the Apostle refers to this fruit or grain as the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29) Conclusion 6

John 20:18 (NKJV) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. Mary still has much to learn about what it means that Jesus is risen from the dead. She has much to learn about the plans that Jesus has in the weeks ahead. She has much to learn about what it means to place Jesus in the position of primacy. We love Christmas because it is a time of joy. We love Resurrection Sunday (Easter) because it brings with it a note of triumphant certainty. Mary finds her way back to the disciples with a message from Jesus; He is alive. A grieving woman becomes the first evangelist with the distinction of having seen and talked to the resurrected Savior. We are not told in John s gospel how the other disciples received Mary s message of hope. We have every reason to believe her words were met with skepticism, doubt, unbelief. Thus Mary Magdalene, a woman, was the first to see the risen Christ, the first to hear his voice, the first to touch him, the first to be commissioned by him, and the first to tell the glad tidings to others (John Phillips; p. 379). What does it mean to be a Christian? It means to have met the risen Savior. Mary reports the fact of His resurrection and the words that He had spoken to her. Mary could not transfer her experience to them; but she could communicate the Savior s words. Faith comes by hearing. Faith generates life (Rom.10:17); the living Jesus shares the living word. Many fine theologians can define the doctrine of the resurrection and defend it; but the nature and the necessity of the new birth is both a divine work and a human response. We are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). Our new birth, our new life, our regeneration is a creative act on the part of God; not a reforming process on the part of man. The Holy Spirit is the Divine Agent in our regeneration. Yet there is a human element; those who received Him (that is Jesus) were born of God. We believe the claims of Jesus Christ by faith; we receive Jesus by faith and are born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. 7