| |
Book: John
 Print ( PC Only )
John 20:11
I. "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping."
A. As we had suggested last week, after Peter and John had left
the sepulchre, Mary lingered on, standing outside and weeping.
1. As she weep, she stooped and looked into the sepulchre.
a. Usually the opening of the sepulchre was not
very large, and it was usually low.
b. In Jerusalem today you have three classic
examples of sepulchres from the ancient days.
1. One is known as the kings sepulchre.
It is in a large carved out area
replete with carved stone steps
leading to the lower level, and
cisterns carved into the rocks. The
sepulchre itself is in an area carved
out of the rock, and has a large stone
that was made to roll in front of the
opening.
2. By the King David hotel there is what
is known as Herods sepulchre, another
great example of stone that was
designed to roll over the opening.
3. Then there is that which is known as
the Garden Tomb. Here you can see the
groove in which the fit to be rolled
over the opening.
4. In each of these sepulchres, the
opening is quite low and you must stoop
to enter.
2. For you who have been to Israel, you can easily see why
it declares that she stooped to look in.
B. She saw two angels in white, one was sitting at the place where
the head of the body of Jesus was, and the other at the feet.
The linen cloth was probably still there between them.
1. They asked her the question, "Why are you weeping?"
a. She answered them, "Because they have taken
away my Lord, and I do not know where they have
laid Him."
1. Note the statement, "My Lord" Though
He had been crucified, and buried and
now the body is gone He is still her
Lord.
2. Jesus at one time in defending a lady
who was a notable sinner, and had been
washing His feet with her tears and
wiping them with her hair. Said to His
host, "He who is forgiven much, loveth
much."
3. There is no question of the deep and
sincere love that Mary had for Jesus.
4. Before she had met Jesus her life had
been as miserable as one could ever
imagine. Her body was possessed by
seven demons.
5. Jesus had set her free from these
powers of darkness, and she loved Him
intensely.
2. "And when she had thus said, she turned herself back."
a. She was so intent on finding Jesus that the
sight of two angels did not interest her.
b. She wanted Jesus and angels were not a
satisfactory substitute for Him.
c. Much as when the Lord promised Moses that He
would send His angel with Him, Moses replied,
"If your presence does not go with us, do not
send me from here." Moses did not want an angel
who he did not know, he wanted the Lord whom he
did know.
a. Asaph the psalmist said in 73, "Whom have I in
heaven but Thee, and there is none I desire
upon earth beside Thee.
3. She then saw Jesus but did not recognize Him, she
supposed that he was just the caretaker of the garden.
a. Suggestions are given as to why she did not
recognize Him.
1. One that her eyes were blurred by the
tears.
2. Two that it was still too dark to see
clearly.
3. Three that she was looking into the
rising sun and the sun blinded her
eyes.
4. Many people today are blinded from the
presence of Jesus by their tears.
5. For sorrow, they cannot behold Him,
though He is standing near.
b. Jesus asked the same question as the angels.
"Woman why are you weeping?" He added however,
"Whom seekest thou?"
1. If you only knew all of the truth, you
would not be weeping but rejoicing.
2. She was blinded by her unbelief in the
resurrection to the presence of Jesus
next to her.
c. She responded, "If you have taken Him from
here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I
will take Him away."
d. I do not know how much Jesus might have
weighed, nor do we know how large a woman Mary
might have been, but the thought of her
carrying His body must have seemed rather
ludicrous.
4. At this point Jesus said, "Mary"
a. I wonder if He chuckled as He said Mary,
chuckled at the thought of this frail little
thing carrying His heavy body. Was it the
chuckle she recognized?
b. As we have pointed out, Mary was a very common
name and the gospels speak of about five Marys
that were with Jesus and the disciples.
c. It is quite possible that Jesus had a special
inflection to distinguish between the Mary's
when He called to them. Maybe He said, "Mary"
with the special intonation that she knew was
special for her.
d. Jesus had said, "My sheep know My voice, and
they do follow Me."
5. Whatever it was there was recognition, and she cried
out "Rabonni" John tells us which is to say, Master
in the sense of teacher.
a. To the angels she had referred to Him as her
Lord, and now she calls Him, Master."
6. Jesus said unto her, "Touch Me not." Some have
suggested a rendering here as "Do not take hold of
Me." Do not cling to Me.
a. It is suggested that Mary got sort of a death
grip on Jesus, as if to say, I will never let
you go again. In the Song of Solomon the
Shulamite woman said, "I found him whom I
loveth; I held him, and would not let him go."
b. We do know that in a few minutes He will meet
the other women who have left the tomb, and
they will hold Him by the feet.
c. This would lead us to the conclusion that
Jesus made a quick trip to the Father and
returned between the time He said to Mary,
"Touch Me not" and when he appeared moments
later to the other women who held Him by the
feet.
d. Or He was declaring that there is to be a new
way in which His disciples will be touching
Him after His ascension into heaven.
e. When He ascends to the Father and receives the
gift of the Holy Spirit to impart to the
church, they will be touching Him in a greater
and more intimate way when they were with Him
while He walked with them on the earth.
II. Go tell My brothers and say to them, I ascend unto My Father and your
Father, and to My God and your God."
A. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have received the power to
become the sons of God. The Spirit bears witness with our
spirits that we are the children of God. We have the spirit of
adoption whereby we cry "Abba, Father"
1. Jesus calls Him His God, and our God.
a. On the cross He had cried, "My God, My God,
why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
b. Jesus acknowledged the Father as His God.
2. The Father also acknowledged Jesus as God.
a. Hebrews 1:8 Unto the Son He saith, "Thy throne
O God is forever and ever."
b. For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is
given. His name shall be called, the mighty
God.
c. Psalm 45:1-7
3. She was commissioned by Jesus to be the first eye
witness of the resurrection of Jesus.
4. She was the first to proclaim the gospel of the
resurrection.
B. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen
the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
1. Luke tells us that their stories seemed as idle tales
to the disciples. Luke 23:10
2. Remember the two disciples later that day who were
walking to Emmaus. They told Jesus of how the ladies
had declared that they had seen a vision of angels
who told them that Jesus was risen.
3. How unbelief will keep you from the joy of His victory.
a. The disciples should be rejoicing, but they are
still filled with sorrow and hopelessness.
b. If they only knew the full story.
c. If we only knew the full story.
|