4/5/15 Mary and the resurrected Jesus

11Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20) 

Thoughts: Mary was delirious.  She was in shock with grief. She was crying and talking to angels with doubt and not focusing on their angelic presence. If I had seen an angel in a tomb, I don't think I would leave their presence crying.  She also heard and saw Jesus but did not recognize Him because she was convinced someone had stolen his body- which was just another bad thing on top of all the terrible things surrounding the flogging, mocking and crucifying of Jesus.  Jesus also wanted to know why she was crying.  This is so human.  Mary was about to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.  Here Christ was risen and she was still looking for his dead body.  We can be so expectant of the worst scenario that we blind ourselves to reality.  We need to recognize that with God all things are possible- even life after death.
     Mary at last believed- not when she saw the empty tomb; not when she saw the angels; not even when she saw Jesus.  She first believed when he called her name.  She tried to hold him down as if she could tell him to never leave  This was not a physical or spiritual problem for Jesus.  It was a problem for Mary.  Jesus' body would not be there forever with her but His spirit would.
     Mary went to the disciples exclaiming she had seen the Lord.  When our expectations are changed from death to life-- we want to tell someone else.  This first recognition of the resurrected Lord is stark in its contrast  between the grief, the wondering, and the excitement.  

Prayer: Lord, change my expectations to put you into my life  Help me to believe all things are possible with you.