So the disciples went away to their own homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying… Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Teacher.” Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary 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 20:10-18
Sometimes the best way to understand something is to compare it to something just like it only different. Like comparing the anointing of Jesus by Magdalene to the anointing of Jesus by Mary of Bethany. Other times we can learn more from contrasting behaviors. John, Peter, and Magdalene are all at the tomb of Jesus on Sunday morning. Jesus showed Himself to Magdalene, but not John and Peter. Doesn’t that seem a little peculiar? All three were there…
To be honest, it is a mystery to me. But the more I’ve thought about this the more convinced I am that today’s verses give us a significant clue into the mystery…not only a clue to why Jesus appeared to Magdalene first, but a clue to what it was about her worship that made it “in Spirit and Truth” kind of worship—
In today’s passage we can clearly see the intensity and degree of her love, her obsession, her “seek-My-face” passion for Jesus, in contrast to John and Peter. Now John and Peter weren’t faithless, nominal followers or good-for-nothings. In fact, of all the disciples, at least they had come to the tomb in the first place…but they missed Jesus’ appearance. It’s like they came to the service but they missed the blessing.
To summarize what’s going on: Magdalene and some other women went to the tomb, found it empty. An angel told them Jesus was risen and to go tell His disciples. They run to tell the good news to the disciples and pick up a few of their friends (who believe them) along the way. They get to the disciples and tell them and the disciples (who don’t believe them).
John and Peter, however, want to go to the tomb but they don’t know where it is (they hadn’t been around for the burial as Magdalene had). So Magdalene led John and Peter to the tomb where they found it empty, just like Magdalene had. So, what’s next?
“So disciples went away to their own homes.” Did you catch that? John and Peter left the vacant tomb with its rolled up face cloth and the guards laying paralyzed on the ground. They possibly walked right passed Magdalene inconsolably crying out her grief.
No word of explanation is recorded when they parted ways as they headed to their own homes. It’s like what they had just experienced had no affect on them at all. Isn’t that amazing? They might have at least gotten together at the first-century-equivalent of Starbucks to talk it over… or maybe to pray it over together?
Earlier that morning, Magdalene and the other ladies hurried FROM the empty tomb to tell the others and didn’t even get to the disciples before they’d let their friends know. John and Peter hurried TO the tomb. Did you ever wonder why they didn’t have the same excitement walking away from the tomb as they did running towards it?
Why weren’t they overcome with the urge to tell everyone about it like Magdalene was? There’s a walloping big clue here to the mystery of why Jesus appeared to Magdalene first. Why He WAITED until John and Peter had left to show Himself. A spiritual principal known as sowing and reaping.
Clearly John and Peter had sown years of hard work into Jesus’ ministry. They were at the top of the heap of the upper crust of Jesus’ followers. Mary had done some sowing of her own, and it went beyond serving Jesus’ needs. Nothing breeds love like love. Jesus said those who honor Me before men I will also honor. Magdalene worshipped Jesus before an unreceptive crowd. She was at the cross (so was John). She stuck around for the burial after everyone else had gone home. She was up early Sunday morning to be at the tomb while it was still dark. Do you get the impression that she just wanted to be where Jesus was?
The point is this: The disciples were wonderful, hard-working followers. She was a passionate, obsessed, fanatical worshiper (who also worked hard according to Luke). When there was no one left to accuse the woman caught in sin (presumably Magdalene) Jesus acquitted her. Now when there was no one left to comfort her, Jesus shows up to comfort her…
More on this next time…