That First Easter Experience
Who were these women who had the first-hand experience with the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James had been followers of the Messiah for a long time. As such, early on Sunday morning after the crucifixion on Friday, they both went to the tomb to complete the Jewish burial procedures which they couldn’t do that Friday. That Friday afternoon after Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea was in a haste to bury Jesus’s body. The Jewish Sabbath was about to begin, which caused them to delay the usual burial rituals. The Jewish custom did not permit any work on the Sabbath.
On that third day, these brave women mustered the courage to venture out despite the perceived threat of reprisal from the Jews. So these two devout followers of Jesus came to the tomb early that Sunday morning to ensure the man they loved was properly buried in accordance with Jewish custom. They knew what had to be done. Their love for Jesus overcame their fears.
Taking on this task was going to be emotionally painful. Distraught like the other disciples, I’m sure all of their hopes for the Messiah were shattered after witnessing the brutal death of Jesus on the cross. The previously expected triumph for the Jewish people was now a bitter pill of anguish, despair, confusion, and isolation they had to swallow and move on with their lives.
In their minds they asked – “Who would take Jesus’s place to lead the groves of people that had earlier shouted “Hosanna” in seeing Jesus enter Jerusalem?” Was the movement Jesus led going to falter and bring persecution from the Jewish leaders on them? How could they keep the story of Jesus and salvation alive?
No doubt the two women discussed how they would roll back the stone that closed the tomb. Would the Roman soldiers help them or prevent them from getting even close to the tomb? If they were able to enter the tomb, what did they expect to see? Would they be emotionally and mentally strong enough to carry out the task?
But, as scripture captured that moment, what did the women find at the tomb? The stone was already rolled back and there were no Roman soldiers nearby. What did this mean? We can only imagine what went through their minds when they looked in to see only two men dressed in brilliant white and no body of Jesus to be found. The burial linens were neatly folded on the hewn stone where Jesus’s body had been placed on Friday afternoon. When the angel told them the good news that “He is Risen”, they had to be totally astonished hearing these words and remembering what Jesus had told them just days before about His being raised from the dead on the third day.
As the “other Mary” left the tomb to go back to the disciples’ house to report what happened, Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene. She could not believe what her eyes were seeing in front of her. Her Lord and Savior alive and talking to her. How can this be? “My Lord and my God, this is true!!” Jesus is Alive!!
Jesus and His Mother
As Scripture explains, Jesus appeared to his disciples in their barricaded room several times after His resurrection. These skeptical men still did not believe the stories from the two Mary’s after they visited the tomb and reported that Jesus had risen from the dead. But Jesus removed their disbelief on the evening of that Easter Sunday. John’s gospel went on to describe how Jesus appeared to more than 500 people and performed even more miracles before he ascended to heaven days later.
But of all the people Jesus visited after His resurrection, there is no documented account of Him appearing to His mother, Mary. We can only speculate that He did visit her to prove to her that He was the Son of God, the Messiah that she had counted on like others of her faith. She had accepted God’s invitation to conceive and give birth to this holy man. He was destined for greatness among the Jewish people as their redeemer. Mary remembered the prophetic words expressed by Simeon when the baby Jesus was presented at the Temple; “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34–35)
For the next 33 years, Mary carried that message in her heart; probably hoping the prophetic message would not come true. Undoubtedly, she had to be a very strong woman to now withstand the “sword that pierced her heart” that Simeon had prophesied 33 years earlier. Grieving for her dying son and grieving for her people who once believed that her son would bring the Roman oppression to end.
We can only imagine what Mary was experiencing when she was at the foot of the cross, bearing witness to what the Scriptures had predicted for so many years. Perhaps she had not fully grasped that she was an integral part of God’s plan for His people and everyone in the world forevermore. Hers was a vital role in enabling Jesus to reveal His Father to mankind through His ministry, death, and now resurrection.
As Jesus looked down from the cross, He appointed the disciple, John, to take care of His mother from then on. But what would now happen to her and the rest of the disciples?
Although not documented in Scripture, I believe that Jesus did appear to His mother sometime after the resurrection. Being a loving God and loving Son, He would have wanted to heal the wound to Mary’s soul, restore her confidence in God and confirming the significant role she played in bringing eternal salvation to all mankind. Jesus completed the cycle of life with Mary, from birth to death, and back to being fully alive again. I’m sure her heart was now bursting with joy.
And she was rewarded for her faithfulness by being present with the disciples at Pentecost. After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, Mary was there when the Holy Spirit came on them. She helped keep the good news of salvation spreading throughout the world of both Jew and Gentile.
Below are some of the lyrics of one of my favorite spiritual songs for the Easter season, which I believe, helps us to understand what Mary was contemplating in her heart, mind, and soul for those 33 years.
Mary Did You Know
“Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.
The sleeping Child you’re holding is the Great, I Am.”
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for delivering us all from sin and death, so we may rejoice with you in heaven, where our spirits will live with you for all eternity. Amen.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you, and may He turn His face toward you and give you peace during this Easter season and throughout the year.
Live, Learn and Grow in Jesus.
Blessings,
Jerry
