Mary Magdalene, conclusion

When we stopped yesterday, we saw Mary Magdalene, sadly remaining at the tomb. How disappointed she must have been; she didn't have our knowledge of what happened. It was "here and now" for her. The One she had followed and supported and believed in for many months had been killed, and now for all she knew, the soldiers had stolen His body. Reality was setting in.

Have we been in a similar situation before?  Have we poured our energy and time into things and found that they just won't go anywhere? Have we wondered why we keep on trying? Do we wonder if we are, as my grandma used to say, beating a dead horse? Mary Magdalene weeps from her disappointment. And she is frustrated, too. Things are happening that she doesn't understand. She knew the tomb was empty. She knew the angels said Jesus wasn't there. But she may have felt like things were just happening around her, and she couldn't make sense of them.

Frustrated, helpless, and alone. All she could do was cry. She was so overcome by her emotions that she didn't realize someone was there with her.

"Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" said the voice.
She might not have even looked up, or she might have not been able to see well, through her tears.
"Please just tell me where you have taken Him."
Then that voice . . .

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).17 Jesus 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.’”18 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 20:16-18)

What pure joy must have filled her heart!
Once she realized that it was not the gardner, but Jesus, and once He told her to go and share the news, nothing could stop her. She brought the news to the disciples: "I have seen the Lord!"

Mary Magdalene told them what she had seen, what she had experienced. She was the only one who had stayed at the tomb -- she was the only one who had seen Jesus. She was so excited that there was no way she could keep her excitement to herself! She was bubbling over with joy. It was the best news she had ever heard.

Are we like Mary? Are we enthusiastic about telling people about our Lord?
Mary Magdalene and Thomas both had to see the risen Lord in order to fully understand, and to believe. But we have a promise today:

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (I Peter 1:8-9)

The resurrection that Mary Magdalene told others about is the foundation of our faith. We serve a Savior that is risen! Do we take that for granted? Is it "old hat"?

Let's be more like Mary Magdalene. Let's bubble over with the joy we have -- the knowledge that Jesus is alive! Let's be eager to tell others!