David Bahn – Reflections

John 20:1-18

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Maybe you know someone who seems to get all the breaks but really doesn’t deserve it. She may be a poor performer just doing enough to get by. He may be a slacker who manages to show up at just the right time. It could be that this person is not really bad, but they are no shooting star. They plod along and somehow manage to get the bonus or win the prize.

To some degree Mary Magdalene is like that. She is often identified as a former prostitute, the sinful woman who anointed Jesus with oil recorded in Luke 7. But there is no clear evidence that such is the case. She is clearly identified here in John’s gospel as being at the cross when Jesus died, and in Luke 8 as the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons. In any case Mary Magdalene is the first witness to the empty tomb, the first one to alert Peter and John, the first to encounter Jesus and the first evangelist to the apostles with the good news that Jesus had risen from the dead.

If one were to write a fanciful account of the events surrounding Jesus’ resurrection – one attempting to gain credibility even at the cost of the truth of certain facets of the story – he would not include characters such as Mary Magdalene as key witnesses to the event. She was a woman; and in that day would have no standing as a witness to anything. And as one with a storied past her witness would be suspect.

The only problem is: that’s who showed up at the tomb. That’s who saw the stone rolled away. That’s who saw and spoke with the two angels. That’s who Jesus appeared to. That’s whose name Jesus spoke – the first recorded word of Jesus after his resurrection.

Perhaps Mary Magdalene is an example for you and me. We may or may not have quite as much of a storied past as she. We may be respected. We may be nobodies. But whenever we witness the works of God we get to tell about it. Did God answer a prayer of yours? Tell a friend about it. Did God heal your heart? Tell someone. Did God show up and change the course of your life? Tell the story. The qualifications for telling the story of Jesus is simply encountering him and experiencing his work in your life. Your story will probably not be nearly as profound as Mary’s and the empty tomb. But however Jesus shows up is a gift of grace and the makings of a story that you and I get to tell.

John 20:1-18

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ³ So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. ⁴ Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷ and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’^[a] head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to their homes.

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹² And she sawtwo angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,^[b] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.