John 20:10-18 – Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene.
- “The First Profession”
- Now it is Mary’s turn.
- She hangs around just a little longer and when she peers into the tomb she sees two angels.
- They ask her why she is crying. Seems odd. Why would you ask a person stood at a tomb why are they crying? Isn’t it obvious . . . someone they love died.
- But in her culture a question always led somewhere. She just had to take the next step.
- Then she sees the gardener.
- But He is not the gardener, she only thinks He is.
- There is an interesting contrast here. Some think Mary had been a prostitute which the media is constantly telling us is the oldest profession.
- But it is not, gardening is. Adam was a gardener and Jesus is seen as one.
- Then Jesus asks her the same question; “why are you crying?”
- Both times this question is leading her to realize that she wants to find Him and hold on to Him.
- When He says her name realizes who He is.
- He tells her not to hold on to her and goes to the heart of the issue;
- You cannot hold on to me because I have something I need to go and do.
- 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'
- You cannot hold on to me because you have something you need to go and do!
- “Go instead to my brothers and tell them”
- The first profession of our faith should be to family.
- Before he commissions the disciples to tell the world He tells the first person to see Him resurrected, a woman who tradition says becomes a leader and visionary, to go to the family.
- This reminds me of Moses’ encounter with God. He gets where we all want to be, onto ‘holy ground’ hearing God and as soon as he does, God says; “Go”.
- The presence of Jesus is not something to be hung onto but to give us direction.
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