TRIUMPH OVER DEATH

“The first day of the week, cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre” John 20:1. This is the TRIUMPH SCENE. What a day of GLORY. It is the day of the mightest spectacle of God’s power. LIFE OUT OF DEATH, VICTORY OVER THE GRAVE, HONOR OVER DISHONOR AND POWER OVER WEAKNESS.

This woman apparently the most unworthy of all, is chosen first to view the stone rolled away and the open grave. At first she thinks they have taken her Lord away—still her LORD, though she thinks Him dead. She runs with her burden of grief to Peter and John. They run back with her, Peter outruns them. He stoops down and sees the linen clothes lying neatly in order. Peter walks right into the grave, then John.

They are awed and convinced that Christ had risen from the dead. They knew if the Jews had snatched Him away, that those burial cloths would not have been left carefully folded. They had not understood His words He had spoken to them before His death, but now they believed. They lost interest immediately in the sepulchre and went home to await developments.

Mary cannot leave the place. She does not understand, and it does not appear that Peter or John told her anything of their findings. Her own sight is dimmed by falling tears. As she stands weeping outside the sepulchre and stooping down gazes into it. Two angels in white sit one at the head and the other at the feet where Jesus had lain. They ask her, “Woman, why weepest thou”

Mary answers the angels with the same words that she had spoken to the disciples, that they had taken away the Lord, and she did not know where they had laid Him. As she turns from the sepulchre, Jesus stands before her. She does not recognize Him. He asks her, “Woman, why weepest thou?” The answer is of course, that there is no more cause to weep. DEATH HAS PASSED AWAY! SIN HAS LOST ITS POWER! SORROW HAS ENDED! TEARS ARE WIPED AWAY! CHRIST HAS RISEN!

Mary supposes He is the gardener. She speaks, “Sir, if thou hast born Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take Him away.” Jesus is overcome by her love and loyalty and says, “Mary.” Now she knows Him, no one can speak her name in that way. She exclaims “Rabboni,” My Dear Master! She had been looking for a dead body and finds a living Man, the One she loves supremely, standing before her in health. The early bird gets the revelation. Prov. 8:17, “I love them that love Me and those that seek Me early shall find Me.”

In her delight Mary was about to take hold of Him, but He warns her, “Touch Me not; for I have not yet ascended to my Father; but go unto My brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto My father and your Father, unto My God and your God.” We find here that a woman gets the greatest revelation yet given—that of the resurrection of the Lord. She is also the first preacher of the resurrection, telling His disciples the glorious news.

They are brought into immediate association with Himself—His Father is their Father; His God their God. Such grace and condescension was never known before. Individuals before Christ’s coming enjoyed fellowship with Jehovah, such as Abraham, David, and Daniel; but never was a revelation like this heard, that a company of people had been brought into relationship with Himself as brethren, Heb. 2:11.