The Revelation of Christ unto a Sorrowing Mary

It was only a few days ago that Mary, in the company of others, stood at the foot of the cross. Coming from the cross, they would hear the most precious words ever spoken, “It is finished. Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit.” No, then they did not understand what this meant. All they knew was that with the dying of Jesus their life had come to an end.

Therefore on the resurrection morning we find a weeping Mary at the grave. Mary was a woman with a past. The life of God’s people does not begin with the joyous sound of Easter morning. What type of woman was Mary? Let us look at her a moment to see what her past had been. She was a descendant of Adam and Eve, a transgressor of the law. In her entire life she had never asked after God. Scripture says she had sunk so deep that she walked with seven devils. Had we seen her, we would have said, “She is lost. For such a person there is no hope.” We would have turned ourselves away from Mary. We would have given her over to God’s judgment. But eternal wonder, she was one of those known from all eternity! From heaven she was an object of love. Yes, she had sunk to the very bottom of hell. It was there that the blessed Mediator went to deliver His people. And it was because of His mediatorial work, the paying of the price to satisfy the justice of a holy, just God, that for Mary there came the time of God’s good pleasure. The God of grace and mercy came to Mary and said, “Thus far and no further.” There she was cut off from a life of living in sin. She was there endowed with a life that despises sin and sorrows after God and His communion.

Oh, the sovereign grace of God must cause us to stand in holy amazement! Much was forgiven her, and how deeply she now loves the Lord Jesus. She says, “My Lord.” This is be cause she may believe that Jesus has become her possession. She may say with the bride, “My beloved is mine and I am His.” Oh, when she may look back and remember that moment when the Lord made a beginning, when her life was changed, then she bows deeply in holy amazement. Her heart may burn with love for Jesus. The more that the light of the Spirit shines in her heart, the deeper she may feel this. We love Him because He first loved us.

What that must have been, when at the cross the life of the beloved One came to an end! The tie which was laid from heaven could never be broken anymore. That is because Jesus will love His own unto the very end. Had it been left to us to maintain that tie, there would then be no expectation. But God will uphold His own work. Neither the devil nor hell has the power to take away what the Lord has laid in the heart. Not even death can sever this tie.

But when the death upon the cross came, how dark it became in her life! Her sorrow was never deeper or more bitter than at that time. The Sabbath Day which followed was a day spent in deep mourning. “Early the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene unto the sepulchre.” There she sees the stone has been rolled away. Oh, now there is nothing left! Quickly she runs back to the disciples, saying, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre and we know not where they have laid Him.” After this, they go home. But Mary remains behind. Why did she stay? She could not go home; she needed Christ. That is why she stands outside an empty sepulcher with empty hands. To miss Him is to miss everything. As she stands there, she stoops down to look into the sepulcher. It is as if she wants to verify that He is not there anymore. Her heart goes out to the place where they laid Him. Her eyes long to see something of Him.

She then sees two angels. Is this enough, Mary? With her it was the same as with Moses, “If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” The angels ask, “Woman, why weepest thou?” And as it were, “What is now the reason that you are so sorrowful?” This question does not mean that in heaven there was no knowledge of her sorrow. This question was voiced to draw out her heart, and to make her all the more desirous for Christ. Mary does not try to hide what lives in her heart. She says, “Because they have taken away my Lord.” It is as if she is saying, “There was a time that I had Him, but now I have lost Him.” After all she has experienced of the love and the mercy of God, she now stands by an empty sepulcher missing the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And missing Him, she has no God for her soul. Because now a holy and just God cannot have anything to do with her. The Mediator is not there, and for her He is the only means of being restored into that communion for which she longs. He is not there, the One who for her is the way, the truth, and the light. For her there can now never be an opportunity to be saved. The Lord will now have to cast her away forever. Oh, He can never be her God on account of what she has experienced! Someone else must come between her and God’s holy justice. Without His blood there can be no forgiveness. And although that blood has flowed, at this time she cannot apply this to herself. That is why she is standing there weeping. She has no God for her soul. She says unto the angels, “Would I not weep? They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.”

Oh, how painful to lose Christ, but more painful not to know where to find Him! What an eternal wonder that the Lord in the life of His dear children is always the first to renew the acquaintance! We read that she turned herself around and saw Jesus standing. But she did not know that it was Jesus. This is not so surprising. This is an entirely different Jesus from the one she had known. This is the resurrected Savior. Step by step He must reveal Himself to this missing, sorrowing woman. Here the one-sided wonder must take place of applying unto this missing heart a resurrected Jesus. He says, “Woman, why weepest thou?” And then He follows this with something that lays her entire heart open. “Whom seekest thou?” He does not say, “What do you seek?” but “Whom?” Here it concerns the person of the Mediator. Oh, here this seeking woman hears that there is someone who understands her. He knows that she did not lose just anything, but she has lost her Savior. “Sir, if thou hast borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Without Him she could not live.

She looks back to that empty grave. This will be the last time that she looks. Without Him she must sink away forever. But now it is God’s time. “Mary.” No, Jesus does not say, “Mary Magdalene.” Her sins are forgiven. All that guilt, all those iniquities, Jesus has taken to Golgotha. Now she may receive double for all her transgressions. It is as if the Lord wants to say to this weeping child, “Now it is enough; you will not have to be reminded anymore of what lies behind you.”

In Jesus Christ, the Lord sees no sin in His Jacob. He says, “Mary,” and she may feel the drawing love. Oh, how precious the balm that may now flow into that wounded heart! With her it became as with the centurion, “Speak only one word and my soul shall live.” “No, Mary, I have never left you. Only for a short time have I taken away my felt presence in your heart. I had to go to perform that great task for which My Father has ordained Me. Mary, here I am, your possession for time and eternity. I have loved you with an unbreakable love. With haste I have come to comfort your sorrowing soul, wipe your tears and kiss you with the kisses of My mouth.”

We would have turned ourselves away from Mary. But eternal wonder, she was one of those known from all eternity! From heaven she was an object of love.

Oh, how different everything may now become for Mary! Here she may find a living Savior glorified by His Father, worshipped by the holy angels, and embraced by His people. “Mary.” The manner in which He expresses her name, no other one on earth can do.

Friends, only one word is needed to bring us in the dust. Also, only one word is needed to raise us up. When that word flowed into her heart, then she turned herself and sayeth unto Him, “Rabboni,” which is to say, “Master.” John says, “She turned.” We always stand with our backs towards God. Every time we expect it from places where it will never be found. How foolish and how blind we are! What a wonder that the Lord does not become tired of turning us! “Rabboni.” Here she may bow so deeply, “Thou art my Master.” Only one word, but in that one word she empties her entire heart and reveals all her love. Oh, she will now take Him in her arms to never let go again. Oh, she is so happy with His bodily presence that she will never again be separated from Him. Now everything will be as before.

No, Mary. “Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God and your God.” “Touch Me not” is not a rejection, but an instruction. He says, as it were, “Mary, you must wait with that. One day soon all your life, thanksgiving and wonder may be given to Me for an everlasting eternity.” Mary may not hold Him here, for His entire work was not yet finished. He must yet ascend and take His place at the Father’s right hand. There He longs for the time when all His Marys may finally be home. Here upon this earth they come to know themselves as a weeping and seeking people. Because of that onesided wonder of grace wrought in their heart, they can never be satisfied until from their heart may flow, “Rabboni,” which is to say, “Master.”

Rev. J. den Hoed is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed congregation of Rock Valley, Iowa.

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