“11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other 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 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” 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 Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because 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 she told them that he had said these things to her”
John 20:11-18.
John is the only one of the Gospels to include this story of Mary Magdalene who remains at the tomb after the disciples leave and return home. Mary sees two (2) angels standing inside the tomb. And while a single view inside the empty tomb produced faith in “the other disciple” — John — Mary is still upset by her perception that Jesus’ body has been stolen.
Jesus Himself is standing in front of her but she does not recognize Him, suggesting that the resurrected Jesus looks quite different from the pre-resurrected Jesus. It takes the voice of Jesus for Mary to recognize Him!
When she seems to try to embrace Jesus — her master, her teacher — Jesus tells her to hold back, for He is about to ascend to His Father in heaven. It is endearing that Jesus refers to His disciples as “My brothers” and to His Father as “My Father and your Father”, for Jesus’ ascension to His Father will open the door for Jesus to give us His Spirit which will give to “15 whoever (who) believes in Him (may have) eternal life”, thus making God their Father and Our Father in heaven.
This conversation between Jesus and Mary suggests that the ascension of Jesus is more than just a physical thing that occurred 40 days after His resurrection. The ascension of Jesus is the glorification of Jesus’ humanity in His Father’s presence, and as such was something quite invisible — it was the inseparable completions of the resurrection. Jesus’ ascension was the gift of our salvation defined by three remarkable occurrences: the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, all inseparably linked. Jesus’ meeting with Mary clearly connects Jesus resurrection and ascension, for His remarks to Mary imply the complete glorification of Jesus, including His ascension. One of the most important and powerful things ever uttered by Jesus was to Mary outside the empty tomb: “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” John 20:17.
So dear friends, these days are our time to reflect deeply on the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus — and what they mean for your life and mine. Pray: Oh dear Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner. I am humbled beyond words at all You have done for us all. May I live faithfully today. And this I pray in Your Holy Name, Jesus Christ, Our Lord, amen.
From the Bible:
“Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him” 1 Peter 3:22.
“No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man” John 3:13.
“Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” Luke 24:50-53.
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”
Hebrews 1:3.
“Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church” Ephesians 1:18-23.
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