Just at sunrise on Sunday morning, the first day of the week, Mary directs two other women who are also followers of Jesus to the tomb where she had seen Joseph of Arimathea hastily direct the placement of the body of their Lord Master before the Passover Sabbath began. But when they reach the site, a massive stone covers the opening to the crypt, and it is protected by Roman guards. Will these Gentile occupiers even allow them to pass, or help move the immense covering so that they can properly prepare Jesus’ body for burial? While she anxiously ponders the dilemma, Mary feels her body begin to tremble, and scolds herself that she cannot let fear overcome her now. Suddenly, her trembling grows stronger as the ground beneath her feet begins to violently shake, and she realizes that it is not fear but an earthquake, just like the one on Golgotha when Jesus died.

As the severe quake is occurring, a blinding light flashes, enveloping not only the Roman guards but the women cowering at a distance. Shielding her eyes with her lifted arm, Mary is barely able to see and squints toward the blazing brightness. She discerns a form materializing in the brilliant glow, descending from Heaven. The fearsome angel of the Lord shines like lightning, and his gleaming clothing is as white as snow. As the stunning glare begins to subside and finally disappear, Mary realizes that the supernatural being is raising his hand. When he does so, the colossal stone effortlessly rolls away from the mouth of the tomb.

Mary gasps and it seems that time begins to slow as an unearthly stillness enshrouds them, leaving only the sounds of her heartbeat and rapid breaths echoing in her head. Suddenly, there is an explosion of light from inside the crypt more dazzling than anything Mary has ever experienced, and a shockwave of inexpressible power overwhelms her, her companions, and the stunned, quaking guards. As blackness envelopes her consciousness, the last thing she sees is the soldiers crumpling like dead men.

As Mary’s eyelids flutter open, she is momentarily bewildered, and cannot remember where she is, why she is there, or even how much time has passed. Pushing herself up to a seated position, her friends are stirring around her, but the Roman guards are gone. Gathering their impressive load of burial herbs and spices, the women turn to the tomb and halt fearfully in midstride as they encounter the angel, no longer as piercingly stunning as before, sitting atop the enormous stone. The angel addresses the women in a voice that sounds like a tumult of many people speaking at once yet at the same time is infused with peace, calm, and reassurance.

“Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus Who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:2-7)

Dropping their bundles, with great haste they obey, running as fast as they can in the early morning glow to the house where the disciples are huddled in fear of arrest and imprisonment. Bursting through the door, Mary sees the men recoil in surprised terror, regain control when they recognize the women, and then scowl at them for causing their embarrassing fright. The three ladies all start talking at once, their excited statements tumbling over each other’s in breathless spurts while the disciples grow more and more confused. The babble is incomprehensible and growing louder when Simon Peter raises his hand for silence to gain some semblance of control.

After things quiet down, Mary eagerly speaks, explaining the miraculous events of the morning, her excitement barely containable. When they hear the incredible tale, the men look skeptically at each other in bewilderment, but the women emphatically assure them that every word is true. Exchanging glances, John and Peter bolt through the door, running toward the tomb straightaway, Mary closely following them. John quickly gains the lead and runs ahead, Peter and Mary not far behind. When they arrive at the crypt, Mary immediately notices that the brilliant angel is no longer there, yet the men restrain their doubt at the spectacle of the gaping void once covered by an immense stone. John hesitantly stands at the opening, squinting to see inside the dark vault. But ducking, Peter brushes past him and boldly enters the grave with the emboldened John following on his heels while Mary hovers at the tomb’s opening.

It is immediately clear that the tomb is empty!

Stunned to the core of their beings, they see that Jesus’ body is gone. Only the linen wrappings are lying there, although the facecloth which had been on His head is not lying with the linen wrappings but is rolled up in a place by itself. They now believe that Jesus is not here, but they do not accept that He is alive and assume that someone has taken His body, for they do not yet understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead. So the disciples turn away and walk back to their own homes, leaving Mary in the burial garden. (John 20:9)

Mary stands outside the tomb, weeping – grief and anguish overpowering her previous elation. But as she cries, a faint sound from inside grabs her attention. Stooping to look into the tomb, she sees two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet of where the body of Jesus had been lying. The first asks her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” and she answers through her sobs, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they put Him.” (John 20:11-13)

Wholly consumed with this new tragedy compounding the most terrible catastrophe of her life, Mary weeps harder. It was not enough that they killed her Lord. Now, they have taken His body away completely and she knows not where!

Leaving the darkness of the tomb, Mary almost stumbles into a man standing directly in front of her. Momentarily startled, she takes a half step back, wiping at her tears yet unable to halt her crying. He speaks to her in a calm and gentle voice, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15b)

Assuming that this must be the gardener, Mary pleadingly beseeches Him, “Sir, if you have carried Jesus away, tell me where you put Him, and I will take Him away.” (John 20:15b) Then she turns, her tear-filled eyes gazing at the empty crypt, a soft moan escaping her lips as she beats her breast in inexpressible sorrow, collapsing to her knees.

The man says simply, in a gentle, soft voice that she finally recognizes, “Mary!”

Instantly, her eyes open wide, and a muffled choking gasp catches the sob in her throat. She knows that voice so clearly, so dearly. It is the same voice that healed her, commanding her demons away. It is the voice that raised the dead, offered sight to the blind, and cured the leper’s sores to new flesh as spotless and fresh as a child’s. It is the voice of a love so pure and a wisdom so deep that it commanded the worlds into existence and set aflame the countless stars of the night sky.

Mary turns to gaze up at the living Jesus standing before her, her face streaked with tears – the same tears with which she had washed her Lord Master’s feet and wiped them away with her hair. His once torn and beaten body is healed and free from the damage the authorities had inflicted as they slowly and mercilessly killed Him just a few days before. But the evidence of their ultimate crime has been wholly displaced with spotless new flesh. Jesus’ face virtually glows with its manifest purity as His eyes of astoundingly powerful love look at her in the gentle revelation of what has occurred.

She, Mary, is the first person to witness and fully comprehend what has happened! Jesus was dead. Now He stands before her, more than just alive. He is the firstborn from the dead standing outside the tomb that could never hold Him! Overwhelmed by a near panic of joy, Mary throws herself at His feet, embracing Jesus with all her strength and kissing His feet as she sobs once more, but this time in uncontainable joy. She feels the warmth of his living flesh that was cold and devoid of any life when He was laid in this tomb just a few days before.

Soon, Jesus gently chides her, “Stop clinging 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, and My God and your God.’” (John 20:17b) Even His rebuke is filled with His characteristic love and softness. Mary stands and faces her Lord, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, an irrepressible smile stretching across her face. She nods in obedience and understanding yet wishes more than anything for just another touch to assure herself that she is not dreaming as she looks at His beloved face that is no longer beaten and scarred. She knows Jesus well, but Her Lord knows her perfectly. So, He reaches out, grasping both of her hands still wet with her tears, and holds them for a long second as He stares deeply into her eyes.

Mary smiles back at her Lord, closing her eyes in the purest kind of contentment as a warmth of calm assurance runs up her arms and envelopes her frame. She is truly at peace now, her fears fully relieved, replaced by an unwavering faith.

When she opens her eyes, Jesus is gone.

Momentarily gazing at her still tingling fingers, Mary finally drops her hands, turns, and reenters the now vacant tomb. Approaching the stone table that once held Jesus’ tortured body – the table on which His linen burial cloths lay and His facecloth is neatly folded – she kneels and offers the most tender, sweet, and heart-felt prayer she has ever presented to her Lord Master, Who she now realizes is also her God.

Mary fully understands. The perfect Lamb of God willingly paid the price for her sins. By His stripes, she was saved. But death could not hold the holy, righteous Son of God, God the Son. Christ Jesus is alive and has risen from the grip of death itself! He is her Savior and her Lord Master.

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And that, beloved, is the single truth on which all other truths depend for every woman and every man. Jesus is the sole doorway through this life into eternity and beyond. And He died for you! No other truth matters as much as this one that rises above all other truths.

Maranatha.

--------- Dennis and Claudia Chamberland