They Did Not Recognise Him

Reading:  John 19:16-18, v.25;  28 - 30 ; 38-41; John  20:1-17; Luke 24:13-35; John 21:1-13

This morning I like to spend time going back two thousands years and stand beside those bewildered disciples on that Sunday after Jesus had died.   Up to that point they were still in shock of those events that had taken place, and secretly they were wishing that it had all been just a bad dream. 

But by Sunday, they knew what had happened was real.   Jesus their beloved master has died.   And they missed him and they missed him badly.   Particularly so was Mary Magdalene who loved Jesus dearly.    Up to this point, the gospel writers have not given us a lot information about Mary Magdalene, apart from the fact that

i.     Jesus healed her and drove out 7 demons from her and

ii.    out of gratitude for what Jesus has done, she and other women were following Jesus everywhere and helping to support Jesus and his 12 disciples financially. Luke:8 :2-3.  

When Jesus was finally arrested and sent to be crucified, it was recorded that Mary Magdalene, together with Mary the mother of Jesus, Salome Mary’s sister, and Mary the wife of Cleopas stood at the foot of the cross right near to where Jesus was crucified.  None of the other disciples were in sight or mentioned apart from John the Apostle who was given the task at the cross to take charge of Mary, the mother of Jesus. (John 19:26).

 The crucifixion was a painful and bitter experience for  Mary Magdalene.  Standing there, looking at her beloved master dying an unjust  painful and slow death she felt angry but helpless.   Over the last three years she has come to recognise in Him as the only one who really cares for her without using her.  One who accords to her the dignity of being a woman without the condescension that other women experience at those times.  In him she begins to recover from the pain and humiliation that she carried when those demons tormented her and made her do things that she was now ashamed of.  But her world is now shattered as the only one in this world who gave her hope is finally laid to rest in a new tomb that was borrowed.  Standing at a distance as she saw Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took the body off the cross and hurriedly wrapped it around with cloth impregnated with nearly 100 kg of spices.                          

The haste was necessitated by the fact that Sabbath begins at Sun down on Friday, and the Jewish religion does not allow any dead bodies to be on the cross on the Sabbath.  Jesus died at 3 pm that afternoon and it did not leave much time before sundown at 6 pm.  

As the shock wave of the news of Jesus death moved through Jerusalem, people sat in stunned silence wondering what was to become of their future now that their leader, teacher, prophet, a sight so familiar and so taken for granted was no more.   For Mary Magdalene, this was not to be the last farewell.   As soon Sabbath was over at sun down on Saturday, she hurriedly went to purchase the  spice for Jesus body as a sign of love and respect for her Master.  And all night she waited.  If only she could see him again, even if she could but touch his cold lifeless body, even if she could just soothe the scars on his forehead, even if she could just say her farewell properly before he was to be forever separated from him……and finally, the first light appeared on the eastern sky and Mary was ready.  Together with Mary the mother of James, and Joanna, Mary Magdalene went to the garden tomb determined to complete their mission of love. 

Why did they want to be there so early ?   I can only guess.   Maybe they can’t wait any longer.   Maybe they wanted nobody else to be around in that sacred moment of meeting.  If only they could be alone with Jesus for a short moment.   They knew that the soldiers were on guard there, they knew that the tomb was sealed and that a huge stone was blocking its entrance, but their love for Jesus was so strong that nothing could stop them.   There was only one thing to do  - to get to the tomb and pour the spice on Jesus body, a sign of their affection and devotion for their master.  But when they got to the tomb they couldn’t believe their eyes : there were no soldiers, and the huge stone was no longer blocking the entrance. 

Instead of being jubilant that their difficulties were overcome,  her immediate conclusion was :  those wicked people must have removed Jesus body and put it somewhere else.   In anger and grief that someone has robbed her of her last farewell with her master, she raced the 5 km or so to tell John what had happened.   Peter, heart broken after his denial of Jesus was also there with John, presumably being consoled by him.  

When they heard what Mary told them, they became very excited and the two raced one another to the tomb with Mary trailing behind.   John outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He saw that the stone was in fact rolled away and so he bent down and had a quick look but he did not go in.   Then Peter arrived panting with excitement, and went into the tomb to have a closer look.  What he saw took his breath away.   Instead of the body of Jesus wrapped up in linen, only the linen and the spices were left.  What was very surprising was that the linen were still wound up in the same shape as if the body was inside complete with spices in between, but there was no body. Similarly the cloth used to wrap up the head was also wound up in the exact position of the head, but  Jesus was not there.   He has gone !  As if evaporated from between those cloths and spices.  Because there was no other way a body can come out without unrolling those cloths and spices first.

Having decided that Jesus must have risen and that nobody has indeed stolen his body, the two went away, relieved, but Mary was still unconvinced and she stayed.

Deep in her grief, she wept bitterly.  It was a loud wailing that speaks of deepest personal grief and loss.   Then curiosity took the better of her and she began to have another look into the tomb herself just to find out for herself what was inside that tomb.  
To her surprise, two angels dressed in white were sitting inside and they asked her kindly: woman why are you crying ?  
They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where to find him.   Even as she spoke, she was suddenly conscious that someone else was standing beside her.   Turning around she saw Jesus : but in her deep grief and tear soaked eyes she did not recognise that it was Jesus.   
Jesus spoke to her kindly Woman :  why are you crying, who are you looking for  ?   
Thinking that he was a gardener, she said:  Sir, if you have carried his body away tell me where it is.  I will get him .   Now Mary didn’t really know what she was talking about because if Jesus body was in fact wrapped in 100 lb of spice, she would in no way be able to carry it away by herself.  
At that point, Jesus spoke her name :   Mary  .   
It was that familiar, loving, gentle,  caring voice so characteristic of  her beloved master, that could not be mistaken even in her confused, grief stricken state.   Her grief immediately turned to joy !!!   Rabboni   :   Mary replied similarly in the familiar way she  has always addressed her master.   As she looked up eagerly into his face, glad that she has not missed him after all.   She has found him finally.   Not a dead cold lifeless body, but a real resurrected Saviour, the one who knows her through and through and who loves her with unconditional and unchanging love.   One who sees her deepest grief and hears her cry….and who comes to meet her need and given her the privilege of being the first person to see him after his  resurrection 

Like Mary we also go through times of deep personal grief and loss and pain.  We too sometimes long to be loved and understood.   We too struggled that no one wants to hear our cry, dismissing it as weak and sissy.   In times like that we may fail to see the Saviour who stand beside us, we fail to recognise him, we fail to hear him speak our name,  we fail to believe that He cares….. But he does.   And he wants to come to us as the resurrected Christ : to say those words of power and authority :   Do not fear  I am with you …..I am the First and the Last.   I am the living One,  I was dead and behold I am alive for ever and  ever and I hold the keys of death and Hades.   When you move through the waters you will not be drowned : when you move through the fire you will not be burnt…..Because I love you ……

Rough Outline:  Mary Magdalene,  Disciples on the road to Emmaus, Peter & other disciples
They did not recognise Jesus when he rose from the dead.  Why didn’t they ?
Would we recognise Him if he is in our midst this morning ?