“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre” (Mt. 28:1) The sabbath and the system of which it was a part had truly come to an end. This was the system that could convict man of sin but was powerless to provide eternal life. Here was the dawn of a new day for the era of grace, hope and life had now begun.
They came with sad and tired faces
As the women came to the sepulchre, they thought their hopes of a new life were entombed in the grave. In the company of the Lord, they had sampled a life of perfection — peace, purity, wisdom — and they did not want to return to the bondage from which he had freed them. They wanted to continue to walk in the “light of the world.” Yet here they were coming to perform their last rites for “he was cut off out of the land of the living” (Isa. 53:8).
There are times in each of our lives when our problems seem insurmountable. God seems so far away and we feel helpless and desolate. But the outcome of this journey to the tomb should be greatly encouraging to us. God had been with these women all along and the night of weeping was soon to be swallowed up in the joy of the morning. It will be the same for us if we endure patiently.
We can not help but wonder, after all, if there might not have been some flickering of hope. They would no doubt have been rehearsing the words that Jesus said to them about his impending suffering, death and resurrection. They surely looked forward to him being raised “in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24), but hadn’t his words indicated something more than this?
They saw a glorious sight
Approaching the sepulchre, they were greeted by a powerful, yet gentle being who gave them tidings of great joy: “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come see the place where the Lord lay” (Mt. 28:5-6).
We must observe the honor paid to these two grieving women who were unimportant to priests and rulers. The powerful soldiers assigned to keep the grave could not stand up to this heavenly messenger. Yet these women could. When the angel addressed them, fearful though they were, they could still stand and listen to him.
“Fear not ye,” he commenced, “for I know…” Women tend to have a lot of fears. Mothers can be anxious about their families; those on their own can feel insecure; younger ones worry they may remain unmarried or childless. But sisters, however distressing our circumstances may appear, we are not on our own. We are the children of a loving, compassionate and caring God, the mighty Creator of all the universe. And He knows all our circumstances, fears and anxieties. The same encouragement given these women is extended to us: “Fear not, for I know that ye seek Jesus.”
Joy comes in the morning
We can hardly imagine the overwhelming joy that these women experienced at this announcement. Surely their joy mingled with that of the heavenly host in their celebration, as once again the sons of God shouted for joy at the beginning of this new creation.
If we can have the patience to hold on in faith when trials are sore upon us, God will bless us with the kind of joy that will far surpass our suffering. Paul confirms this in Romans 8:18: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Love during the ministry
When Jesus was dead and all looked hopeless, the women had made the sweet spices they brought with them. Their action was a continuation of the loyalty, commitment and endurance they demonstrated during the Lord’s ministry, for they were among those who cared for the Lord out of their substance (Lk. 8:1-3).
Even when Mary the mother of Jesus was not sure what to make of her son, they had traveled with him. When the rulers tried to set at nought the Son of God, rejecting the stone of God’s providing, these women remained loyal. So much so that Jesus told his followers in Luke 22:28, “Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.”
Mary called Magdalene, “out of whom went seven devils” (Lk. 8:2), fully appreciated the quality of life to which Jesus had restored her from the darkness and despair of her mentally-ill condition. How many of us, after receiving the help and grace of God in response to earnest pleas, seek to actively return thanks to Him in the way Mary did?
These women also observed that Jesus extended the same compassion to the poor, the confused, the rejected, the weak and the sinful and they, in turn, gave him their love and support. If we can learn that the richness and fullness of life in the kingdom consists of sacrificing our own desires to support those among us who need our assistance, we would be like those women who focused on the values which Jesus exemplified in their midst.
Blessings for their love
In serving Christ, the women not only received the kind of tidings for which they intensely yearned, but they were also granted the joy of seeing their Lord and Master alive and glorious and were even able to touch him. “And as they went to toll his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘All Hail.’ And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him” (Mt. 28:9).
Note their life was not a passive discipleship. They left their own affairs and followed him, ministering to him of their substance. Here was the seed planted in good soil; the word of God had taken root in their honest and good hearts and was producing fruit an hundred-fold.
In comparing ourselves with these women, we may point out that our circumstances are different. Many of us are bound by responsibilities that demand most of our time, leaving us very little for service to Christ. We could never have gone about the countryside with him. Thankfully, however, he says, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Mt. 25:40). He thus gives us opportunity to serve along with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary so that we, too, might look forward to seeing, holding and worshiping the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One