I love the gorgeous stained glass windows in our church. Each tells a portion of the life of Christ. As we celebrate Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, this was the story that resonated in my heart this morning.
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had bee rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple , the one whom Jesus loved. She said," they have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put him!"Peter and the other disciple started our for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went in.
I have to stop here and smile. Hmmm....a woman is the first to get to the tomb. Then, Peter and John run ahead of her to the tomb to see what she is trying to tell them. Since John is the author of the book, he makes sure to let us know that he beat Peter while running to the tomb! But, notice that he doesn't go in....he only looks into the cave. Peter, on the other hand, goes on in. This truly fits their personalities! After Peter went in, John followed suit.
Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed--for until then they still had not understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. then they went home.
But.....Mary was STILL there. She had know where Jesus was! She didn't leave. She waited.
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting a the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. "Dear woman, why are you crying? "the angels asked her.
Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don't know where they have put him."
Then she turned and saw another man standing there. She assumed it was the gardener. He too asked why she was crying. She told him and again asked where they had put His body.
"Mary!" Jesus said.
She turned to Him and cried out,"Rabboni!" (Which is Hebrew for Teacher).
Her eyes were opened. She waited patiently on the Lord, and He revealed Himself to her. This is a lesson for us all.
Easter Blessings!
