Friday November 25, John 20.11-18

John 20.11-18

¹¹But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb;¹²and 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.¹³They 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.”¹⁴When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.¹⁵Jesus 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.”¹⁶Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).¹⁷Jesus 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.’”¹⁸Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Thoughts: Mary's grief is shown in that even two angels can't bring her back to earth.  She is overcome with the thought that someone has done something to the body.  Then she here's her name.  "Mary... ."   Isn't that the promise which is set place before us all as well...we too are called by name.   Mary becomes the first witness of the resurrection and she then goes back to the disciples to verify that indeed Christ is risen!

Questions:  It is often said that the tomb is open to let us in; not to let Christ out.  Have you ever heard the Lord call you by name?   How?  When?