Wednesday in the Word...John 20:11-18...I come to the garden alone

Maybe our passage of scripture was the inspiration for the song, "I Come To Garden Alone" or known as "In The Garden."  A little research and the answer is "yes!"  Here are the words of the song's author referring to our passage this morning.

One day in March, 1912, . . . I drew my Bible toward me; it opened at my favorite chapter, John 20 [1-18] . . . That meeting of Jesus and Mary Magdalene had lost none of its power to charm.  As I read it that day, I seemed to be part of the scene. I became a silent witness to that dramatic moment in Mary’s life, when she knelt before her Lord, and cried, “Rabboni!”. . .  My hands were resting in the Bible while I stared at the light blue wall. As the light faded I seemed to be standing at the entrance of a garden, looking down a gently winding path, shaded by olive branches. I awakened in full light, gripping the Bible, with muscles tense and nerves vibrating. Under the inspiration of this vision I wrote as quickly as the words could be formed the poem exactly as it has appeared.

Today's Wednesday in the Word is covering John chapter 20 and verses 11 through 18, which read,

v.11-13 - But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Mary Magdalene has been to the grave site once already.  She has alerted Peter and John who have observed the stone rolled away, the body of Jesus not there, and the linen cloths and head covering laying there.  Peter and John leave and Mary Magdalene makes her way back.  This time she looked into the tomb and saw two angels arranged with one at what would have been the head of Jesus and one at would have been the feet.

Angels appear to give announcements.  The angels announced Jesus' birth and now they are announcing His resurrection.  We are also given what Mary Magdalene is doing, she is weeping.  She still doesn't know what has happened to Jesus.  Her assumption is that Jesus has been taken away.  Stolen?  Maybe.  Moved to another location?  Maybe.  But with two angels on the scene, do you think anyone would have been able to take the body?  Her grief must have been so great that she was not putting two and two together here.  We do see that Mary Magdalene calls Jesus "my Lord" indicating her devotion to Jesus.

v.14-15 - When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 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.” 

Jesus is also there.  He is not in the tomb.  He asks Mary Magdalene the same question, "Woman, why are you weeping?" and then another question, "Whom are you seeking?"  Does your grief have a direction?  Who are you calling out to in your grief?  If it is the Lord then we can have encouragement that just as Jesus met Mary Magdalene in her grief, He will also meet us in our grief.

Mary Magdalene doesn't recognize Jesus.  Is it because of His resurrected body?  Is it because of the abuse that He suffered?  Is it like the two on the road to Emmaus didn't recognize Jesus until He allowed them to when they broke bread at the table?  It seems her thought pattern hasn't changed.  Someone took the body of Jesus.  This gardener might know who or has done it himself.  She is willing to care herself for the dead body of Jesus.  She is still not aware that He has risen from the grave.

v.16-17 - Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 

All Jesus has to do for her to recognize that it is Him is to say her name.  She turns to look at this gardener face on and responds with a title she has probably called Him many times.  She instantly reaches for Him but some instruction is given from Jesus about His next destination.  He is going to see the Father but He has an important assignment for her.  She now knows that Jesus has risen from the grave and that He is alive.  She is to take this information to the disciples.  It is more than the grave is empty but Jesus is alive! 

I can't help but throw in here a cross reference of John chapter 10 and verse 27, which reads,

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;"

Mary Magdalene heard her name spoken by her Great Shepherd, Jesus and she responded.  She now takes the message to the disciples that Jesus is going to ascend to not only His Father and God but also to their Father and God.  This harkens us back to John chapter 14 and verse 3, which reads,

"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

v.18 - Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

Mission accomplished!  Mary Magdalene gave the message of a risen Lord, her risen Lord.  She conveyed this communication to the disciples about what will happen next for Jesus, an ascension which will happen in about 40 days, so time is short for much to happen.  He has already told them that they are to meet together in Galilee after the resurrection and Jesus will make Himself known to the disciples in the next section of scripture.  Like Mary Magdalene, the disciples will be able to announce to the world, "We have seen the Lord!"  

The question of all questions is, "Have you seen the Lord?"  "Have you heard Him call your name and have you responded back with a title that puts you in submission to Him?"  I pray today that if you are in despair that you would call out to Jesus.  The One who can do something about it is the Lord Jesus Christ.  While you are seeking Him, He is already making Himself known to you like He did to Mary Magdalene in the garden.

Pastor Adam