The Resurrection:

Mary Magdalene’s joy knew no bounds

by Gwen Herat

The sinner that Jesus absolved her of all her sins and whose immediate repentance bonded her to Him, Mary Magdalene the women who ever after trailed behind Jesus up to the last moment he breathed his last on the cross, was the woman who loved Jesus spiritually among all those who were with him throughout... was so overjoyed as her Redeemer appeared to her after the Ascension. All the fear, anguish and sorrow she carried in her heart for three days vanished the moment she saw the Lord in all his radiance.

And when Jesus breathed his last earlier, (Mathew - 27) there were many women there, looking on from a distance who had followed Jesus from Galilee and helped him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the wife of Zebedee.

When it was evening, the rich man from Arimathea arrived and his name was Joseph and he also was a disciple of Jesus. He went into the presence of Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Pilate gave orders for the body to be given to Joseph. So, Joseph took it, wrapped it in a new linen sheet and placed it in his own tomb which he had just recently dug out of solid rack. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there sitting facing the tomb...

The stone

After the Sabbath as Sunday morning was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothes were as white as snow. The guards were so afraid that they trembled and became like dead men.

The angel spoke to the women. ‘You must not be afraid’ he said ‘I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. He has been raised. Come and see the place where he was lying. Go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from death.

Mary Magdalene, filled with joy and ran and suddenly Jesus met her and the other Mary. ‘Peace be with you’ he said.

A little earlier, Mary Magdalene was by the tomb and the one who was sitting at tomb asked her ‘Woman, why are you weeping'?

‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she answers. Then she turns around to see someone who repeats the question. Imagining the person to be the caretaker of the garden around the tomb, she said to him that he had carried away the body.

But there was no one and suddenly she heard someone say ‘Mary'. Immediately she knew it was Jesus by the familiar way he spoke and responded, ‘Rab-bo-nil’ (meaning Teacher) and with unbounded joy, grabs hold of him, but Jesus said, ‘Stop clinging to me. For I have not yet ascended to my Father.

‘But be on your way to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and to your God'.

That’s when Mary runs off to meet the disciples. And there were further appearances.

‘Thou art gone up on high,

To mansions in the skies:

And round Thy Throne unceasingly

The songs of praise arise.

But we are ingerise here

With sin and care oppress'd..

Jesus appears

Though Mary Magdalene is exuberant after seeing Jesus and disciples not yet, they were downhearted and still unable to comprehend the significance of the empty tomb, refused to believe the women who had found the tomb empty. Cleopas whose wife Mary too was at the foot of the cross when Jesus died, left for Jerusalem with a disciple for Emmaus which was about seven miles away.

While on their way as they discussed about the days happenings, a stranger joined them and wanted to know what they were discussing. They stop by with downcast faces. Surprised Cleopas asks the stranger whether he was a stranger in Jerusalem that he did not know the things concerning Jesus.

By the time they reached Jerusalem, they realised that the Lord has been raised and was making his fifth appearance. Jesus speaks to them and Thomas who was not there, maintains he will not believe until he sees the Lord himself and look into the prints in his hands left by nails and stick his fingers into the prints.

When eight days later the disciples meet again behind closed doors, Thomas is with them. Jesus once more stands in their midst and says, ‘May you have peace’ and turning to Thomas, he invites him, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands, and take your hand and stick it into my side and stop being unbelieving.’ At once Thomas repents and says, ‘My Lord and my God'.

‘Because you have seen me have you believed?’ Jesus asks, ‘Happy are those who do not see and yet believe’ (Luke 24, 13-48)

Final appearance

Jesus shows himself alive to his disciples for 40 days following his resurrection. He instructs all about the Kingdom of God and that God has given him the authority in heaven and on earth. He makes arrangements for all his 11 disciples to meet him at a mountain in Galilee.

Others are also informed about this gathering and they total over 500 people. It is here that Jesus appears and starts teaching them. The apostles in Galilee are instructed to return to Jerusalem. They are asked not to withdraw from Jerusalem but keep waiting for what the Father has promised about which you hear from me. Later Jesus leads his apostles out of the city as far as Bethany which is located in the eastern slope of Mount Olives.

While they are looking on, Jesus begins to rise heavenwards and a cloud obscure him from their sight. After dematerialising his body, he ascends into heaven and will come in the same manner as promised.