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| He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matt 28.6) |
Easter Sunday.
The
Collect.
A
|
LMIGHTY God,
who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and
opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by
thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so
by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through the same
Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost
ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout Easter Week.
There were two Marys who came to the Tomb that Easter
morning, and two who did not.
You will remember from our reading for Easter Even
that the women were first to the foot of the cross, last to leave the cross,
last to leave the sepulcher on the beginning of Sabbath on Friday evening, and
now these dear women are FIRST to the Open Tomb of the Garden!
But where was Mary, the mother of Jesus?
She did not come to the Tomb because of perhaps
extreme depression over the events of the past days. Her heart was pierced by
the same lance that pierced the heart of her Son, Jesus.
Mary of Bethany who loved Jesus as much
as any others did not come. Why not?
Perhaps it is because Mary of Bethany was the only one
out of all the disciples who KNEW that Christ would die on the cross. Her
absence at the Tomb also suggests that she KNEW He would rise again.
How did she know these things beyond
all others among the disciples? Because Mary always sat at the feet of Jesus
and allowed His Words to sink deeply into her heart. She drew daily on these
treasures in her heart and contemplated on every word He spoke. His words were
translated by her Love.
1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to
Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2
There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them
that sat at the table with him. 3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of
spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with
her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 4 Then saith
one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5
Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and
had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 7 Then said Jesus, Let
her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8 For the poor
always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
((John 12:1-8 (KJV)
But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: She
had come to the Tomb earlier that morning with the other women, but after they
had left, she returned to the place of sorrow.
Poor Mary of Magdalena! She had come to anoint the dead body
of Christ and was disappointed that there was no dead body! Little did she know
that there was, instead, a living body. Her tears were tears of extreme
remorse! “and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12
And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at
the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” Most normal people would have been shocked at the appearance
of two angels in the tomb, but Mary’s heart was obsessed over the missing body
of Christ.
“13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto
them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid
him. “
This was a precious moment in the minds of the Angels
for they knew who approached Mary from the Garden, but poor Mary did not know!
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing,
and knew not that it was Jesus. Hot, salty tears streamed from Mary’s
distressed eyes. She could barely see more than a figure approaching. At this
early hour, how could it be any other than the gardener? It was truly the
Gardener of her heart, but she could not recognize Him. Christ often approaches
us perhaps in our moments of greatest pain, yet we fail to recognize Him.
15
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?
The same words the Angel; of the Lord uttered to poor Hagar in the Wilderness
when she feared her only son would die of thirst. She too was blind to the
Fountain of Water – blinded by tears!
“She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou
have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him
away.” Mary had been a sinner, but Jesus had forgiven all. Her placed her weary
feet on solid ground and lifted her unbecoming yoke of sin. Her love now
compels her to honor Him, at least, in His death.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary.
What was this? She KNEW that voice well when she heard her name called. Only
One could say her name with that mixture of love and kindness. MARY.
She never before knew her name to
be so beautiful!
“She
turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.” There
was never a question in Mary’s mind after she heard her name called. It was the
same voice that penetrated the stone tomb of Lazarus, and the Voice that went
always to the center of Mary’s heart. When Christ calls your name, you can be
sure to hear it and know Him.
Mary
made as if to grab hold of Christ – to embrace Him with unmitigated joy! 17
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but
go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father;
and to my God, and your God.
Amazing to me that the only person to understand that Christ
must die and rise again was Mary of Bethany; and the first to see Him after His
resurrection was Mary of Magdelena. She, too, was the very first person to carry the news of the
fullness of the Gospel to the Apostles. Only the heart of a woman can love as
did these two Marys.
18 Mary
Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he
had spoken these things unto her. John
20:11-18 (KJV)
When the
women had come to the tomb earlier, they wondered who should roll away the
great stone. It was not only a great stone, but it was sealed by the Roman
Consul, Pontius Pilate, and a Roman guard contingent posted to keep an eye on
the Tomb.
1 And when the sabbath
was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought
sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the
morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising
of the sun. 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone
from the door of the sepulchre? 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone
was rolled away: for it was very great. Mark
16:1-4 (KJV)
Tombs do not usually provide for an exit. This tomb
was cut from solid rock. Such was never before necessary, but an exit was
prepared for Christ. He would not be kept in a stone sepulcher.
When the Lord raised Lazarus, He
commanded the stone be rolled away – “Jesus therefore again groaning in himself
cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take
ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto
him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus
saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou
shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone
from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that
thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it,
that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had
spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and
his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose
him, and let him go. John 11:38-44 (KJV)
Please observe how Christ allows us a role in the
bringing other souls from the death of sin into the newness of life in Him. He
commanded outside the tomb at Bethany: “Take ye away the stone”
And when Lazarus had responded to His beckoning Voice and came out from the
Tomb, he was wrapped tightly in grave clothes. “Loose him, and let him go!”
But no mortal can have any part in the
resurrection of the Lord of Glory! This must be a God-Only event! A contingent
of Roman guards was posted to ensure that the stone remained in place. Man
tried to keep Christ in the grave, but God had other plans!
1 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. 2 And, behold, there was a
great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and
rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was
like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the
keepers did shake, and became as dead men. Matt
28:1-4 (KJV)
If you are secure in Christ, you too shall rise from
the tomb as He did. No man can save you, and no man can keep you in a lost
state. Only Christ can give life eternal to all who believe!
Our adversary, the devil, has placed a sealed stone
over the entrance to our hearts. It proclaims, as the Roman seal proclaimed,
this is the property of Me! No
other admitted here! But when Christ comes to your heart, He commands that the
stone be rolled away. Your heart had always been a tomb. It was destined for
the eternity of death. But when Christ commands the stone to be rolled away, He
enters your heart and it becomes a Temple! He is no stone, but He is the Rock
of Ages. He will keep your heart safely always.
“Believest
thou this?”
