The First Witness: Mary Magdalene's Encounter with the Risen Christ (John 20:1-2, 11-18)

In the predawn darkness of that first Easter morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. This simple verse opens one of the most profound and tender accounts in all of Scripture—the first appearance of the resurrected Jesus Christ. Yet it begins not with triumphant fanfare, but with grief, confusion, and a woman's desperate love for her Lord.

The Journey to the Tomb

Mary Magdalene begins her trek to the garden tomb very early, before it is light, carrying spices to complete the burial preparations that had been hastily done before the Sabbath. This was no casual visit—it was an act of devotion born from deep love and loss. After Jesus had cast out seven demons and healed her of an unidentified illness, Mary Magdalene became a devoted follower and disciple.

The woman who approached the tomb that morning had been transformed by her encounter with Jesus. Her past was marked by spiritual bondage and suffering, but Jesus had set her free. Now, in what seemed like the end of everything, she came to honor the one who had given her new life.

The Shocking Discovery

When Mary arrived at the tomb, she found something that shattered her already broken heart: the stone that closed the entrance to the tomb has been removed, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the cliff. She is shocked and imagines a grave robbery. Her first instinct wasn't to think of resurrection—it was to assume the worst. Someone had stolen the body of her beloved teacher.

She runs to where Peter and John are staying with the breathless message: "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" (John 20:2). Notice her words: "we don't know." Even in her distress, Mary was thinking of the community of believers who would be devastated by this news.

The Return to Grief

After Peter and John investigated the tomb and left, Mary remained. Mary, now alone and grief-stricken, did not leave the tomb with the others but stooped to see inside. Here we see the depth of her devotion—she couldn't bear to leave the place where Jesus had been laid, even when there was nothing left to see.

The Angels' Question

As she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" The angels' question wasn't seeking information—it was an invitation for Mary to express her heart.

Her response reveals the singular focus of her grief: "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him". Notice that she calls Jesus "my Lord"—this is personal, intimate language that reveals the depth of her relationship with him. The presence of angels was a trifle to Mary, who had only one thought – the absence of her Lord.

The Moment of Recognition

What happens next is one of the most beautiful scenes in all of Scripture. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Even when Jesus stood before her, Mary didn't recognize him. Mary was still suffering bitterly from the events of the past few days that ended with Jesus' crucifixion; she was perhaps in a state of shock, and now even His body was gone.

Jesus asks her the same question the angels had asked: "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Mary, thinking it was the gardener, responds with an offer that reveals her desperate love: "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him". Think about this—she was prepared to carry away the body of a grown man by herself if necessary. Love knows no limits.

The Power of a Name

Then comes the moment that changes everything: Jesus said to her, "Mary!" One word. Her name, spoken by the voice she knew so well. She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher.

The transformation is instant and complete. The Greek text suggests she literally "turned around" twice—once physically when she heard someone behind her, and again spiritually when she heard her name called by the one she thought was lost forever. "Rabbouni" was an especially intimate form of "Rabbi," reflecting not just respect but personal devotion.

The Commission

Jesus' response to Mary's recognition contains both restraint and mission: "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God'".

Jesus had to redirect Mary from clinging to the past to embracing the future. The resurrection wasn't about returning to the way things were—it was about moving forward into something entirely new. In using this terminology Jesus was saying, "Tell my disciples it is done!" The work of redemption was complete.

The First Evangelist

Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"—making her the first person to proclaim the resurrection. Jesus could have appeared first to Peter, John, or one of the other male disciples. Instead, he chose to favor these women by making them the first eyewitnesses of his resurrection and by commissioning them to bear witness about it to his male disciples.

This choice was radical for its time. In a culture & age where women were usually subordinate to men, I believe God wanted to emphasize the fact that He considered women to be a vital part of the church. The first preacher of the resurrection was someone who had been possessed by seven demons, someone society might have dismissed as unreliable or unworthy.

Lessons for Today

The Persistence of Love

Mary's story teaches us about the kind of love that doesn't give up. Even when everything seemed lost, even when the other disciples had gone home, Mary remained. Her love for Jesus kept her close to the place where she had last known his presence. Sometimes our greatest breakthroughs come not when we're trying to be spiritual, but when we're simply refusing to abandon our love for Jesus.

Recognition in the Familiar

Jesus revealed himself to Mary not through spectacular signs but through the simple calling of her name. Often, we're looking for God in the extraordinary while he's speaking to us in the familiar. The voice that had called her from darkness to light was the same voice that called her from death to resurrection life.

From Grief to Mission

Mary's encounter with the risen Jesus transformed her from a grieving follower into a commissioned messenger. The same Jesus who had cast demons out of her now entrusted her with the most important message in human history. Our past pain and healing can become the foundation for our future purpose.

The Priority of Relationship

Throughout this passage, the emphasis is on personal relationship. Mary calls Jesus "my Lord." Jesus calls her by name. He refers to the disciples as "my brothers." The resurrection isn't just a historical event—it's the foundation for intimate, personal relationship with the living Christ.

The Continuing Invitation

Mary's story continues to speak to us today. Like Mary, we sometimes find ourselves in seasons of profound loss, standing before empty tombs of our own—broken dreams, failed relationships, disappointed hopes. The question the angels asked Mary is the same question Jesus asks us: "Why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?"

Often, like Mary, we're looking for Jesus in the places where we last experienced him, not realizing he's standing right beside us in our present circumstances. We're looking for his body when he's offering us his living presence.

The risen Jesus still calls our names. He still takes those whom the world has discarded and makes them his chosen messengers. He still transforms our deepest grief into our greatest ministry.

A Personal Response

As you reflect on Mary's encounter with the risen Christ, consider:

• Where in your life are you weeping at an empty tomb, looking for Jesus where he used to be rather than where he is now?
• How might Jesus be calling your name in ways you haven't recognized?
• What message of hope and resurrection is he commissioning you to share with others?
• How can your own story of healing and transformation become a testimony to his resurrection power?

Mary Magdalene's story reminds us that the resurrection isn't just about what Jesus did 2,000 years ago—it's about what he continues to do today in the lives of those who love him. The same Jesus who appeared to Mary in the garden still appears to us in our moments of greatest need, calling us by name and transforming our grief into proclamation.

The tomb is still empty. Jesus is still alive. And he's still calling your name.

"Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord'—and that he had said these things to her." - John 20:18