One of the most surprising and interesting things about my study of chapter 20 of John’s narrative concerns what I learned in the account of the resurrection of Jesus, and, we need to keep in mind that Jesus is the Beginning of the new creation (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 3:14), vis-à-vis not that Jesus has a beginning, but that he is the Beginning or Leader/King of the new creation. We need to compare this creation with the first one! What I find interesting is this: he used women to witness to men (Jeremiah 31:32). In the beginning of the first creation, Adam spoke with God first, and he taught the woman what the Lord said. However, his witness proved to be a false witness, because he lied to her about touching the tree (Genesis 3:3). Nevertheless, in the new creation women were used to witness to men, and they proved to be accurate witnesses, but they weren’t believed!
In our previous study the two disciples left the site of the sepulcher for their lodging place at Jerusalem, but Mary stayed, weeping and standing outside the tomb. Perhaps she heard something, because she stooped to look into the sepulcher, and therein she noticed two angels in white sitting at the head and foot where Jesus had lain (John 20:11-12).
Interestingly, Mary didn’t question who the angels were, how they got there or why they had come. Perhaps she was simply in the state of shock or maybe they spoke before she could ask. Indeed, the angels were the first to speak, and they asked Mary why she wept. She told them, because they (the Jewish authorities) had taken away the body of her Lord, and she didn’t know where they had put him (John 20:13).
Possibly, Mary heard a noise behind her, because she stopped speaking with the angels and turned and saw Jesus standing with her, but she didn’t recognize him (John 20:14). Jesus asked her why she was weeping and whom she sought, but Mary, believing Jesus was the caretaker, asked him, if he had removed Jesus’ body, where did he lay him. In other words, the Jewish authorities may have wanted Jesus to be buried with the common criminals and not with the honor Joseph showed him. Therefore, and if this was so, Mary wanted to take Jesus away from that place of dishonor, and put him elsewhere (John 20:15).
All that was needed was for Jesus to address her, using her name: “Mary!” and immediately Mary knew it was Jesus (John 20:16). Naturally, she wished to touch him, perhaps grabbing his feet, like the other women did moments later on their way to tell the disciples what the angels told them (Matthew 28:9). However, Jesus forbade Mary from doing so (John 20:17), because he had not yet ascended to the Father. Jesus wasn’t referring to his Ascension 40 days later (Acts 1:1-9; Luke 24:51), but immediately after speaking with Mary, the Wave Sheaf offering would be made in the Temple (Leviticus 23:9-14). This offering blessed the entire harvest. Nothing could be harvested from the fields, until this offering was made each year. Jesus is that Wave Sheaf Offering, being the Firstfruits of them that slept (1Corinthians 15:20). Only moments later, Jesus would have ascended to the Father, so the rest of mankind could be blessed and rise from the dead. Jesus then told Mary to go and tell his disciples what he told her, and she obeyed (John 20:18).
Smoodock's Blog 