Lord’s Day, Vol. 2 No. 8
(1) The Scene Opens
- In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene…The scene opens before us at the end of the Sabbath. The Jewish Sabbath is our Saturday. The Jewish day starts at 6am and ends at 6am the next day. The end of the Sabbath is some time at dawn before day breaks on our Sunday. Friday was the first day of Jesus’ death. Saturday was the second day. This is the dawning of the third day, the day of resurrection. Mary Magdalene – who is she? A simple woman folk from Galilee! Why is she special?
Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
She was the first person whom Jesus appeared to after His resurrection. Mary Magdalene had been following Jesus ever since Jesus healed her. What was her problem? She was under demonic bondage. 7 demons possessed her. Life was a living hell for her. But Jesus saved her. Jesus chased away the demons. Healed her. She had suffered much. Now she rejoiced much. Jesus restored her sanity, and she was full of love for her Lord.
She came to Jesus’s tomb before daybreak to remember her Lord. She prepared her heart to seek the Lord early. Everyone could see the difference in Mary Magdalene’s life. She now devoted her life wholly to love and serve her Lord. What about us? What has Jesus done for you? What are you doing for Him? If we have this new life in Christ, we should be loving and serving Him to the limit of our capacity, daily witnessing to the power of His Resurrection! Is this our testimony?
Mary Magdalene was such a one. She was a simple woman folk. Her gratitude to Christ was seen in her action. She owed much, gave much. Loved much, served much. When we have been forgiven much, we also know how to love much. Where we have failed the Lord, let us repent and begin afresh! This is Mary Magdalene for your learning.
(2) Come and See
- And, behold, there was a great earthquake… There was a great earthquake just 2 days before, on Friday at 3pm, when Jesus gave up the ghost. Jesus died. The Bible tells us “And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to the bottom; and the earth did quake and the rocks rent” (Matt. 27:51). This second earthquake in verse 2 was equally great three days later. The first proclaimed the death of Christ, the second His resurrection from the dead. Verse 2… 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,
- And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. It was a frightening scene. Great fear fell upon the guards of the tomb. Remember they were specially appointed to guard the sealed tomb so that nothing could go in or come out! Their very lives were in danger if they failed to guard the tomb. In verses 5 and 6, we read about what the angel said to the women.
- And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. The stone was not rolled back so Jesus could get out. But that others could get in and see that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. Just as He had promised! We don’t need an earthquake for us to believe! Jesus died and rose again to save you! Come and see !Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were asked to witness the empty tomb. Come and see and believe. We read the Scripture with eyes of faith, taking God at His Word. The Christian faith is “I believe therefore I understand”, not “I understand therefore I believe”. We must have faith first before we can behold the glory of God. Come and see. Come and taste of the goodness of God! Come and believe!
(3) Go and Tell
- And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.Having seen and been convinced of the truth of the resurrection, the women were to go quickly and tell. Why? Because the others were sorrowing and mourning and grieving! They were still burdened in their hearts. They needed to know the good news of the living Saviour! Because Jesus lives, there is no need to grieve and sorrow anymore. He has gained victory over the grave for us.Here we are enjoying the comforts of the gospel and God’s blessings in the comforts of this Worship Centre but there is a crying multitude out there still without Christ. Is the Lord burdening your heart to do something for Him? Yield to Him! Go quickly and tell. May the hymn “Make Me a Blessing”, encourage us to this holy work of evangelism:Out of the highways and by ways of life,
Many are weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darknessis rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.Make me a blessing, (2x)
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Saviour, I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today. - And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.Having been told to “go and tell” others of the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, the women departed quickly with fear and great joy. How can we be energized for the work of the gospel unless we are convinced and convicted in our hearts of the truth of the resurrection! Mary and the other Mary saw the resurrected Christ.
- And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. (This is a common greeting in Jesus’ time, it means “Rejoice”.) And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. What is the proper response when we see the living Christ? We bow down in worship. Jesus is not dead but alive. The resurrection gives authority to the church’s witness in the world. The preaching of the Apostles in the Book of Acts was evangelistic. Their focus was the proclamation that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead! They saw the resurrected Christ! The Spirit of God filled them to boldly proclaim the truth. What is the proper response when we see the living Christ? We bow down in worship. Jesus is not dead but alive. The resurrection gives authority to the church’s witness in the world. The preaching of the Apostles in the Book of Acts was evangelistic. Their focus was the proclamation that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead! They saw the resurrected Christ! The Spirit of God filled them to boldly proclaim the truth.We know this is truth by the way the Apostles lived their lives after they saw the resurrected Christ. They all burned out for Him, suffering even a martyr’s death. They knew clearly that being absent in the body, and present with the Lord, there was no fear in their hearts, but courage and strength to declare the truth of the resurrection. Through the witness of Mary Magdalene, the disciples came to know of the resurrected Christ and verse 9 tells us that Jesus met them. They saw their risen Lord. For us today, we see the risen Lord through the infallible, inerrant and preserved record of God’s Word, the Bible, in our hands today.
- Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.Jesus bid the disciples together with Mary Magdalene and the other womenfolk to go into Galilee and proclaim the good news that He is alive! Let all fear be gone. Let the joy of heaven fill our soul. Our salvation is secured in heaven. We will not lose our salvation when we truly believe! We are to serve Him while we can. Mary Magdalene’s life was a living testimony of the power of the gospel, the power of the resurrection, to overcome evil and sin.Because Jesus rose from the dead, we are freed from the bondage of sin. We have the ability to overcome sin and the world through the power of the resurrected Christ. We are to live this life to the fullest. By way of application, what is your goal in life? Are you seeking to build greater barns, tear them down and rebuild them? Do not be! Be involved in storing treasures in heaven instead.
(4) Conclusion
Come and see and go quickly and tell, be like Mary Magdalene. If you have been delivered from the bondage of sin, do what she did by sharing the wonderful, gladsome tidings of Jesus’ death and resurrection! Amen.
Yours lovingly
Pr Lek Aik Wee