2023-04-09 Strong Enough to be Gentle

I love watching championship games. Stanley Cup, Grey Cup, Superbowl, etc. It’s usually fun to see the winning team hoist the trophy and run around with incredible joy, fist pumping and chest bumping, throwing off their helmets and gloves. There is euphoria, shouting and cheering. Most of us love winning and when we do, we have a hard time controlling our emotions. In the moment, we also often forget about the quiet people and the people behind the scenes. You often see athletes go to their spouses and kids and involve them in the celebration, but how often do they go to the ticket staff or the ball boy and involve them in the celebration?

This is even more true of men who have been warriors and conquerors in war, after a victory they are often incredibly cruel and dismissive of those with less power. Those they have conquered are usually treated as things to be used and servants and slaves that they already had are just expected to carry on in their duties, not join in the celebration or even be shown any favour.

Conquering and gentleness are generally seen as opposites. But Jesus was different. Today I want to look at the resurrection account in John. It has an element that is significantly different than the other accounts. An element that both fits with the picture of Jesus revealed during his ministry and adds to it.

The story of Mary Magdalene

(Read John 20:11-18) (blank)

To understand the impact of the story we need to fill in a few background details.

Who went to the tomb first? Our passage tells us that on the first day of the week, Sunday (Saturday, or the Sabbath, was the seventh day), Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. In the passage it appears that she was alone, but when she talks to Peter and the other disciple in v2, she says “we don’t know where they have laid him.” Mark tells us that she was not alone. Mary, mother of James, and Salome were also there. Luke indicates that Joanna was there as well. Mark and Luke tell us that they came to anoint Jesus body.

What were they doing there so early? It was after all, still dark. Mark and Luke tell us that they came to anoint his body with spices. Maybe they went so early because they didn’t want anyone to see them. That’s definitely possible. Just as likely is that they just couldn’t wait any longer. The Sabbath had prevented them from coming earlier. We do know that they were brave women. They had stayed with Jesus when he had been crucified.

Regardless of why they came, and how they expected to roll back the stone, what Mary and the other women found was something absolutely shocking to them. They found the stone rolled back and the tomb empty. Mary and the other women run to tell Peter and the disciples. Peter and the other disciple run to the tomb to look for themselves. And according to v11, it seems Mary wasn’t too far behind. When the disciples leave, she stays outside the tomb weeping.

Picture it in your mind. It’s early morning, the shock of Christ’s trial, torture, and crucifixion are still only a few days old, and now Mary finds the tomb empty. She has cried more than possible, and now she cries some more. The last part of v11 tells us that she can hardly believe her eyes, she has to bend over to look one more time. His body is gone.

Who is this Mary Magdalene that she would cry like this?

We don’t know a lot, but what we do know, tells us a lot.

The first thing we know about her is maybe the most important. It’s found in Luke 8:1-3 (read). (blank)

7 demons were cast out of her. She had been rescued from absolute terror and bondage. Raw demonic control. We don’t know what they did to her, the Bible doesn’t tell us, but we do know what they did to the man on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, in the tombs. He was totally naked and living like a mad man. I’m sure that what they did to Mary was just as degrading. Demonic forces always pervert and destroy.

After being freed, she followed Jesus and supported him and the disciples.

John 19:25 tells us that she was at Jesus’ crucifixion.

Mat 27:61 tells us that she was at his burial.

That’s all we know. In any case, Mary had reason to cry. The person who had released and freed her, the person to whom she had been devoted to serving for 2-3 years and given her new life, had been crucified. She had seen it happen; she had helped lay him in the tomb. He was dead and gone.

The Questions

Now to top it all off, his body is gone. When someone close to you passes away, it’s natural to want to hang on to the body. You know the person is gone, but this is all you’ve got left and you’ve loved and cared for this body. You want it treated with honour and respect.

So what do you think Mary thought when she saw that the body was gone?

In v13 she says, “They have taken my Lord away” – The same people who had him killed have now also taken his body. It’s a legitimate assumption. They hated Jesus, it would make perfect sense to her that they would want to deny Jesus a dignified burial. And so she weeps.

Then she sees the angels, (read v12). (blank) They ask her why she is weeping? She responds that the body of her Lord has been taken away. She’s so distraught about Jesus’ body being gone that she doesn’t seem to recognize the angel’s presence as being significant. She’s definitely not terrified of them as people usually are.

Finally, she turns around and sees Jesus. (read V14) (blank) But she doesn’t see him. Why?

She didn’t expect to see Jesus. Needless to say, the last time she saw Jesus, he was a bloody pulp. Right now, when she thinks of Jesus, that’s the image she thinks of.

There’s another reason. She’s so caught up in her sorrow that she can’t see what’s plainly in front of her. The rolled back stone, the empty grave clothes, the angels, no soldiers. The evidence is all pointing to something unbelievable. So unbelievable that she naturally doesn’t believe it. Her sorrow clouded her mind.

Haven’t you experienced it? When I was talking to Corrina about this one time, she said; “sometimes in our sorrow we don’t see Jesus even thought he’s there.” It happens to us when we are sorrowful, when we are depressed, when we are blinded by sin and, for many other reasons. The leaders of the Jews, worshippers of God, looked God square in the face and didn’t recognize him. They crucified him.

With Mary, she was simply broken-hearted. She had great reason to be sorrowful. And as amazing as Jesus’ resurrection was, his response to Mary at this time is just as amazing. He never reprimanded her for her lack of faith. He didn’t tell her to not weep. He didn’t question why she didn’t recognize him. He fulfilled what is written in Isaiah 42:3 “A bruised reed he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.”

The Gentle Saviour

What does he do? (Read v15a) (blank) He gently asks her; “Why are you crying?, Who is it you are looking for?”

I am amazed at his gentleness. He’s just risen from the dead, defeated Satan and all his forces. Defeated death itself. Reversed the curse of Adam. He could have appeared to her with 10,000 angels. He could have been glowing with the light of the sun. But what does he do? He focuses on her heart. He appears, ordinary enough to be mistaken for a gardener.

Isn’t this what Jesus does with us? How often doesn’t Jesus come to us through other people, and we don’t recognize him? In our sorrow, in the pain of our sinfulness he comes to us and asks us; “why are you crying?”

With Mary he takes time for her brokenness. He takes time to address her hurt and pain. He wants her to tell him about it. He wants us to tell him why our hearts are broken as well.

Why are you crying? Who are you looking for? (Read v15b) (blank)

Mary was looking for a dead Jesus, not a live Messiah. Who are you looking for? Are you finding what you are looking for? Jesus said, “Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” Are you looking for more than a dead Jesus? Are you really searching for the living Christ?, the one who can change the world?, the one who can change you?

Jesus always asks us in the appropriate way. Then he gives the answer.

(read V16). (blank) He reveals himself by saying her name. Have you heard Jesus say your name? Not condemning, but full of love, compassion and acceptance?

Then in v 17 he says “I am returning to the Father” – completion, the brokenness of sin is ended, Christ is united again with God.

Mary’s heartache is gone. In an instant. The brokenness is gone. She has found a Christ who is alive, not dead. The one who rescued her from 7 demons had conquered death and was alive.

Conclusion

Strong enough to be gentle. This Easter, I urge you to look for Jesus. Not one who is dead, but one who is risen. Search for him with all your heart.

In the right time, in the right place, he will show himself to you. He will ask you why you are crying. He knows your name.

Our conquering, gentle Saviour.

Prayer

1 Timothy 1:17

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