...mourning to dancing!

Have you ever saw something that just amazed you and you had to do a double take just to make sure what you saw was real? Mary Madalene did a double take on this morning. Peter and John decided to go home after discovering that Jesus’ body was really missing. After they confirmed Mary’s story it was hard…hard to lift up their heads. But not Mary, no, she had to take just one more look in the tomb. This time it was different. There was something their besides the linen clothes! Angels! Not one but two! One at the place where Jesus’ head was and one at the place where His feet had been. They ask her, “Woman, why are you crying?” What the English doesn’t show us here is that this was more than just a few tears, this was a wailing. A cry so hard and deep that Mary was in pain. The Greek word is klaiðw (pronounced klah'-yo) which means to wail as in pain. She was tore up. Think about it…she had seven demons that tormented her life cast out by this man Jesus and she has followed Him for quite some time now. They were very good friends and He brought her life joy, peace, and she felt as though she belonged but now He is gone! Listen to her reply from John 20:14 and you’ll understand what I mean , “She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Did you catch that? Mary said, “my Lord.” This implies that she was a slave (Greek-doulos) of Christ’s. Not in a bad sense but a good sense. A slave has lost all of their will to their master’s and the master now has control of the slave. Paul said he was a slave of Christ in Romans 1:1. Mary had given Christ her life. She was His follower, willing to obey His every command but now He is gone. She has no idea what to do next. So she turns as if to leave the tomb, evidently not realizing to whom she was talking to, and runs smack dab right into Jesus! But here’s the kicker: she didn’t realize it was Him! She thought He was the gardener. There could be several reasons for this like she was so distraught over Jesus being gone that she wasn’t thinking right. Maybe she never looked up at Him. I think it has more to do with Jesus’ appearance. I’ll explain. Isaiah 52:14 tells us that Jesus visage (appearance) was marred more than any mans. This would come from the beating He took before the cross and all the torture He suffered the soldiers, i.e. beard ripped off, crown of thorns, the flogging, etc. We know Jesus had the scars from the spear being thrust in His side and the nails being put into His hands but don’t you think that if He had those scars He would have had the others as well? And maybe that’s why Mary didn’t recognize Him! But when Jesus called her by her name she knew exactly who He was! “TEACHER!” she exclaimed! And she grabbed onto Him and wasn’t letting go! And Jesus tells her that she cannot cling to Him and that she needed to go and tell the others that He will be returning unto God the Father. And as a true disciple, she does what she is told, (John 20:18) “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.” No more tears. It’s back to joy and laughter and she races back to town and finds her comrades and tells them of this great news, “HE IS ALIVE!” Does Jesus have control of you? If not, let Him. It will be the greatest decision you ever made. He will turn your mourning into dancing! Psalm 30:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness…Randy