11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Message: Mary Sees Jesus and the Angels
Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."
What the Lord is Saying: It is rather interesting this story. I admit I have not studied it before, have read it, but have not stared at or studied this. Mary goes to the tomb and sees that it is empty. Peter and John follow and see the same thing. And now we have the record of Jesus speaking or responding to Mary. Mary shows up at the tomb, despondent, weeping - wondering what has happened to Jesus. She thinks someone has taken him. Before her at the tomb were two angels sitting - one at the head of where Jesus would lie and one at the feet, asking Mary why she was weeping. And then behind her it would seem a voice came as well asking the same - and yet that voice was Jesus.
Luke 24:4 also reports the presence of two angels at the tomb, while Matthew 28:1–2 and Mark 16:5 tell us that one angel was there.
The angels came to her in that tomb and probably only her and those angels were meant to be a comfort to her but she did not seem to recognize it for her grief in the moment was larger. Sometimes in our grief and despair we struggle seeing what God is doing in sending us comfort and sending us people to give us comfort. There remained in these people (Mary, other women, John and Peter) a cluelessness or perhaps the truth had not yet been revealed to them. Obviously it is easy for us to see afterwards and to think they should have known better. But I do not want to miss what they were experiencing at the time.
Summary: Mary goes to the tomb and 2 angels are there to comfort but she does not recognize this or Jesus who asks her a question about her sadness.
Promise: We are likely to seek and find, when we seek with affection, and seek in tears.
Prayer: Thank you God for the work you want to do in our life - to comfort us and send your messengers to speak to us.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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