038 - The Magdalene

You pick up your Bible and wonder, is there more here than meets the is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper right it may look like just print on a page, but it's more than eight. Join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our own. As we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than seeing something shocking. You just might get your head around what actually I know it seems impossible, but it might see the details but it doesn't penetrate. And so today we can on 22 and they still will not believe they just don't get it yesterday on more than he to coffees of water and the word MS on the bed, no, that's the best ever, glad you joined us on not taking a look at this one John 21 Working Her Way through John and were were outside of the normal gets what he called the Christian calendar because Easter's coming on the calendar will little out of sync yet. We can talk about this all year long. That's right and to the Right doesn't have to be a Easter but that was just a couple weeks ago but anyway you were in John 20 and and this is this is the remarkably good news. Every hard weekend for the apostles the followers of Jesus, after his crucified, dead and buried.

And for the entire weekend. There is nothing they hear nothing they don't know what's going to happen. So there are sitting around probably not just sitting around with her sitting around in there waiting for the first opportunity to do anything which would be right after the Sabbath expires right and so on. So now at the sunrise of the next day when the Sabbath is finally expired. The action takes place. I probably had been up all night going to know it when you have suffered a traumatic loss. Your sleep is impacted and couldn't sleep right he wouldn't be able to sleep in for kind of playing and replaying in their minds and according to Jewish law. They couldn't do anything until the Sabbath was over. So as soon as the daylight dons right next to the Sabbath would've ended the night before that they don't go out until daylight yeah and actually it's it's if you go to Mark's gospel, he gives us will preview look at today because Mark's gospel. He says that the sun had not come up you very very close to the Don and I will talk about the little bit more later, but why some of these accounts talk about when the sun is rising and stuff like that but dumb but yeah it it turns out that what were you look at today in the first John 20 is is the is the narrative behind Mark's comment that he says that he appeared first to marry mental and is such a straightforward narrative yeah very straightforward, so he prefers to Mary Magdalene.

But in Mark's gospel.

He doesn't tell us much after that by John's Gospel does details that none of the underwriters do you actually actual words out of Mary Magdalene's mouth right we don't have any other place. So what a great privilege it is to read John's gospel because he really fills in the gap. Most of everything relook in John 20 for the next two weeks is omitted from the other Gospels, but it fits with it so that's what I want to talk later about that. So let's jump right in and see what happens after when holding their breath of the weekend and maybe everyone's sleep Thursday and up at night you want to start us into one of chapter 20 read from one through 10 is that her first part of the story now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the two so she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, they've taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they laid him.

So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first and stooping to look in. He saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not win. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb.

He saw the linen closet lying there in the face cloth which had been on Jesus head, not lying with the linen closet, but folded up in a place by itself.

Then the other disciple, who'd reached the tomb first, also went in and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes. Pretty straightforward narrative.

Well, it is it strikes me there some really typical male-female things going on here. I am a female thing didn't really believe her until he went to so yeah she's stared at women right and you know and Peter being Peter take a breath.

He just goes right in. See this for myself. Well, at least the believer enough to go around the tomb well yeah I could've said I know you're crazy for what else to imagine the shock though of going. You know you have seen your dearly loved one right buried and going with the thought that you will have a private time to mourn, and perhaps to go in and anoint the body properly and then getting there and finding grave robbed would be so disappointing that all disappointing. It would be horrible sick.

It would come unglued something something before that you that's why she she makes a claim right there.

She says they've taken the Lord out of the tomb, right.

I don't know where they played where they put this is, yes it was just really after such a hard weekend and then this is like who needs us. On top of all it's like over the whole weekend.

Never even occurred to any of them to remember that he had said, but I'll rise again on Thursday. Well, and John tells us didn't yet understand it. Verse nine present they didn't understand the Scripture that we must rise from the dead, just that that was not raise Lazarus they had seen him raise other people from the dead, so they should let it just they had heard him trying to I am the resurrection and the light right right believe that all this and say what's your problem guys by the trauma that weekend is is more than can even start to imagine them to have what looks like a grave robbery on top of it right. I mean, that's just devastating.

That's devastating so she comes by that I did want to point out in verse one it says that she came while it was still dark. Yeah if you read the other passages you find in Matthew 28, Mark 1620 for you this past it looks like the slightly different accounts. But one way to sort of dovetail them altogether is to look at this. The timing of the sun because this particular passage in John it's on this as it was still dark so so when you read these passages and we encourage you to do that. They're not in conflict is just that it takes a little bit of work to stitch them together. And when you do that you that you find out that this account of Mary coming to the tomb alone is actually the first of several visit that morning and I and we know that because it was still dark right and nine she's a first become a Marxist Jim Mary Megan was the first one that he appeared to so as well. And one of the things it becomes very clear when you read all the different accounts is that I witnesses are zeroed in on different details right, and that we don't get conflicting accounts as much as we get details from totally different perspective complement each other. Yeah it's so so interesting and that's one of the things that tells us that this is real. These are real eyewitnesses account of a real shocking thing right because each person would would fix on whatever detail they were queued up for you in in courtroom for witnesses.

If you have multiple people seeing the same thing if they give the exact same stellar example to the fact that they sorta got together in the upper story straight so it would all sound consist right. But if they are slightly different within a certain amount of slickness then that usually indicates authenticity about the different witness test if the if there contradictory altogether than you know something's wrong but it was interesting when when people are remembering a traumatic event and we have some a little bit of personal experience at this as sometimes we replay the events as the years pass, you kind of think well now what order did that happening that happened, but this happened first that happen first and it doesn't change the outcome doesn't change the facts of the thing right but it does your memory is affected by your emotion at the time that's exactly right.

But the key issues of what happened are still nobody disputes that the tent was empty exactly.

I think that's one of the biggest takeaways through all the gospel accounts. The fact that no one debated that the tomb empty right, was empty and that not only was it not debatable. It was inspector bowl. I mean you can.

Anyone could go and walk to the tomb a look and see you know is nobody in here well I know disputes that the women were first right which is really interesting. The first witnesses the first people who received not only the information saw the thing, received the information from the angel or Angels, depending on which account you're listening to, and were told you go tell the men I think that might be kind of them man woman thing here because I think part of the resistance to to Mary Magdalene coming is is that white where his apostles right if it right. Anything's going to break loose to be the first ones to know right but from Mary's prospectus like ever you want at the tomb. I was so you know I thought so.

The Lord actually honors her in a great great way to not only is she a woman which is very second-class citizens in ancient cultures was Mary Magdalene. Yeah, she is a second classical class. She's a second-class second-class. In fact, in a couple gospel tells us that will mark when in fact says that she was the one that you cast seven demons and so should quite a checkered past.

People knew her well whacked out from pain. She's the only one of the close followers of Jesus that we have that particular kind of a detail about that's true, that of all the people Jesus cast demons out of she's the only one that we know specifically then became part of his inner circle and it's very interesting and there's a lot of crazy supposition about Mary Magdalene and their peers.

But if you track her through the Gospels. She most often appears in the lists of the women who accompanied Jesus and supported him out of their own yes yeah exactly and she's so she's side-by-side with the mother of Jesus Mary Wells Heidi Ackley tells us that she been a really young. She she may very likely have been his mother's age, with a long difficult life, having been influenced by demons for so much of it so with Mary Magdalene, being the center John story here. We caution you don't listen to too much folklore in public. Attached is a look at the text you can you can use Bible software or a concordance or an Indian you can zero in on mangling and you can find everyplace she's mentioned in the Bible.

If it's if it's outside of that, I would kinda question and say you are getting into full Christianity that actually her name comes up quite a bit in in folklore, crazy, made-up mythology, exactly. Yeah, you just stick to the text very little about her except that she was in that inner circle of women who accompanied Jesus, and she had demons and she was at the cross and she was the first one at the tomb. Sorry her. Her devotion was great. Yeah, it's almost symbolic of the fact that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. And boom is one of them without question without question, so what you make of the grave clothes will ask you that little detail and I gospel right a lot of things but I have not not dug into it deeply enough to make a definitive statement about the significance of that face cloth being folded up and put another place that is an interesting detail. We could sit here and speculate properties were not inspector and I can do that but it's something for you to do is it's there quite prominently in John's Gospel, and you can walk around scratching heads and one was a six I'll tell you to me what it says I mean simply not just the head clock with the whole thing. You know if you're if you want to debunk the gray rubber theory grave robbers don't come and take a body and I just think the whole thing just take so it's probably one of the most powerful statements against the fact that it doesn't that just doesn't make any sense and twice. I find it interesting that Mary Magdalene goes as far as I will, someone took the body, but they left all the laptop body no sense yeah so anyway so that that's one thing but other than that it is it is rather interesting and people have speculated, maybe a little bit too far on the grave clothes.

You know the fact that it was folded and set aside his personal attention right he's communicating something something very deliberate. Yeah, that means it's like if you had guests over for dinner. You give linen napkins, you know, at the end of the dinner if they just can't take a nap and drop on the table office one thing, but this within the carefully folded the category I don't let this sign of presence exotic mindful is exactly mindful handling of detail something quite deliberate, just happened. So that's you go that far on admits not a big deal.

I might just mentioned in passing the deed tour and you know how the strategy by entering wrong people think this is that I don't know. It's not worthwhile. Yes, I just know people bring it up when you talk about this entire thing, because our purpose here is to stick to the tactics of the sanguine is that insured got written on the page for us right you know for sure because John says at the end of this chapter. I've written these things that you can know so let's stay on the page still just what's there. So you want to push on and I really need is it's more important. This is so important, so the disciples John and Peter have gone back to the cousins when they ascertain the details and they just went home like okay he's gone we can't do anything about it. This is verse 11. Mary stood weeping outside the tomb and as she wept she stooped and looked into the tomb and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain went ahead and went the feet interesting. John can see the Angels. Nope. And they said to her, woman, are you weeping, and she said to them, they've taken away my Lord and I do not know where they laid him and having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping who are you seeking supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, sir. If you've carried them away, tell me where you've laid him and I'll take him away. I want to stop there for a minute because those questions that why you week is is a significant question because if Mary is one of those who had believed him and he said I'm going to die, but I will rise again.

I will come back to you this a logical question is just like okay well you hear weeping to remember he told you and she's still looking for body right right and Luke's account it says that the Angels say why you looking for the living among the dead. Because you know if she dish I should believe the resurrection is going to happen should be standing outside the tomb dancing around their arms in the air. Science happened happened she doesn't she mourns so in even asking a question where you weeping is not because Jesus and the Angels don't know why she's weak know it's for her self-interested exploration. Christianity know what you looking for are you looking for the one who is still dead. Are you looking for the one whistling thing.

Yes, so it's kind of an introspective thing. Often, God asked us questions, not because he is in the dark, but because you're in the dark and all I can think of a million examples of Scripture got asking people questions and assisted all the time.

Yeah, you know makes me think of the end of the Joan account you know when to close that lesson to the that right where the plant plant and God says so, do you have a reason. In the course. God knows what's in his heart that it donates to me that Mary is weeping and not she cannot see Jesus in front of her face because she's a dead body right and that's that's symbolic in a lot of ways that we can so overwhelmed in our circumstances and the trauma of her circumstance that we can't see and we can't hear almost as legless like that presumption that false understanding of fault blocks out our ability even here got into CM in the circumstance until he calls her name is and then at your site. It's so so beautiful. Mary Mary like look at me very yeah she turned and said to him, they were aromatic for a bony, which means teacher Jesus said to her do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the father but go to my brothers and say to them. I am ascending to my father and your father to my God and your God will Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples. I have seen the Lord and he said these things to her. Just me. It really is and here's here's Mary Magdalene, of all people in the center office entire thing gospel tell us that the women that there were couple women at this point and they fell down and worship right but John doesn't tell us that John tells us that Mary heat. He he called her name and she immediately identified here.

That reminds me of you know that in the past about the sheep and the shepherd understand the voice of a sheep hear my voice so when he calls when he calls her name. She gives as sheet she hears in the midst of it just cuts all the way through the cloud of that trauma cloud whose emotions, grief at this point in feeling like she's been known kind of the victimized by someone stealing the body of Jesus. I mean she's got all that stuff going on and yet he cuts right to that by just saying Mary so you know once she has locked in said oh you are my teacher teach me right enlighten me.

Jesus says to her, don't go on clinging to me because I haven't yet ascended to the father but let's talk about that furniture what you think he means about not clinging yeah I have a couple explanations of it.

But again, this is where we can talk about this for days, but right after this statement he makes. He says you know you need to go tell the apostle right readily could very well be just 1 Simple Way of saying you know this is this enough time, place, you need to go and talk to the apostles. This is not the time to cling you need to go and talk to those guys so could be injustice, most shallow sense could be well saying we need no not now you need to yeah it is so much bigger than it is.

It is, but I think this is the beginning start of that sort of makes sense, but the meaning of that word don't go on clinging to me means don't go one hanging on to in order to influence me right right like Lord never leave me again now that I've got you and get a hold on to you. He says no it's not about that because I'm going to send to the father and he remember I told you I'm going away but I'm gonna send you a comforter so you know he's I think at the deeper level, he saying to her don't want clinging to this physical body it go away. In order for the whole plan to work for this yet to come and indwell you and I think I think that's really central to the missus that you know if if if in their minds there. Forgetting the fact it's going to raise that's delivery issue any dies and comes back again. There presumption could be both expected back on track back on track and keep doing what we have been doing before.

Right just like Lazarus went on living right and so so he's trying but you know were not going to go on exactly what was before. Things are changing. I am going to the father.

I mean, things will push on.

But when you don't expect it will be physical like this is exactly what he emphasizes my father and your father.

My God and your God like remember I had told you I'm going to prepare a place for you, so that where I am.

You can be in the father and I will come to make our boat with you and me think back all the things he had said to them, a couple of nights before and when they heard him pray. Father, I want them to be with me where I am so, so she needs to know that were pushing on plan. It's it's it's not just going back to the old plan is a new plan, which includes the Holy Spirit. I'm not like I'm stuff but I think that's what's going on here and Jesus will say things related to the apostles. It says pretty much the same thing especially if you read the first chapter of acts but but in this, but as we come, close to the end of this incident isn't just really touching about in her trauma and the blindness and the deafness of her trauma that that Jesus fulfills you know what the psalmist says in 34 about the near to the broken hearted is clearly brokenhearted here and and Jesus doesn't let that get away and he doesn't bite just in a very personal unique way saying Mary and then explaining to her cushy yes Ramona hear the teacher tell me what's going around right after this encounter in a weekend think it take 10 seconds to read it but it probably took a little long problem that probably but it's just just such a wonderful is just a wonderful, touching, feeling of just Mark 69 this is you. First, Mary will tell us more about that.

John says here you go.

But isn't it beautiful that Jesus himself the risen Lord says to her know you. I am entrusting you go and tell the men going tell the brothers I am here and I'm went to an end.

I'm going to my father and your father write a tremendous honor. You know Jesus could that early morning just say let's go back or go with you because I want you to go back and tell you he gives to her this extraordinary honor being the Harold the first person, all made the herald of the resurrection to these guys that's amazing just to salary cursing and again another evidence that this is something that really happened because no first century writer would ever entrusting this kind of legal witness to not not not a woman of Mary's previous years. So yeah it's it's not a fictional story like doesn't make any sense.

So I would encourage you take your concordance and look Mary Magaly or Mary of Magdala and see where she occurs in the gospel stories what is said about her, you need to read that for your own eyes and see exactly what is said and what is not said, and then that kind of gives the full flour to this story here. It's almost like the Lord was saving her for this very moment it's just it is astonishing. Such warmth, such an honor such such great love Jesus has for them since it's really something else. So were glad thank you John for including holiday work. When she comes and says I see the Lord like welfare you have you seen about why haven't we seen where Paul writes well it's only be a few hours until, but it is going to be an awkwardly long day until he does so she probably had to repeat the story dozens of times.

I know many people were interested were interested in what she was saying they had to wait until later that evening, so I would encourage you to place yourself in the story she read it ask you know how it I respond where my what what attracted my attention by what you say to me in the chaos and trauma of life. Jesus comes to us individually and speaks on respond. So anyway, Jim and everything we run out of time come back the second half.

John 20 next week just so delighted that you wear this and we hope for John 20 more than