![]() In spite of his denial of Jesus-and a story like that would not be long in being broadcast-Peter was still the leader. One of the illuminating things in this story is that Peter was still the acknowledged leader of the apostolic band. THE GREAT DISCOVERY ( John 20:1-10 continued) Mary is the supreme instance of one who went on loving and believing even when she could not understand and that is the love and the belief which in the end finds glory. It was a situation Mary felt that she could not face herself so she returned to the city to seek out Peter and John. But there were ghoulish creatures who made it their business to rob tombs and Mary may have thought that this had happened here. She may have thought that the Jews had taken away Jesus' body that, not satisfied with killing him on a cross, they were inflicting further indignities on him. ![]() Further Matthew tells us that the authorities had actually sealed the stone to make sure that no one would move it ( Matthew 27:66). In front of the opening was a groove in the ground and in the groove ran a stone, circular like a cartwheel and the stone was wheeled into position to close the opening. Tombs in ancient times were not commonly closed by doors. When she arrived at the tomb she was amazed and shocked. It was still grey dark when Mary came, because she could no longer stay away. The word used for early is proi ( G4404) which was the technical word for the last of the four watches into which the night was divided, that which ran from 3 a.m. Sabbath is, of course, our Saturday, so it was on Sunday morning that Mary came to the tomb. Jesus' friends could not come to the tomb on the Sabbath, because to make the journey then would have been to break the law. It was believed that for three days the spirit of the dead person hovered round the tomb but then it departed because the body had become unrecognizable through decay. It was the custom in Palestine to visit the tomb of a loved one for three days after the body had been laid to rest. Mary had sinned much and she loved much and love was all she had to bring. 'Thou bringest no offerings,' said Michael,Īnd the blackbird sang, 'She is sorry, sorry, sorry.' 'She knows it well, well, well,' sang the blackbird. 'It is evening, evening,' sang the blackbird, 'Hast thou seen the wounds?' said Michael, Henry Kingsley has a lovely poem about her. ![]() Tradition has always had it that Mary was a scarlet sinner, whom Jesus reclaimed and forgave and purified. He had done something for her that no one else could ever do, and she could never forget. No one ever loved Jesus so much as Mary Magdalene. So the disciples went back to their lodgings. For as yet they did not realize the meaning of scripture, that Jesus should rise from the dead. So then, the other disciple, who had arrived first at the tomb, went in too, and he saw, and believed. He saw the linen clothes lying there and he saw the napkin, which had been upon Jesus' head, not lying with the rest of the linen clothes, but lying apart from them, still in its folds, by itself. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and he went into the tomb. He stooped down and he saw the linen clothes lying there, but he did not go in. The other disciple ran on ahead faster than Peter, and he was the first to come to the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and she said to them: "They have taken the Lord away from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they set out for the tomb. 20:1-10 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Mary from Magdala came to the tomb and she saw the stone taken away from the tomb.
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