The Love of a Woman

Easter Sunday
April 24, 2011
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18
Year A

What I want to know if what was she doing up that early? Why would she need to come to his tomb by herself? What was going on that she didn’t want anyone to know about? Who did she think she was? What was her relationship with him anyway? That she felt that it was her responsibility to put spices on his body.

These are the questions that many of us are asking; after all, we all know that Mary Magdalene has a reputation. Magdala means evil city. We know that Jesus cast out 7 demons from her; she is the woman we love to hate. She was the sinner of sinners of all of the things that she did wrong.
And yet God chose her for a special purpose. God chose her to be a special witness.

Mary was witness to two separate events – one the empty tomb and the resurrection.

Mary represents all of us – faithful, devoted, looking for answers, trying to make it right.

We are here to witness the risen Christ.

We are here on Easter, like Mary hoping someone will roll away the stone. We just want to get a glimpse of his body. Proof that he was here, proof that he loves us as much as he claimed.

We go to the tombs of our lives, looking for a new life, but secretly hoping we will find a body, or can make things the way the way they used to be. Not really ready for anything different.

Story of the stone

There was an eighth grade teacher in a catholic school who decided that she wanted to put on a passion play – the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She started to assign the parts – and one by one, students took the part of Mary, of Jesus, of the soldiers, of the angels, of Pontius Pilate, of the disciples, one student even volunteered to be Judas. Johnny was still left to be assigned a part. When she asked what part he wanted to play – he volunteered to be the stone. I want to be there to let Jesus out of the tomb – he said.
The teacher explained that the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out – he was already out – the stone had been rolled away to let Mary see in. To let Mary see that a miracle happened – and that no Sunday morning would ever be the same.


If that stone was not there, we could see the body – we would know what was going on.

When Mary got there, the work has already been done for her. The stone was rolled away.

Jesus was standing in front of her, she didn’t even recognize him.

Resurrection is not jut resuscitation of the same old thing, it is total and complete transformation. He was changed to something different.

If God can do it for Jesus, he can do it for us.

Something in his voice helped Mary to recognize him.
He called Mary, she responded – teacher.

He helped her to understand – to understand clearly who Jesus Christ is...

How do we get from the empty tomb to believing in Christ?

Jesus chose to reveal the gift of life to a faithful Mary. She told her friends, they came and saw and went home unsure of what to make of it all.

But Mary testified to the truth _ I have seen the Lord.

Have you seen the Lord today?

Do you know that he has been resurrected? And gives you the power to be transformed?

Who was she? She was a faithful servant looking for salvation. What wondrous love is this? Is not just the love of Jesus for his people, it is our love for him. The love that drives us to come out.

Easter is about liberation – the freedom to come out of the tombs.

I want to share these 8 ways to keep the resurrection alive

1. Know that God is God
God raised Jesus, Jesus did not raise himself. So that God may be glorified God is good all of the time. See the goodness of God in your life.

2. Whatever it is turn it over to God
And leave it there

3. Cast our fear
Mary was not afraid to seek God because she loved him

4. Testify to what God has done
Jesus told Mary to go to her brothers and tell what she has seen.

5. Stay humble
God is teacher – you are the student

6. Walk to Emmaus
Servant found God in places that they did not expect along the way.

7. Pray always and everywhere
8. Recognize the God in all thin


Who was she? A woman of faith and love. Someone that we can all learn from. The lesson that Mary teaches is that Jesus is right on front of us.

The same Jesus who fed 500, who walked on water, who opened the eyes of the blind, who raised Lazarus, healed Mary.

The same Jesus who was not in the tomb them is here now present in a new way.

Same Jesus does not leave us too our own devices, but resurrects us to new life.

God raised Jesus, God cleared Mary of her confusion, and will God do any less for us?