MARY'S POV - AN EASTER SPECIAL

She came to the tomb that Sunday, still in pain, not having yet grasped the fact that her Lord was gone. He was larger than life, you could have sworn that he would live forever.

It had been three days already but it all felt like a bad dream. The void he had left as palpable as her own heart beating loudly as she held the bundle of spices close to her chest, an attempt to hold onto something as her world crumbled.

The Romans didn't even let her have the honor of serving her Master one last time. He had given her so much yet she had nothing else to give in return. 

Freed of the seven devils which tormented her, she had left all to follow her Rabbi. Her life new, her past forgotten.

And now here He was; dead! Just like that.

To make matters worse, His body was nowhere to be found.

She stood in front of the tomb, shocked and confused. “Who rolled away the stone?” Where is my Lord?

What have those Romans done to His body?”

With tears in her eyes, she peeped into the tomb, her eyes fell on it; the cloth neatly folded but the body nowhere to be found. Two angels sitting at where His body used to lay, one at the head and the other at the foot asking her why she was so distressed.

"Woman, why are you crying?, Who is it you're looking for?”, a voice asked behind her.

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 

She turned to face him, her tears streaming down her cheeks. The man did not look familiar. Consumed with grief, she continued to bawl her eyes out.

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, 

“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 

A wide smile appeared on his face. He had that look in his eyes. The one Mary had seen on her Master's face countless times.

He said to her, “Mary.”

All of a sudden, she could see, she could see Him standing in front of her, filled with more life than any other person she had ever seen. 

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Scattered across the gospels we see Mary Magdalene's silent presence during the final days of Jesus. Standing far off with the other women during crucifixion and following Joseph and Nicodemus as they lay the body in the tomb.

Mary's grief at the loss of her Master's body reminds me of what people said when Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus "oh how he loved Him", yes oh how Mary loved Him. Even in death, she showed devotion.

I look at Mary and I see a story of hope. Her Master became her Saviour right in front of her. Don't you find it interesting that the first person Jesus appeared to post-resurrection was a woman once held captive by the devil?

Choosing a woman for your first look is low enough but a woman who was once tormented that a different kind of low.

Maybe because ressurection is for people like this Mary. People who have searched but cannot fill the void in their hearts and in desperate efforts have cried out, "Where is my Lord?".

People who used to be in dark dark places but have heard the Lord call out their names like He did Mary's. And with supernatural joy responded, "Rabboni!".

I'd want to love God like Mary did. Steadfast and faithful even in trying times.

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Simeon held the baby tenderly, finally his eyes have beheld the consolation of Israel.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” - Luke 2:34-35

What did Simeon mean by a sword piercing her own heart? Unable to comprehend what those words meant, Mary did the one thing she would have to do over and over whiles raising the Messiah; she kept these words in her heart. Whatever that meant, her response will always remain the same, "be it unto me according to your word".

Did Mary anticipate the grief she would face when Simeon told her that “a sword will pierce your own soul too”?(Luke 2:35) Truly truly, Mary didn't know.

She watched as her son was scorned by the people He came to save and waited dreadingly for the day Simon's prophecy would come to pass and shred her heart to pieces.

Maybe ressurection is for people like this Mary. People who have walked with the Lord for years and seem to have lost everything in the process. People who have kept His word hidden in their hearts waiting for a manifestation that seem to have taken a detour. People whose only earthly consolation is that they were faithful stewards of that which God entrusted them with. Even for them His death is a happy ending to an otherwise sad story.

Let us not forget that Jesus made sure His mother would be taken care of in His absence. He knew what His death would do for her spiritually but he made sure that in the physical and societal realm, she was protected.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. - John 19:25-27 NIV

I'd want to love the Lord like Mary did, submitting totally to His will even if it means great pain.

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Same name, two different women, devoted to one God. One with him at the beginning of His human life, the other with Him at the beginning of His life after the resurrection. We see both Marys love Him differently, one with the love of a mother and the other with the love of a disciple.

Usually we view Easter with our modern day lenses. How great and wonderful a sacrifice it is for us. But sometimes I wonder how it felt for those who knew and loved Jesus physically, His mother, His brothers, His disciples. I bet if Jesus was my friend I wouldn't be shining my teeth on Good Friday or Holy Saturday in 33 A.D talking about how wonderful His death was.

Fortunately, I am not in 33 A.D so I can only look at the crucifixion as something to be happy about. Because I have no idea how my life would be panning out now, if He hadn't died. Thank God that imagining that is not even an option because Jesus was slain for me before the foundations of the earth.

I see the magnitude of my sin.

I try to make sense of the sacrifice of Christ and each time, I am more baffled than I was before.

You mean the son left His throne in heaven.

Came to live like a common man without prestige and honor.

Died a shameful death on the cross, fam, he was naked oo 

They beat him, they made mockery of Him.

And when the disciples were downcast they heard the women running with tears in their eyes, their voices shaking with fear and excitement, “He’s not there, He's risen!”

Crazzzzzzy!

Ahhh it's too sweet.

You guyyyys😭. Maybe I'm too dramatic because how I imagine this always brings me to tears. Such good stuff. How deep the Father's love for us that He should bless us so. Thank God for the ressurection!

Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone. I admit that Easter is so important that it deserves two posts in a week. Hope y'all are having a wonderful Easter weekend.

I pray the Lord continually blesses us with the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may understand His life, death and ressurection better. Don't forget to share with someone if this blessed you.

Let talk in the comments, what does Easter mean to you?