John 20:11-13 11But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. Then as she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb, 12and she saw two angels in white, sittingone at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13And those ones said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
Mary Magdalene had returned to the tomb. John does not mention any other person present, but Mark 16:4 mentions that other women were present. John’s focus is on Mary’s experience possibly because she is the one who told the disciples about Jesus’ body being stolen. She must have had some influence or leadership among the other women and served as a spokesperson for them. No reason is given for her return to the tomb, but likely, she went there to mourn and confirm her fears. People often return to the grave of a loved one soon after burial as a way of expressing their loss, remembering the person, and even feeling a sense of closeness and closure.
Mary looked into the tomb to confirm her fears and hope against hope that everything was just a dream. What she saw would have shocked anyone. In the Bible, when people see an angel, they are overwhelmed with fear and awe. Often, the angel responds with a “Fear not” (Mark 16:6). John does not record that response, but that does not mean the angel did not say that. Curiously, Mary saw two angels, while Mark 16:5 mentions a young man dressed in white, Matthew 28:2-3 describes an angel appearing like lightness, and Luke 24:4 states there were two men dressed like lightning. The differences in these accounts are not significant. In John’s account, the two angels were seated where Jesus’ body had been laid in the tomb, likely a form of bench carved out of the wall of the small cave. The angels were clear proof from God that Jesus was no longer there. His body had not been stolen. Something else had happened, and Mary was about to find out.
The angels’ question had the intent of getting Mary to verbalize her fears. The question also has a hint of a soft rebuke. Why was she crying when Jesus had already told her and the other disciples that he would rise again? Sometimes fear overwhelms hope. The hope the disciples could have had lacked understanding and experience. The small spark of faith was in danger of being snuffed out by fear, doubt, and lack of understanding. Mary expressed her fear to the angels. She was still thinking that Jesus’ body had been taken. Why did it matter? After all, he was dead and gone. Mary may have been concerned about the situation out of respect for Jesus. No one wants the body of their loved one abused or mistreated, even though the person is gone. Such abuse of the dead can leave lasting mental scars in a person’s mind. Mary was soon to transition from fear to faith, and from ignorance to understanding. She serves as a pattern for how many people journey to faith in Jesus. They have a spark of faith but need someone to come along and help them experience understanding and experience.
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