I can see her now. Assembling her things early in the morning; scented oil and spices for the teacher she had just lost. She had not had a good night; how could she when the one she loved so dearly had just died a brutal death. She stepped out of the house while it was still dark, not caring about anything; heaviness still gripped her heart, eyes full with unshed tears..it had only been three days, and there would be more. She thought back to their first encounter, and later to Jesus coming late to raise her brother Lazarus from the dead. She remembered anointing His feet and looking up to the face that shone with approval…. how could He be dead after all the miracles He had performed?She had to see Him again, care for Him although dead…Maybe others didn’t care but He was HER teacher. He had been there for her every time she needed Him. She would be there for Him now.... 
She finally walked her way to the tomb and saw the stone had been taken away from the entrance. I can almost hear her heart skip a beat; her stomach hit the ground. She felt nauseous and wondered who would be so cruel to tamper with His place of rest. Why couldn’t anyone just leave Him be. Had He not suffered enough already? She went back to the house, running as fast as she could to get Peter. She couldn’t say it all straight. She stammered, tears she didn’t know she shed running down her cheeks.. ‘Someone has Jesus. Come and see’. She didn’t know if she made sense but Peter and a few others were suddenly running back with her.They got there but she failed to get in. Peter went in but simply stared at the linens. She longed for Jesus now. Who would she tell about the disappearance? Who would actually do something apart from stare helplessly? If Jesus had been alive He would now what to do. She knelt down, stared inside and wept. Her Jesus was gone. He was gone even from her sight. Oh, how her heart hurt. 
But then she looked up and saw them…two men sitting one at the head and the other at the foot of where Jesus had lain. She didn’t bother to ask who they were. She was so tired and drained but they asked her, ‘Why are you weeping?’ ‘It was a grave sight,’ she thought, ‘how insensitive was it to be asked why she was weeping? She had not only lost someone but the body was gone too. But maybe, they knew where the body was, maybe if she told them…’ So through the tears she said, ‘I am weeping because they have taken away my lord. My Jesus is gone and I have no idea where He is’. They looked at her and said nothing. Not even one word of comfort. No one had answers for her, and again she thought of Jesus…the one person who would answer any question. Oh, how she ached.
But her need was too great. Her heart too heavy. Jesus wouldn’t leave her aching. He still had to ascend to the Father but she hurt so much and no one else could make it all go away. So He appeared to her and asked her: ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ She knew the story; Jesus had told it so many times: He was going to die and then on the 3rd day He would rise..but grief had blocked that out. She did not even know it was Jesus speaking. She assumed it was just another person, a gardener with more questions and no answers. But maybe since he worked there he might know something, so again she responded, ‘Sir, if you have taken Him away, please tell me where He is and I will find Him a nice place to rest. I want to take care of my Lord.’ Jesus saw then that there was no getting across to her. She wanted Him back. No one would just tell her to stop crying without some answers. Awww… how He felt for her. This woman who loved Him so dearly needed Him. So He called her by name. The same way He had in the past, ‘Mary’ . He saw it then, that flicker of recognition in her eye, the shock and awe. He saw her thinking, ‘could this be true?’ and then finally her belief in Him being alive. Mary could not help it, she flung herself into His arms. She did not care about propriety. Her teacher was alive. She had wanted the dead body but having a live one beat her expectations. This was her Jesus alive!!! What sweeter news could there be. He had not deserted her. But He told her, ‘don’t cling on to me now… I need to ascend to our Father but I will be back. Go and tell all the rest of them.’ She let go of Him…He was alive. He was alive and that is what mattered. She wiped away her tears and ran back to the disciples. A spring in her step, she had just been with her master.
I love, love this story. I love how there was so much grief in Mary’s heart. So much pain and need for answers. When she looked to the future, all she saw was bleakness. She thought to herself that if she could at least keep herself busy with caring for the body of Jesus, then at least she would feel better. But she got to the tomb and He was not there. Suddenly, things got from bad to worse. And you know what? Jesus would have chosen not to appear to her. He would have shown Himself to Peter or better yet just ascended to Heaven to the Father, then come again to the disciples. But He did not. This pain, the need for answers called out to Him. Mary knew that seeing Jesus, even the dead one would at least ease up her pain. But Jesus gave her more. So much more of Him than she ever thought she would have. He showed up, alive and replaced her mourning into dancing. If He did it for Mary, He can do it for us. He is the answer to everything and if you need Him, there is no way He will stand you up…you can ask Mary.I just love this season because it is a time when beyond any reasonable doubt God showed that His will can never be defeated. And the scriptures show how effortlessly Jesus defeated the devil...He did not struggle once He descended into hell, He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets (the message). In other words, He disarmed them, made a spectacle of them and there is nothing they could do about it (Colossians 2:15). We serve a powerful God and this Easter realize that His power in you enables you to break free of any hold the devil might have on you; u can shake loose en rise in victory in Jesus' Name!!
And I also love it because when He came back, He referred to God, not only as His Father but ours as well. You can walk tall and with a spring in your step because He did not stop at saving you…No!!! He made you His sister, an heir. God is your Father. He gave you that link. So whatever you have done, however far from Him you think you are, remember today that you have been reconciled back to Him. You cannot leave His presence because that is the place you were brought to. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant cancelled and nailed to Christ's cross. You can count on His work today and your rightful place as a princess. Saving you, princess, was the greatest thing He ever did for you, anything else is a piece of cake. If He saved you while you were yet a sinner, what would He withhold now….If you need Him, He is there for you…Mary just wanted things as they were before: her master in front of her eyes, a dead one at that but Jesus gave her more, He gave her a living one and shared this life with Her. He blows my mind. And oooohhh…Yessss!!! We can laugh out loud!!! Jesus conquered the grave. Death could not hold life. It simply had to let Him go!!! He is alive. Live as if your Saviour lives. No crying, no losing hope..no fear…YOUR SAVIOUR…HE LIVES!!!!!
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