Mary Magdalene SCENE 9

On Sabbath, Those who loved Jesus gathered discreetly to talk of their recent loss and to try to make sense of it all. But to no avail. They discussed the idea of a memorial service. But they knew with a hundred soldiers guarding the tomb they probably could not have it there. Mary and the other women would try to get the soldiers to let them embalm Him in the morning.

She could not sleep. Broken hearted, she arrived the next morning at the tomb while it was still dark.

ACT: Mary comes to the tomb. She looks inside to find it empty.

It may not be as difficult to get in the tomb as she had thought. There did not seem to be soldiers anywhere. In the dark, she crept closer and found the tomb stone was rolled away. Mary looked inside but what? The body of Jesus was gone.  What did it mean?

ACT: Mary runs to tell the disciples and meets Peter and John coming to the tomb. She tells them and the run to the tomb but finding it empty they leave Mary to go tell the others.

She had better go tell the disciples. Running on her way she met Simon Peter, and John coming and told them. After hearing her news they ran to the tomb but found it empty as she said. Peter and John did not wait for her but left Mary to tell the others.

ACT: Mary is left standing alone weeping. She looks again in the tomb. The angels talk to her.

Standing alone now, Mary wept. In disbelief she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

Poor Mary! Broken hearted in her failure to help Jesus; broken-hearted in her mission to care for His body; now broken-hearted for His disappearance! The One Who had shown her such forgiving love, was now gone! Without Him she was nothing. And now she  did not even know where to begin to find his dead body.

ACT: Mary comes out of the tomb and discovers who she thinks is the Gardener but is Jesus standing outside.

He asks her why she is crying. She tells Him because she does not know where Jesus body is. She asks him to help her.

Coming out of the tomb Mary turned to leave but saw Who she thought to be the gardener standing by the tomb. He asked, “why do you cry?” And she replied, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”

ACT: Jesus answered by calling her name.

In answer she heard, “Mary.”

It couldn’t be! No one spoke her name like that. No one knew her like He. Mary turned falling to His feet, “Master.”

ACT: Mary falls at Jesus feet in disbelief! She reaches out to touch his feet but He stops her.

Was she dreaming? She reached to touch His feet but Jesus said, “Do not touch me; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brothers, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

Mary did go and tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. In their grief they just looked at her and shook their heads as though she were hallucinating. They did not believe.

But it didn’t matter to Mary. All that mattered to her was that Jesus was alive! Yes, She had so many questions. But she knew that Jesus would have the answers. Jesus was her friend. He called her by name. The Son of the Highest had shown her the value He placed on her in every encounter. And He had saved her life three times! First when He cast out her demons and forgave her sin; secondly when he rescued her from the condemnation of both man and the broken law of God; and thirdly when in her place  He took the death she deserved and then rose again! Mary would tell the world that Jesus loved her and saved her! She cared not what they thought of her!

Author: Sharon Oxentenko