John 20:11-18

THE APPEARANCE TO MARY

Text: John 20:11-18

11

But Mary was standing without at the tomb weeping: so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;

12

and she beholdeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one 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.

14

When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and beholdeth Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turneth herself, and saith unto him in Hebrew, Rabboni; which is to say, Teacher.

17

Jesus saith to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.

18

Mary Magdalene cometh and telleth the disciples, I have seen the Lord; and that he had said these things unto her.

Queries

a.

Why did Mary not recognize Jesus when she saw Him?

b.

How did she recognize Him at His calling her name?

c.

Why did Jesus say, Touch me not?

Paraphrase (Harmony)

But Mary stood just outside the entrance to the tomb weeping alone in the garden. And while she was continuing to weep she stooped and peered into the tomb and there she saw two angels sitting where the body of Jesus had lainone at the head and one at the foot. The angels spoke unto her saying, woman, Why are you weeping? She replied, Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have placed His body. Then she turned and, without realizing that it was Jesus, noticed him standing near-by. Jesus asked her, Woman, why are you weepingwhom are you seeking? Supposing him to be the gardener, she plead with him, Sir, if you have taken him from the tomb, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus called her name gently, Mary! Startled, she turned and spoke to him in Hebrew, saying, Rabboni! Teacher! Jesus restrained her, saying, Do not hold on to me now. I have not gone up to the Father yet. Go and tell my brethren that I am soon going to return to my Father and your Father, my God and your God. And so Mary Magdalene told the disciples, I have seen the Lord and she told them what Jesus had said to her.

Summary

Jesus appears to the weeping Mary Magdalene. Overcome with joy she makes a move as if to fall at His feet and cling to Him. He cautions her that He has not made His final return to their midst but must soon ascend to the Father and that she is to go and witness to His resurrection.

Comment

Peter and John have left the garden. Mary Magdalene has returned to the garden tomb alone. She evidently did not meet the other women and hear from them what the angels have said concerning His resurrection. Now that she has time to contemplate the awfulness of her suspicions she bursts into tears. They have taken his body. Just who she suspects we do not knowperhaps she thinks the Jews have taken His body. She stoops and looks in the tomb to confirm her suspicions. For the first time she sees the angels and they begin to converse with her about her sorrow. Mary is still persuaded that the body of Jesus has been taken. As she is answering the angels there is perhaps a sound in the garden which causes her to turn and see the figure of a man approaching. The light was still dim and there may have been an early morning fog and Mary's eyes were blurred with tears. She did not recognize the man. He began to ask her reason for being in the garden. He wanted to know the reason for her sorrow. What other man would be there at that hour and be questioning her as to her presence except the gardener. Supposing him to be the gardener she assumed he would know if the body had been removed and so she questions him.
Jesus spoke her name. It would be in that gentle but firm tone which she knew so well. Startled and surprised with joy and relief, she immediately recognizes Him and cries out, Rabboni! The word means Teacher, or Great Teacher. It is a title of profound respect among the Hebrews. Only seven great leaders of the Jews have ever been given the title (among whom were Gamaliel I and Gamaliel II). As she cried out Great Teacher, she made a movement as if to fall at His feet and cling to Him. The Greek word haptesthai is used of that clinging to the knees or feet which was adopted by suppliants.

Jesus forbade her doing so saying, Do not hold to me. Why did Jesus forbid her to do so? Not because it was indecent; nor because she wanted to test the reality of His resurrection for He did not forbid Thomas such a test; nor because her doing so would in some mystic way disturb the process of glorification; but because He wanted Mary (and the other disciples later) to understand that this was not His permanent return to visible fellowship with His disciples. He had promised His disciples to return in a little while (John 16:16) and perhaps Mary felt that the little while was over and He was now to be visibly with them forevermore. Hendriksen paraphrases thusly, Do not think, Mary, that by grasping hold of me so firmly you can keep me always with you. That uninterruptible fellowship for which you yearn must wait until I have ascended to be forever with the Father. Before the visible fellowship is restored Jesus must ascend to the Father for His Highpriestly work (the little while) (cf. also Acts 3:19-26).

Then Jesus commissions Mary Magdalene to go and tell the disciples, not specifically of His resurrection as the angels commissioned the other women, but Mary is to tell them that Jesus is ascending (present tense) unto the Father. Although He will yet appear for forty days He is in the act of ascending to the Father.
Jesus now calls the disciples by a new name. He has called them children, sheep,, disciples, friends, branches, and other names but now He calls them brothers! This new relationship has a significant bearing on His commission to Mary, She is to tell the brothers that Jesus, the elder brother, is going up to be with His Father and their Father, His God and their God!(cf. Hebrews 2:5-18).

And so Mary, went with all speed, to tell the disciples as they mourned and wept (cf. Mark 16:10-11) just what Jesus had told her to tell. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her they would not believe it. The words seemed as an idle tale to them (cf. Luke 24:9-11).

Quiz

1.

Why did Mary think Jesus was the gardener?

2.

What does the word Rabboni mean?

3.

Did Jesus say, Touch me not? What did He actually say?

4.

Why did Jesus forbid Mary to cling to His feet?

5.

What new relationship between Jesus and the disciples is emphasized?

6.

What did Mary Magdalene have to tell the disciples that was different from the message of the other women?