John 20:15-17

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? she, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. (16) Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. (17) Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father: and to my God and your God.

This is a most interesting account of the first interview of the Lord Jesus with his redeemed, after he arose from the dead. Mark seems so struck with the gracious act, that Jesus should make choice of this woman to have the first sight of his person, when coming forth out of the other world, that he hath made a special record of it. He appeared first, (said he), to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils, Mark 16:9. As if to say, mark the astonishing grace of Jesus! All his redeemed shall know him; but that precious child of his whom Satan hath most worried, shall have the first love token of Jesus.

I pass over the relation, beautiful as it is, to read of Mary's supposing Jesus to have been the gardener, and her request to Jesus under the then unconscious state of her mind; I pass over these things to call the Reader's attention to matters yet of higher moment, in our Lord's gracious condescension to this woman. And I pray the Reader not to forget in the whole of what is here said to connect with it, that the humblest and poorest of Jesus's little ones, are as much interested in the account as Mary was herself. Surely Jesus made choice of this woman purposely to impress this upon his Church. Who could be apparently further from the Lo rd, than one in whom seven devils had raged and reigned? And yet who could be dearer to the Lord, w hen this woman is chosen before the whole college of Apostles, to have the first sight and conversation with a risen and triumphant Jesus? Reader! do not forget this.

How Jesus manifested himself to Mary when calling her by name, and what a look or gesture, or special token of his Person accompanied that call, may be supposed, but is not capable of being described. How doth that dear Lord now in numberless instances, though not in a visible form, manifest himself to his people otherwise than he doth to the world? But what must have been the first feelings of Mary's heart, when she discovered that it was Jesus. The name by which she addressed Christ is very striking, Rabboni. And if, as some say, that it is never made use of but when speaking of God, it is indeed very precious. We know that Rab, though a name of great dignity, was always in use among the Jews after their return from Chaldea, for it is a Syriac word. And our Lord's direction to his disciples concerning it, may serve to throw some light upon the subject. Matthew 23:7. Rabboni is the plural also of Rab, and as such must certainly be considered very different from the common acceptation of the word when used in the singular. And as it is allowed by all to be of higher import than Rab, or Rabbi, I confess that I am inclined to accept it in this place, (and which is the only place we find it used in the whole Bible), as the full confession of Mary to the Godhead of Christ. Struck by such a palpable testimony of his eternal nature, in his resurrection from the dead, she hailed him Rabboni!

The Lord's answer to her comes now to be considered. Jesus saith unto her, touch me not. By which we are to understand, not that the Lord would have objected to this token of her affection, for we find that soon after the Lord made Thomas put his hand into his side, (John 20:25.) But this was not the moment for Mary to be so employed. The Lord had a message to send her upon to his disciples. It was time that they, as well as herself should receive the joyful tidings of his resurrection, and therefore he would first send her to them. I am not yet ascended to my Father. As if he had said, there will be time enough before my return to glory, to grant both to you, and to them, many an opportunity of indulging all in those desires; but for the present, hasten to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God. See Mark 16:7. There is somewhat uncommonly precious and blessed in those words of the Lord Jesus. God was Christ's God and Father, in a way perfectly distinct from every other, as Christ, that is, God and Man in One Person. For, when the Son of God took into union with himself that holy portion of human nature, and became the Head and Husband of his Church, he put himself, as Mediator, into those relations, as Servant of Jehovah, and Surety of his Church. So that in this view, God, that is, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is both the God and Father of Christ, as such; and the God, and the Father of the Church in Christ, by adoption and grace. All which differs from the eternal relationship which subsist between the persons of the Godhead, and in which there is a perfect equality, by whatever names the persons in the Godhead are distinguished, in nature, and in essence, and in all divine perfections and glory.

In addition to the observations already offered on this first appearance of Christ, after he arose from the dead, and the message sent to his disciples, see Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1. I would in this place only beg to remark, that those immediate manifestations the Lord Jesus s o graciously made of himself at his resurrection, were evidently intended, (and it will be the highest wisdom of the Church so to accept them), as the most decided proofs of his unalterable love to his people. Death had made no change, either in his nature, or in his affection. He was the same Jesus after his resurrection as before. For although by that death he had forever put off all the weaknesses of nature, in the bodily wants of hunger, and the infirmities of weariness, and the like; and in his resurrection, which became the first act to glory, he arose suited for the everlasting enjoyment of heaven, yet, both in nature, and in relations to his people, there was not the smallest change.

And, in confirmation of this, the message the Lord sent by Mary, as well as the one his servant the angel sent in his name to his disciples, Matthew 28:7 become an high proof. Surely, if there had been a moment in the life of Christ, when we might have been tempted to think the Lord would resent the perfidy of his disciples, who all forsook him and fled, it would have been then. Whereas the very first act of Jesus, after he arose from the dead, and before he entered into glory, was to appear to Mary, and suffer her not to pause over the mercy before that she had communicated the blissful tidings to his disciples. Go, tell my brethren! He is not ashamed to call them brethren, said one of the sacred writers, Hebrews 2:11. though they had all been ashamed of Him! Oh! matchless love, unequalled grace!