Mary Magdalene went to find the body of Jesus on that first Easter morning. She wanted to express her tremendous grief, anoint his body with burial spices and just to be near the man who freed her from numerous evil spirits that previously had dominated and controlled her life. She found an empty grave and began weeping thinking the body had been removed. She did not take much notice of the others at the grave who asked why she was weeping. She saw another whom she thought was the gardener. He spoke her name and immediately she knew it was Jesus; ALIVE! The joy was indescribable. Imagine visiting the fresh grave of most important beloved person in your life and seeing them standing beside it!
That emotion is the eternal passion of Easter as well as the abundant life knowing the risen Lord as your savior and redeemer. Often lost in that incredible feeling is the fact that she originally thought he was the gardener. Nothing is scripture is placed there without reason. There is a striking contrast in the work of a gardener and that of the risen Lord. A gardener goes about making things look better. Jesus makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). A gardener dresses up things temporarily (he has to keep trimming, pruning and cutting but his work is short-lived. His garden will keep growing and he will have to keep at it.) Romans 6:9-10 tells us the work of Jesus was one time for ALL time! When we place our faith in Him the work of salvation is complete. We just need to continue to grow in our relationship with him becoming like him by faith. This comes through the power of the Holy Spirit, His word and fellowship with the body of Christ (other believers).
Mary knew the gardener was Jesus when He called her name. John 10 tells us the Good Shepherd “calls his own sheep by name and leads them”. When Jesus calls us by name there is no mistaking His voice. We are often too distracted to hear His voice. Like Mary who was too caught up in her own grief to see and recognize angels or Spiritual beings we can get caught up in our own feelings and emotions and walk past God’s ‘angels’ or messengers everyday. The word angel comes from the Greek word "angelos" which means messenger. So and angel is literally a message or messenger from God.
Every Easter (and on other Sundays as well) many people do as the gardener. They try to ‘make things look good’. We can dress up, act a certain way but it will only be temporary without Jesus. Religion and church can make things look good for a while but only Jesus can transform hearts and make things new forever. II Corinthians 5:17 speaks of becoming new creatures by being IN Christ NOT in a building with a steeple. No matter how pretty or impressive, it is just a building without Jesus. I tell our folks, “We don’t come to church, we ARE the church!”
Mary went looking for Jesus that morning and thought she had missed Him until He called her. He is sending ‘angels’ or messengers and calling us daily. Let us not get distracted in our own feelings, agenda or thoughts to miss Jesus as He stands before us ALIVE!
