Sermon Notes
Sermon: To See You Once More: Mary Magdalene by Rev. Jessica Johnson
Date: May 12, 2019
Key Scripture Passages: Luke 8:1-3, John 20:11-18, Mark 15:42-46, and Matthew 27:55-61
Sermon Notes:
When someone dies, aside from grief, some of the first thoughts are planning a funeral and prepping the person for burial. Some people make their own arrangements in advance. Often, these are people who are older or have a long-term illness, though having arrangements done in advance is becoming more common. These people know that death is near, so they make their own preparations. Sometimes the person is young, or the death is so sudden or unexpected that arrangements haven’t even been thought of yet. Jesus was only 33 years old when He was crucified on the Cross. By our standards, Jesus was young.
Burial
There are two things in particular about the funeral arrangements for Jesus that I find interesting. First, not only did Jesus know that He was going to die, but He knew that it was pending. Now for most of us these days, if we knew our death was imminent, we would make some sort of arrangements, and our doctors and families would probably encourage us to do so. The reason that I think that Jesus did not make funeral arrangements and didn’t bother His family and friends with them is because He knew and had told them that He would arise in 3 days. Jesus had predicted both His death and resurrection to the disciples and His followers, but they had not understood.
The second thing I find interesting is that His family did not make His funeral arrangements. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was around during the Crucifixion, even though only the Gospel of John mentions her specifically. She was not mentioned specifically in any of the four Gospels for being at the tomb. However, when there is reference to a group of women in the story of Jesus’s crucifixion and burial, it is possible that she was part of that group. This group of women is referred to in a couple of biblical passages. They were followers of Christ and had traveled with Jesus and the disciples.
In any case, neither His mother or his brothers made Jesus’s funeral arrangements. Rather, it was Joseph of Arimathea who offered up a burial site for Jesus. Jesus died on the Cross so quick that even Pilate was surprised. The Jews did not use coffins for their burial. Rather, they wrapped the dead in linens. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man who had just had his tomb cut into a rock (Matthew 27:55-61). This is where he requested that Jesus be buried.
Mark 15:42-46 tells of the burial of Jesus:
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead.45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
There were a couple of reasons for quickly burying Jesus. First, due to the climate, it was normal to bury the dead on the same day they died. Because mistakes could happen with the speed of the burials, it was customary to visit the grave within 3 days to make sure the person was really dead. Second, according to Jewish law, a person who touched a dead body or stayed in a house with a dead body was considered unclean for 7 days. Third, Jesus was hastily buried before the Sabbath began, and the women had to wait until the Sabbath was over to buy the spices and oils necessary to create what was needed for “embalming” the body and finishing the funeral rites. The Jews did not embalm in the sense that the Egyptians did. Rather, they would anoint the body with spices and oils in loving devotion as well as to counter the odor of decay. Therefore, this is why Mary Magdalene and the other women went to the tomb of Jesus on the morning of the first day of the week. They were there for very practical reasons in addition to their mourning.
1st Post-Resurrection Appearance: Mary Magdalene
Again, it was Mary Magdalene rather than Jesus’s mother who plays a prominent role in the burial and resurrection of Jesus. So, who was she? There is a lot of speculation about Mary Magdalene. One of the most dubious theories is that she was the wife of Jesus. One of the more persistent ones is that she was a prostitute. And one theory that I heard recently was that Mary Magdalene is Mary of Bethany. This one drives me crazy; I’ll admit. They were two different people. There are others, and I challenge anyone to find the biblical evidence to support these theories. I always want to encourage you to actually look at the words on the page when doing Bible study.
So, what does the Bible say about Mary Magdalene? We know 3 main facts about her. First, Jesus healed her from demon possession. Second, Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus. She was in the group of women that followed Jesus and provided for the needs of Jesus and the disciples. Luke 8:1-3 states:
1Soon afterward he (Jesus) went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.
Third, Mary Magdalene was the first person that saw Jesus after His resurrection from the dead. When Mary Magdalene went to the tomb that morning with the other women, they found the tomb empty.
John 20:11-13 states:
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
Jesus had saved Mary Magdalene. Not only did Jesus offer her the same salvation He offers us all, but He also saved her sanity, community reputation, and perhaps physical well-being. He had freed her from being possessed by 7 demons and restored her back into normal society. Mary Magdalene had been restored, healed, forgiven, and given a fresh start. It is no wonder that she followed Jesus and lovingly tended to Him. It is also no wonder that her grief was so great. She had been robbed of honoring and serving Him in death, so she thought, as she had in life. She was just simply heartbroken and, having never left His side since her healing, the empty tomb was just the last straw. She thought the body of Jesus had been stolen, and she just collapsed into sobbing.
John 20:14-18 states:
14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
We often can recognize people by the way they say our name. The volume, the tone, the pitch…all play a part in the communication. For example, when Mama yells your full name, you know you’re in trouble. Maybe you hear a familiar voice over the phone, and all they say is your name, but you know who it is by the way they say it. I know a pair of identical twins. They sound just alike on the phone, but I could tell them apart on the phone, by how they spoke to me. One was teasing; the other was usually nicer and a bit more serious. Mary did not recognize Jesus until He said her name. That was it. He just said her name. She recognized Jesus, and she was overjoyed. Jesus warned her that He was leaving again, and she ran off to tell the disciples what she had seen.
Empty Tomb Witnesses
Theologians and historians that have researched and studied the Resurrection of Christ do not always agree about its historical content, but there is a list of things that most of them without a doubt support as true historical events. The tomb being empty is one of them. That women were the first witnesses is actually a strong piece of evidence for the resurrection and empty tomb. A woman’s testimony generally would not have been allowable in a court of law, especially on critical matters, UNLESS they were the first and primary witnesses. Acknowledging the women as any kind of witness to the Resurrection, would have been intellectual suicide UNLESS it was true.
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first after His resurrection. We could speculate all day about the reasons why He chose to reveal Himself to her first. Personally, I think that at least one reason was His compassion for her profound grief. Mary Magdalene longed to see Jesus just once more, even if it was preparing his body for burial. She was overjoyed and surprised to find Him alive. Mary Magdalene loved Jesus, and He loved her. He did not give her false hope that He was there to stay, though. Jesus immediately told her that He would not be there long and would be ascending to Heaven. Jesus told her to go and tell the disciples, and she did just that. Only Peter believed her at first. Jesus further commands us to go and tell about His resurrection. Therefore, go and tell others about what Jesus has done.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Moms!
Sermon: To See You Once More: Mary Magdalene by Rev. Jessica Johnson
Date: May 12, 2019
Key Scripture Passages: Luke 8:1-3, John 20:11-18, Mark 15:42-46, and Matthew 27:55-61
Sermon Notes:
When someone dies, aside from grief, some of the first thoughts are planning a funeral and prepping the person for burial. Some people make their own arrangements in advance. Often, these are people who are older or have a long-term illness, though having arrangements done in advance is becoming more common. These people know that death is near, so they make their own preparations. Sometimes the person is young, or the death is so sudden or unexpected that arrangements haven’t even been thought of yet. Jesus was only 33 years old when He was crucified on the Cross. By our standards, Jesus was young.
Burial
There are two things in particular about the funeral arrangements for Jesus that I find interesting. First, not only did Jesus know that He was going to die, but He knew that it was pending. Now for most of us these days, if we knew our death was imminent, we would make some sort of arrangements, and our doctors and families would probably encourage us to do so. The reason that I think that Jesus did not make funeral arrangements and didn’t bother His family and friends with them is because He knew and had told them that He would arise in 3 days. Jesus had predicted both His death and resurrection to the disciples and His followers, but they had not understood.
The second thing I find interesting is that His family did not make His funeral arrangements. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was around during the Crucifixion, even though only the Gospel of John mentions her specifically. She was not mentioned specifically in any of the four Gospels for being at the tomb. However, when there is reference to a group of women in the story of Jesus’s crucifixion and burial, it is possible that she was part of that group. This group of women is referred to in a couple of biblical passages. They were followers of Christ and had traveled with Jesus and the disciples.
In any case, neither His mother or his brothers made Jesus’s funeral arrangements. Rather, it was Joseph of Arimathea who offered up a burial site for Jesus. Jesus died on the Cross so quick that even Pilate was surprised. The Jews did not use coffins for their burial. Rather, they wrapped the dead in linens. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man who had just had his tomb cut into a rock (Matthew 27:55-61). This is where he requested that Jesus be buried.
Mark 15:42-46 tells of the burial of Jesus:
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead.45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
There were a couple of reasons for quickly burying Jesus. First, due to the climate, it was normal to bury the dead on the same day they died. Because mistakes could happen with the speed of the burials, it was customary to visit the grave within 3 days to make sure the person was really dead. Second, according to Jewish law, a person who touched a dead body or stayed in a house with a dead body was considered unclean for 7 days. Third, Jesus was hastily buried before the Sabbath began, and the women had to wait until the Sabbath was over to buy the spices and oils necessary to create what was needed for “embalming” the body and finishing the funeral rites. The Jews did not embalm in the sense that the Egyptians did. Rather, they would anoint the body with spices and oils in loving devotion as well as to counter the odor of decay. Therefore, this is why Mary Magdalene and the other women went to the tomb of Jesus on the morning of the first day of the week. They were there for very practical reasons in addition to their mourning.
1st Post-Resurrection Appearance: Mary Magdalene
Again, it was Mary Magdalene rather than Jesus’s mother who plays a prominent role in the burial and resurrection of Jesus. So, who was she? There is a lot of speculation about Mary Magdalene. One of the most dubious theories is that she was the wife of Jesus. One of the more persistent ones is that she was a prostitute. And one theory that I heard recently was that Mary Magdalene is Mary of Bethany. This one drives me crazy; I’ll admit. They were two different people. There are others, and I challenge anyone to find the biblical evidence to support these theories. I always want to encourage you to actually look at the words on the page when doing Bible study.
So, what does the Bible say about Mary Magdalene? We know 3 main facts about her. First, Jesus healed her from demon possession. Second, Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus. She was in the group of women that followed Jesus and provided for the needs of Jesus and the disciples. Luke 8:1-3 states:
1Soon afterward he (Jesus) went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.
Third, Mary Magdalene was the first person that saw Jesus after His resurrection from the dead. When Mary Magdalene went to the tomb that morning with the other women, they found the tomb empty.
John 20:11-13 states:
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
Jesus had saved Mary Magdalene. Not only did Jesus offer her the same salvation He offers us all, but He also saved her sanity, community reputation, and perhaps physical well-being. He had freed her from being possessed by 7 demons and restored her back into normal society. Mary Magdalene had been restored, healed, forgiven, and given a fresh start. It is no wonder that she followed Jesus and lovingly tended to Him. It is also no wonder that her grief was so great. She had been robbed of honoring and serving Him in death, so she thought, as she had in life. She was just simply heartbroken and, having never left His side since her healing, the empty tomb was just the last straw. She thought the body of Jesus had been stolen, and she just collapsed into sobbing.
John 20:14-18 states:
14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
We often can recognize people by the way they say our name. The volume, the tone, the pitch…all play a part in the communication. For example, when Mama yells your full name, you know you’re in trouble. Maybe you hear a familiar voice over the phone, and all they say is your name, but you know who it is by the way they say it. I know a pair of identical twins. They sound just alike on the phone, but I could tell them apart on the phone, by how they spoke to me. One was teasing; the other was usually nicer and a bit more serious. Mary did not recognize Jesus until He said her name. That was it. He just said her name. She recognized Jesus, and she was overjoyed. Jesus warned her that He was leaving again, and she ran off to tell the disciples what she had seen.
Empty Tomb Witnesses
Theologians and historians that have researched and studied the Resurrection of Christ do not always agree about its historical content, but there is a list of things that most of them without a doubt support as true historical events. The tomb being empty is one of them. That women were the first witnesses is actually a strong piece of evidence for the resurrection and empty tomb. A woman’s testimony generally would not have been allowable in a court of law, especially on critical matters, UNLESS they were the first and primary witnesses. Acknowledging the women as any kind of witness to the Resurrection, would have been intellectual suicide UNLESS it was true.
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first after His resurrection. We could speculate all day about the reasons why He chose to reveal Himself to her first. Personally, I think that at least one reason was His compassion for her profound grief. Mary Magdalene longed to see Jesus just once more, even if it was preparing his body for burial. She was overjoyed and surprised to find Him alive. Mary Magdalene loved Jesus, and He loved her. He did not give her false hope that He was there to stay, though. Jesus immediately told her that He would not be there long and would be ascending to Heaven. Jesus told her to go and tell the disciples, and she did just that. Only Peter believed her at first. Jesus further commands us to go and tell about His resurrection. Therefore, go and tell others about what Jesus has done.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Moms!
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