Vere. 11-18.-Mary Magdalene the first herald of the risen Lord. The two apostles withdrew, but Mary remained at the tomb. "A stronger affection riveted to the spot one of e. weaker nature" (Augustine). I. MARY'S LOVE TO HEB LORD. It was, manifested: 1. By her persistent watching of the tomb. 2. By her passionate weeping. 3. By her anxiety to discover some trace of her Lord. . " She stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre." Her love is aa strong a.a <leath. II. THE SUOOESSrruL BEBULT OF HER LOVE. 1. She first comes into communication with the two angels in the sepulchre. They may have suggested by the direction of their looks that Jesus was near at hand. 2. She next sees Jesus, but does not know him. (1) Death had wrought a change upon him : he appeared /11 ,.,.,p'f µ.op#,, " in a dillerent shape" (Mark xvi. 12). Yet the voice was altogether unchanged, as we infer from her instant recognition of her Lord after he had addressed her by name. "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?" (2) Her persistent love through all her uncer- tainties. She asks "the gardener" to say where he has laid him, that she may take him away. 3. Her glad recognition of her loving Lord. ," She turned herself, and sa.ith to him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master." The sound of her name repeated by thos<' lovioa lips ended all doubt better than the words of a more common interest," Woman." m: OUR LORD'S CHECK TO HER PASSIONATE ARDOUR. "'l.'ouch Dl<l not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." 1. Perhaps she had th.rown herself down at his feet, and had attempted to clasp them in her enthusiastic devotion. 2. His words imply that the old forms of familiar intercourse were past. He he.d e.ntered upon a cew mo~e of existence. 3. They imply that he could not renew the tie that death had sev:7ed till he had ascended on high. His ascension woulu be the condition of a new umon fraught with all blessincr0 and consolation. 4. It is better to know Jesus in his glorified humanity than to "know /iim qfter the flesh." 'l'he Roman theology sees him as a ~abe in. bi~ mother's arms or as the Crucified One; but true theology must behold him Ill the lt~l.it of his resurrection 118 well as hi, ck:1.th. .JOHN.-Il. 482 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. JOllN. [on. xx, 1-31.
IV. Oun Lono's lm!!!'IAGE TO TRE A'l'OSTT,E&. 11 Go to my brethren, 11nd eay to them, I ascend to my Fa.ther, Rnd your Father; to my God, e.nd your God," 1. A ,uoman ui honoured as making the first communication between Je.- rtnd his apostles. 2. The ,iame by which our Lord describea them. « My brethren " me.rks tho new rele.tionship int.o which they are introduced by his resurroction. (1) '!'hey were hie servants, his friends, his children, before his death; they are now his brethren, according to e.ncient prophecy: " I will declare thy Name unto my brethren." (2) His exaltation has wrought no change in his affection to them. They are still the objects or his unchangeable love. 3. His ascension to heaven wa, ,;ust at hand. (1) 'the apostles wore to_ understand that his resurrection was the beginning of his ascension. (2) The Ascension wa.s t.o place the apostles before God exactly in the same position as he was !iimso!f. (a)_ Jesus marks the d~stinction that cx)sted between himself and his apostles m their relation to God. God 1s Father of Christ by nature, of men by grace.. •His Sonship is not their sonship. (b) Jesus, in calling God II his God," does not disclaim Deity, for it is iD his perfect humanity that he sees the Father as his God. V. MARY FULFILB HER GLAD RRnilID. "Mary Mao-de.lene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her." Her ~t.ory would cause (1) surprise, (2) gladness, and (3) hope in the minds bf the disciples.