The Resurrection
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April 16, 2006 |
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 Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene 'came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and [that] He had said these things to her (John 20:17-18).
Easter is the observance of Jesus' resurrection on the third day He was crucified and buried. We will examine today the reason God fulfilled the Providence of resurrection and the case of Mary Magdalene, who was the first to witness the Lord of resurrection.
1.The Reason God Fulfilled the Providence of Resurrection
Although He was the Son of God, Jesus took the form of a lowly and humble creature when He came into the world. After His crucifixion and resurrection, all the glory and honor that had belonged to Jesus as the Son of God the Creator was restored to Him. Until the glory of resurrection could be realized, however, anguish filled Jesus' life on the earth. Jesus mourned as He saw mankind, who had been created in God's own image but deviated from His ways, sinning and living in evil. Jesus shed much tears as He saw afflicted people, who were like wandering sheep without knowing the truth. The suffering of the cross Jesus had to endure for the salvation of mankind was a series of unbearable ordeals which no man could bear.
Our Father God, who is one with Jesus, endured the same pain and suffering Jesus endured, and when Jesus took upon the cross, God could not bear to look at Jesus and had to turn His face away from His Son.
Why did God plan the Providence of suffering and resurrection?
First, God loved mankind too much.
After Adam's sinning, every person became a sinner and as a payment of the wages of his sin, each person was destined to hell. Saving this race of sinners required the sinless Son of God to die on their behalf. By the mercy of God who wanted to save the sinners to the point of preparing Himself to endure any kind of suffering in His abounding love for them, Jesus took upon the cross and became "the first fruits" of resurrection for people who have received forgiveness.
Second, God was convinced that He could gain true children.
While parents are aware that raising children is difficult, they willingly submit themselves to the task so that they may gain true children with whom they could share love. By the same token, God Himself planned the Providence of suffering and resurrection before time began and fulfilled it so that He could gain true children who would take after His heart and love Him through human cultivation.
Third, God wanted to reveal Himself to us.
While no dead person can be revived in this fleshly world, God in the spiritual world is not limited by anything and is able to do all things. So that we may come to understand and believe in this God, Our Lord resurrected and His gospel was spread throughout the world.
2.The Reason Mary Magdalene was the First Person to Witness Jesus after His Resurrection
God allowed women and apostles – all those who loved Jesus – to witness His Son after Our Lord's resurrection. Why, then, did Mary Magdalene witness the Lord of resurrection before anyone else?
First, Mary Magdalene's love for Jesus was too great.
Before meeting the Lord, Mary Magdalene had been tormented by illness and poverty and living a despondent life as the subject of other people's contempt and their effort to isolate her. After meeting the Lord, however, Mary became healthy, gained a hope for heaven and true love, and her life became filled with joy and happiness. For Mary Magdalene, the Lord became the meaning of her life and the purpose of her existence.
When the Lord whom she had cherished so much died on the cross, Mary Magdalene felt as if her own life had ended. As all she could think about was being with the Lord, Mary went to His tomb when it was still dark. As the Lord of resurrection was drawn to Mary Magdalene's unconditional scent of love, He met with her before meeting with anyone else.
As I have met the Lord under a similar circumstance, I can sympathize with Mary Magdalene. Before meeting the Lord, in my life were only illness, poverty, loneliness, and death. I had been abandoned by the people I loved and at the bottom of my life, I had no joy or hope.
After meeting the Lord, my despair turned into hope and He became my everything. As the Lord became my everything, I gave Him my possessions, my health, my family, and my life.
I have thrown out all my sins because God wants sanctification. I have lived my life for other souls just as Our Lord gave up His life for other souls. From the day I met the Lord, not a moment has gone by when I have not thought of Him. I am anxiously living each day, earnestly wishing, 'When He returns, I will be the first to embrace Him.'
Second, Mary Magdalene had a firm belief in the Lord.
Although Mary Magdalene grew up in adverse circumstances, as she always pursued goodness and a truthful life Mary could recognize Jesus from the beginning. From His eyes Mary could feel the love and goodness, and with His Word and power, she could only trust Him even more. She could undoubtedly believe that every word on Jesus' lips was true and that He was the Son of God. For these reasons, Mary Magdalene could cling to Jesus even in times of His suffering, no matter what people were saying to or about her.
Mary Magdalene showed her proof of true faith by not abandoning Jesus' side when He was carrying out His ministry in glory or when He was condemned as the lowliest of sinners and crucified, and by going to His tomb even after all hope seems to have faded at His death. This is why Mary Magdalene was blessed to see first the glory of resurrection before anyone else.
After experiencing the grace of Our Lord, my trust in Him has never been shaken. I believed without a doubt everything I read from the 66 books of the Bible, and I only obeyed as I learned the truth. There had been times of ordeal as I strove to obey Him, but even in times of difficulty I held fast to my faith in the Lord who was always with me and in my God who was alive and doing His work. This is how I have been able to always rejoice, give thanks, and risk my life to obey God's Word.
Third, Mary Magdalene did not mix fleshly thoughts.
If Mary Magdalene had fleshly thoughts, she could not have washed Jesus' feet with her hair, given her everything to Jesus to support His ministry, or followed His cross to the end even as she was hearing all the words of contempt and threats on her life.
Without any fleshly thoughts, however, Mary Magdalene only trusted in Jesus' Word. Even when she met the Lord after His resurrection, Mary did not doubt the fact that someone who had died could come back to life or mix her own thoughts. This is why Our Lord revealed Himself to Mary Magdalene, who did not mix fleshly thoughts to what she had witnessed, and asked her to testify to His resurrection to others.
As much as you throw out fleshly thoughts and desire and believe in the spiritual world, you can magnify God through your experiences with spiritual things. Whenever God shows me a work, I cherish it no matter how trivial it may be. Whenever God tells me of new spiritual things, I try not to miss a word but strive to engrave them in my heart. This is why God reveals more and more things about the spiritual world and adds His power upon power.
Brothers and sisters in Christ,
Our Lord's return, our rapture and resurrection are to surely take place and that day is not far (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). May each of you throw out fleshly thoughts in order to fulfill a perfect love and a truthful faith with which God is pleased, desire the spiritual world all the more, take by force a better heavenly dwelling place, and shine forth as the sun, in the name of Our Lord I pray!
Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee's powerful bestsellers include Tasting Eternal Life before Death, The Message of the Cross, The Measure of Faith, Heaven I & II, Hell and many others.
Urim Books (+82 2 837 7632 / 818 7320; http://www.urimbook.com)
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