In Mark 16:1, we read, “And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.”(KJV)
The Lord Jesus as He had already predicted to His disciples on several occasions, was crucified on a cross at Calvary, died, and was buried in a tomb. After the burial of Jesus, the disciples were filled with a sense of fear and hopelessness as they thought that their journey with Jesus had come to an end. Having been closely associated with Jesus for three and half years, the death and burial of Jesus spelt a sense of finality for the disciples that they even decided to go back fishing.
While it did not even occur to the disciples of Jesus to check on the tomb where Jesus had been laid, Mary Magdalene along with other women were waiting for the Sabbath to be over, so they could go to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with sweet spices. Though these women had a faith combined with love that prompted them to go to the tomb with their sweet spices, they too did so with a sense of doubt, as they wondered as to who would roll the stone away, so they could anoint the body of Jesus. Though the Lord had repeatedly spoken about His death, burial and resurrection, it seemed that the disciples, and the women who followed Jesus closely gave no heed or had forgotten the Lord’s exhortation.
Often times, we too when faced with difficult situations lose heart and despair only because we have forgotten the word of God, and His promises to us. It is only when the word of God is firmly rooted in our hearts, and our faith immovably established on it, will adverse situations not affect us. However, when the word of God is absent in our lives, we will certainly be shaken. For those of us who are discouraged and downcast because of any burdensome circumstance, let us be encouraged that the risen Lord is with us, and He has power to totally transform every arduous situation.
The disciples experienced and accepted Jesus as their Lord, master, miracle worker and provider, but could not perceive that He was also the one who could overcome death, and rise again from the grave.
Let us look at three Mary’s in the Bible who were so close to Jesus, but whose circumstances so blinded them that they struggled to comprehend the Lordship of Jesus, and His presence right next to them.
Mary Magdalene
Among the group of women who went to the tomb early that morning was Mary Magdalene. Let us study the word to see who she was.
We read in Luke 8:1-3, “Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.” (NKJV)
As Mary was a common name in Jesus’ day, and many of the women who followed Jesus had this name, Mary Magdalene was referred to as one who was delivered of seven evil spirits. Most of us would not prefer to be identified with our past life, but Mary Magdalene had experienced such a powerful transformation and deliverance that her heart was filled with love and gratitude to the Lord for His intervention, that she decided to follow and serve Jesus wholeheartedly.
Many of us have received much from the Lord, the very breath we breathe is God’s gift to us, but so often we remain ungrateful to the Lord for all His goodness, and keep complaining about the things that we still lack. It is indeed a sad thought that a majority of people take God’s gifts for granted, and there are only a handful who are truly grateful to the Lord for all that He lavishes on them.
We read in John 20:10-11, “Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.” (NLT)
Read John 20:14-15, “Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” (NLT)
On observing that the tomb of Jesus was empty, the disciples of Jesus who had witnessed so many might miracles of Jesus didn’t stay back and decided to go back to their homes. However, Mary Magdalene whose heart was filled with love and gratitude for Jesus, refused to go back. As she stood there with her heart filled with sorrow, she looked back, and saw Jesus standing next to her, but did not recognize Him.
This is the assurance the Lord gives to those of us who follow Him irrespective of what our circumstance may be. Next time we are faced with those hopeless health reports, financial crisis, relationship issues, or whatever else it may be, we must remind ourselves that the Lord has promised, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you’ and ‘Lo, I am with you to the very end of the age’. He is our faithful God who will never leave our side, the one who will never put us to shame, and the one who has promised to abide with us until the very end of our lives.
As Jesus spoke to Mary Magdalene and said, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” she simply failed to recognize the voice of Jesus, the voice that she had heard many times before in her close association with him. Her heart was so filled with sorrow, and her eyes blinded with tears and grief, that she failed to realize that the risen Lord who was right beside her, and was speaking directly to her. Mary Magdalene assumed that He was just a gardener.
If we too allow our situations to overwhelm us, and fix our eyes only on our problems, we will most certainly not be able to perceive the presence of the Lord or recognize His voice, even though He is close at hand. The Lord who overcame death itself is right beside us, and He is able to help us overcome ever hurdle and adverse situation that each of us may face. When our minds and hearts are focused only on our problems, it becomes impossible for us to hear the word of God, and appropriate it to our lives. It is only when God’s word is deeply rooted in our hearts will we be able to stand firm in the midst of every sort of trials and difficulties.
Mary, the sister of Lazarus
We read in John 11:3, “So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” (NLT)
John 11:6, “So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.” (NKJV)
John 11:32,“Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died.” (KJV)
The second Mary we are looking at was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Lazarus was sick and his sisters sent word to Jesus through some people with a message to Him, that the one whom Jesus loved dearly was very sick. In spite of knowing the situation, Jesus did not hurry to get back to Bethany, but chose to stay on for two more days. When Jesus went to meet Martha and Mary, it was then that Mary came running to Jesus with these words, ‘Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died.’ Mary believed that the Lord was definitely able to heal her brother of the sickness he faced, but she had no hope that Jesus had the power to raise her brother from the dead. The Lord came at the right time to affirm to Mary that He was indeed able to raise her dead brother back to life. After four days of being in the grave, the Lord raised Lazarus and brought him back to life to prove that He had power over death and the grave.
Have you noticed how when we encounter any sort of health issues, our first thought is to go looking for a specialist who can set things right, and we turn to the Lord only when the physicians give up hope. Instead, we must learn to call on the Lord immediately, and seek His healing and intervention, and He should be our first option and not the last.
Many of us may be in a place where Mary was, and probably like her we too have questions as to why the Lord allows us to go through certain situations and wonder if in those times the Lord is really there. We often find it easier to trust the Lord when our problems are small, but lose hope when the challenge is huge. Maybe like Mary, we call Jesus our Lord, but are not in total submission to His Lordship. Let us be encouraged to know that the Lord’s timing is always perfect. Though at times it may feel like He is delaying in answering us, we must be patient and trust Him implicitly because His ways are always perfect and His timings accurate. We rejoice in the Lord right in the midst of all our troubles, because He is able to turn everything around for our good.
There is also another important aspect for us to learn and that is whatever may be the things that we desire to have, it is vital that we wholeheartedly submit our desires to the Lord, and pray that His will be done in every decision we take because He is the all-knowing God who alone knows what’s best for us.
God can give life to those lifeless situations
In situations that appear to be lifeless, instead of doubting and complaining we must speak God’s word of promise and assurance and victory will be ours. Most of us murmur and complain when things get tough, and here’s a great lesson for us to learn from the people of Israel.
The people of Israel who were led by Moses and Aaron witnessed the marvelous deeds of God in Egypt, the mighty deliverance from the Egyptians when the red sea parted, they tasted the bitter waters of Mara that turned sweet to satisfy their thirst, and yet they constantly grumbled and complained against Moses and Aaron. Here’s what the Lord did to stop their grumbling and proved to them that He had entrusted the authority to Moses and Aaron.
In Numbers 17:5, we read, “And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.” (KJV)
In Numbers 17:8, we read, “And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.” (KJV)
As the people of Israel questioned the authority of Moses and Aaron, and also grumbled against their leadership, here’s what the Lord did. God heard their grumbling and asked the twelve leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel to bring a rod with the name of the tribe written on it. On Levi’s rod the name Aaron had to be written, and all of the rods were to be kept in the presence of the Lord. The next day, as Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, the rod of Aaron had brought forth buds, was in full bloom, and also yielded almonds. The rod of Aaron was placed permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to the people who rebelled. By performing this outstanding miracle, God warned the people of Israel that if they continued to murmur against Him and against the leaders He had appointed, the impending punishment for them was death. This was God’s way to stop the people of Israel from constantly grumbling and complaining.
If any of us have those dry or dead situations in our lives, where there seems to be no hope, let us take it to the Lord who can change it instantly. It is an effortless task for the Lord to change any lifeless condition overnight, and make it one that is abounding with fruit and life. What we are unable to accomplish with our own effort for many years, the Lord is able to do instantly if we come to Him by faith and hand it over to Him.
Mary the mother of Jesus
In Luke 2:48-49, we read, “So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (NKJV)
Though Mary was the mother of Jesus, she still did not realize who He really was. When Jesus was 12 years old, Mary and Joseph thought that their boy Jesus was lost, and after two days of searching they got back to the temple, to find Him sitting with the religious leaders and discussing the scriptures with them. That is when Mary said to Jesus, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” Jesus had to explain to Mary, that He was here on earth to accomplish His Heavenly Father’s business. The sorrow of having missed Jesus so filled Mary that she could not recognize that Jesus was sent down to earth to fulfil the Heavenly Father’s divine purpose.
Mary also forgot the word of God that was given to her even before the birth of Jesus in Luke 1:32 which reads, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:” (KJV)
Mary could not comprehend that Jesus was first the Son of God, even before being born on earth as her earthly son. Many people even today revere Mary, as the mother of Jesus forgetting the fact that she was just an instrument God used for Jesus to be born on this earth and that Jesus is the son of God from the very beginning, and was actively involved in the creation of the world itself.
In Colossians 1:16, we read, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him.”(NASB)
It was only because Mary failed to perceive that Jesus was indeed the Son of God who was omniscient and omnipotent that she started to worry about Jesus needlessly. We too are prone to make the same mistake if we look at Jesus as the son of Mary, and do not believe and acknowledge Him as the Son of God.
What happened to the three Mary’s can easily befall us if we worry and sorrow about our difficulties, and fail to realize that the risen Lord Jesus is really close at hand. Our hearts must be filled with the word of God, and the promises of God. The words that proceed from our mouth must be those of faith and praise, not words of sorrow and complaint. Though all three Mary’s were close to Jesus, in times of confusion and turmoil, they failed to recognize who Jesus really was. Let us be reminded that even before we go through a trial or hardship, the Lord has already prepared a way for us to be delivered out of it. We are the children of God and we have an all-knowing and all-powerful God always by our side. Let us therefore, praise the Lord at all times, and let His praise alone fill our hearts and our mouths.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
