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Is it the Gardener?

The Easter Morning Account From John  19:38-20:18

By Guy K. Henry

www.GuyHenry.com

Mary of Magdala had followed Jesus from town to town ever since the day that He healed her. She remembered that first day well. Jesus had laid His hand on her shaking head and spoke, “Satan, I command you and your demons to leave this woman!”

Immediately Mary was free. No longer would Satan have any say over her thoughts.

Mary took in every word that Jesus spoke. She watched in awe when Jesus healed the people. But Mary followed Jesus for more than His powerful teaching and wonderful miracles. No, she stayed close to Jesus because He was the first person to ever show her amazing love.

Before Jesus met her, people would watch her twisting and shouting in the town. They were quick to despise her. They would say, “That crazy Mary, I wish she’d leave us alone. I can not stand her!”

Jesus was different. Jesus had nothing but love for her and all the others He met. She was glad to leave her hometown and follow Jesus everywhere He went.

But now those good days seemed like they were over. She cried from a distance as she saw her beloved Jesus hanging from a criminal’s cross. Jesus had never hurt anyone, but now he was being hurt by so many. Jesus was the last person who deserved to be on a cross.

Her hopes burst when she heard Jesus say, “It is finished.” She watched His head slowly drop, and she knew that He was dead. The kindest, full of goodness, most loving man ever had died. Mary’s tears seemed to burn her cheeks. “Why? Why? Why?” she sobbed.

Jesus’ mother, who was also named Mary, came to her. The two hugged and cried together.

In a little while some men approached Jesus. The two women watched as the body of Jesus was gently taken off the cross. The men carefully wrapped Jesus in a long cloth called linen. When they were done, they hurriedly carried Jesus away. They walked quickly, as they had to be done by dark. They dared not to be out after the sun set and be accused of violating the Sabbath day.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, Jesus’ mother, followed the men. They watched as the men brought Jesus’ body to a small cave. They placed the lifeless body into the cave and rolled a heavy stone over the entrance.

Mary Magdalene flinched when the stone crashed into its place. She turned to Jesus’ mother and said, “I wish that we had the time to give Jesus a proper burial.”

They cried together. Jesus’ mother sobbed, “We will be back on the first day of the week. Then we can burry Jesus the right way.”

Saturday was a difficult day. Everyone obeyed the Jewish law and celebrated the Sabbath by going to the temple. While they were supposed to be resting, they mostly cried. There was hardly any talking. Everyone was asking without using words, “Why did Jesus have to die?” No one had any answers.

It was difficult for Mary Magdalene to sleep that Saturday night. She kept dreaming of her days with Jesus. Just when the dream seemed real, she would wake up. Oh, She longed to hear the voice of Jesus again.

The last time that she woke up, it was still dark outside. She snuck out and walked through the cool air to where she had seen Jesus’ body laid.

She came close to the cave. When she arrived, she knew at once that something was wrong. The heavy stone that blocked the entrance to the cave had been rolled to the side.

Mary ran back to the house where the disciples were sleeping. She woke up Peter and John saying, “Someone has stolen Jesus out of the grave! We don’t know where He is!”

Peter and John jumped to their feet and gathered up their robes. Soon they were out the door and running to Jesus’ grave. Mary followed behind, hoping that they would find Jesus’ body.

John arrived first, and stooped down at the entrance to the cave. He held his torch ahead of him to allow light to fill the grave. When he peered inside, he saw a pile of linen clothes.

Peter arrived a short time later and crawled into the grave. John handed him the torch and climbed in too.

Peter wondered aloud, “Here is the linen that Jesus was wrapped in.”

John added, “And over here is the cloth that covered Jesus’ head.”

Together they said, “But where is Jesus?”

The two men decided to tell the other disciples about this terrible crime. They walked past Mary who was crying into her hands.

After a while, Mary came close to the cave and gazed inside. In the morning light, she could make out the empty linens. Then she saw two men inside the cave. One man stood where Jesus’ head was, and the other where His feet were supposed to be.

“Woman, why are you crying?” one asked.

Mary wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “Because they have stolen my Lord Jesus, and I do not know where they have taken Him.”

Then Mary heard a noise behind her. She turned around and saw a man. It was Jesus, but she did not recognize Him.

The man said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

Mary thought this man was a gardener and pleaded with him, “Sir, if you have carried Jesus away, tell me where you have taken Him. I will bring him back.”

Jesus smiled at Mary. She did not understand why, until He warmly spoke her name, “Mary.”

Sin is when we do things that God’s Word, the Bible, tells us not to do.

My sin has earned me the penalty of death. After all, I have offended the creator of the universe.

Jesus had no sin, so He did not have to die.

When Jesus allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross and be killed, He took my punishment. I deserved the death penalty, but Jesus went instead!

Death and sin go together. Sin brings death. Not only did Jesus cancel the power of sin, but He also defeated the force of death. Jesus did not stay dead. He is alive, even today!

Now when I trust Jesus to pay my penalty for sin and ask Him to forgive me, I can have life forever. Oh, yes, I will someday die, but I will not stay dead. Because Jesus defeated death, I will live again with Him in heaven!

Jesus also died for your sins. His gifts of forgiveness and eternal life are yours if you simply:

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

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