The First to See Jesus

In my last post, I ended with Joseph and Nicodemus wrapping Jesus with 100 lbs. of myrrh and aloes and placing Him in the tomb. Today I will focus on the women that were the first to see Jesus after the resurrection.

Springtime Feasts of the Lord

We have previously looked at the spring festivals commanded by the Lord for the nation of Israel. Let’s briefly review these appointed feasts of the Lord. They have a significance for us because they point to Jesus.

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

“These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim in their appointed times. ⁵ On the fourteenth day of the first month at evening is the Lord’s Passover. ⁶ On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.” – Leviticus 23:4-7 (MEV)

Within a seven day period:

• Passover was celebrated
• Then the Feast of Unleavened Bread
• Next was the Feast of First Fruits which begins the counting of the Omar

But what is the Feast of First Fruits and the counting of the Omar?

Offering the First Fruits

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ¹⁰ Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you have come into the land that I am giving to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf bundle of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. ¹¹ And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.” – Leviticus 23:9-11 (MEV)

The Feast of Weeks

“You shall count seven full weeks from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf bundle of the wave offering. ¹⁶ You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.” – Leviticus 23:15-16 (MEV)

The Forerunner Commentary states: During the Second Temple period when Jesus died, a sheaf of barley was reaped from the field as the Sabbath ended and Sunday began. This is the period of the day called ben ha arbayim. It was the time at dusk when one day was ending and the other was beginning the priests put the sickle to the grain, as it says in Deuteronomy 16:9-12.

Counting of the Omar

The counting of the Omar is an important verbal counting of each of the forty-nine days starting with the Wave Offering of a sheaf of ripe grain from the grain harvest and the First Fruits festival celebrating the end of the grain harvest at  Shavuot (Pentecost). All of this is significant for us as we see that Jesus Himself fulfilled these Spring Feasts.

“But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 15:20-23  (ESV)

Christians are also called the firstfruits of God.

“Of His own will, He brought us forth with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” James 1:18 (MEV)

Hebrew4Christians.com has an excellent article on Jesus Christ as our First Fruits. You can read more here.

For a printer friendly pdf of the article click here.

The First Fruit Resurrection

Let’s revisit the Firstfruit story of the resurrection of Jesus. But be warned ahead of time, although there may have been rabbits around the tomb, they are not the focus of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Sorry bunny lovers).

The Scriptures tell us that that very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. They were concerned about who would roll away the stone from the entrance. They needn’t worry because arriving at the tomb they found that the stone had been rolled away!

“Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. ” – Matthew 28:2-4

The Women at The Tomb

By placing the gospel accounts side by side it would appear that it is quite possible that other women besides Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James that which followed Jesus in His earthly ministry went with them also. In fact, Luke 24:10 states …and several other women who told the apostles what had happened.”

Keep in Mind

Sometimes when you place the gospel events side by side we see what could be viewed as a conflict. However, just remember, that each person is writing to a different audience and writes as the Holy Spirit directs.

Moreover, This type of testimony says  Rob Robinson in one article states: “where one person includes something that other witnesses leave out, is empirical evidence of genuine testimony. The witnesses didn’t realize they had done this, but we observe it 2,000 years later and it becomes a certainty that these men are telling the truth.”

He continues: “One of the artifacts that professionals look for in order to detect fraud in examining the written testimony of people who claim to be eyewitnesses, is the differences between individuals who claimed to be at the same scene of an event.”

1. If all of the testimonies are exact, this is an indication of fraud.
2. If there are slight differences in testimony, this is an indication of truth.

I never have a problem when I see in scriptures the same subject with different views and or facts. It never crosses my mind that the Scriptures are in conflict or error! Moreover, you can be confident that there is not one error in Scripture! If there is an error it is due to our misunderstanding in translation in the original texts, not God’s error! We are not always given all the facts. Moreover, this is why John tells us:

^“There are also many other things which Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.” –  John 21:25

Visiting the Tomb

Let’s look at the Gospel accounts side by side so to speak.

• Matthew 28:1 – “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.”
• Mark 16: 1-2 – “Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body.  2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb.”
• Luke 24:1 – “But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.”
• John 20:1 – “Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.” 

From looking at this section we can see that Saturday evening Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices. Very early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark Mary Magdalene along with Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb arriving at sunrise, finding the stone had been rolled away from the entrance already.

The Reaction of the Women

• Mark 16:5 – “When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked”…
• Luke 24:4-5 – “As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground.”

The Angels Testify to the Women

• Matthew 28:5-6 – “Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.”
• Mark 16:6 – “but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body”
• Luke 24:5-7 – “Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

Instructions from the Angelic Men

• Matthew 28:7 – “And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.”
• Mark 16:7 – “Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

What Was the Response of the Women?

• Matthew 28:8 – The women ran quickly from the tomb
  • They were very frightened
  • But also filled with great joy
  • They rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message
• Mark 16:8 – The women fled from the tomb
  • They were trembling and bewildered
  • However, these women said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened
• Luke 24:8 – The women remembered that Jesus had said
• Luke 24:9 – They rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples and everyone else what had happened. 
• John 20:2 – Mary Magdalene ran and found Simon Peter and John. She told them, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Now we see that once they came to the tomb, they were at least two angels present. The angels testified of the Lord’s resurrection and gave the women instructions to give to Peter and the other disciples.

However, not all of the women followed their instructions as we read in Mark 16:8. This leads me to conclude that there were more women than just the four mentioned. Luke 24:10 also mentions Joanna. Perhaps these were curious friends of those mention by name. Perhaps they were helpers of the women, We can only speculate. Moreover, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome were part of Jesus’s “ministry team” and would not have disobeyed the angelic instructions.

Jesus Appears to the women

Mark 16:9 informs us that the first person who saw Jesus was Mary Magdalene.

Matthew 28:9-10 tells us that as the women were returning to inform the disciples, Jesus met them and greeted them. Consequently, in their joy, they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

However, we see in John 20:11-17 deeper detail concerning the meeting between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in the tomb. When she did we are told that she saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 

The angels ask in John 20:13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Mary responds with “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him.”

Previously, we already saw that according to Mark 16:8 some of the women fled from the tomb and said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened. In my minds eye, this is where I believe Mary returned to look once more into the tomb, while Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women that were with her waited. Consequently, they also saw Jesus. (see Matthew 28:9-10)

When Mary turned to leave, she saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. Jesus asks.  “Dear woman, why are you crying? Who, are you looking for?” Mary mistakenly thinks Jesus is the gardener and she states: “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

Why Wouldn’t Mary Recognize Jesus?

Here is a question for you. Why didn’t Mary recognize Jesus? Here is my untheological answer.

Have you ever look for something in a drawer or closet and couldn’t find it because your mind is set on it being one thing and because it’s a different color, size or any other reason, you don’t see it and it’s right in front of you? I have.

The Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees didn’t see Jesus as their Messiah because they were looking for a conquering King. Jesus didn’t fit what they were looking for.

I have a friend from Massachusetts that explained to me one day that she did not see the yellow firetruck behind her because she was used to seeing red firetrucks where they lived before. Consequently, she didn’t immediately move over for the firetruck that was trying to get around her!

Therefore, I believe that Mary was not expecting to see Jesus alive! No one was expecting it! It didn’t matter that Jesus specifically told them He would be resurrected; they did not believe Him. I’m sure they wanted to believe, but… even though they had seen the miracles and even remembered Lazarus being raised from the dead, they were not expecting Him to literally rise from the grave.

However, there could be another reason. Rob Robinson discusses the Messiah’s beard being ripped out as prophesied in Isaiah. I have included an excerpt below.

History Records The Removal Of The Beard As An Act Of Dishonor

To pull out the beard of any man, for any reason, was viewed as degrading and dishonorable. For this reason, it is certain then that during the crucifixion of Jesus, the Roman soldiers, who were known for their brutality, pulled out Jesus’ beard in handfuls rather than take the time to cut it with the sharp edge of a knife. Since it was the goal of His tormentors to inflict as much suffering on Jesus as possible and to insult and degrade Him as a man before the people who were observing the crucifixion, they must have done exactly as this prophecy of Isaiah 50:6 predicts: I gave my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard.

The Real Answer

Wow! This is something I hadn’t considered before reading this article. If the Lord’s body carried the scars in his hands, feet, and side, would it not also stand to reason that His precious face also carried the disfigurement from the beating, and beard plucking?

Perhaps the real answer to why she did not recognize Jesus was for both reasons outlined above.

We want to believe but sometimes we just don’t have the faith to hold on. We get weary. I sure do. How much longer, is a question I pose to the Lord more times than I want to admit. I understand why the newly born nation of Israel questioned God why traveling through the desert. For me, that is why Journaling is important. My memory is not as great as it once was! I need help to remember what the Lord has done in the past. Therefore, it reminds me of what He will do for me now and in the future!

Stressful times and grief can cause temporary memory fog. I went through it when my husband passed. You think you are losing your mind. Therefore, I learned to write everything down. Mary and the other disciples, I’m sure experienced this. Likewise, if His face was beyond recognition, it would even be even harder for her to recognize him.

That is Until…

Until the Master spoke her name… 16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

I can just imagine the fireworks that burst forth in her heart when she heard Him speak her name!

See, My servant shall deal prudently;
he shall be exalted and extolled, 
and be very high.
Just as many were astonished at you,
his visage was so marred, 
more than any man,
and his form more 
than the sons of men;  

  Isaiah 52:13-14 (MEV)  

I hope you have enjoyed today’s post as much as I have! It is such a treat for me to learn more and ponder over the events of Jesus’s first coming and consider the thoughts and emotions as I put these posts together for sharing,

But Be Encouraged because our King is returning to take us home very soon!