Continuing with the theme of resurrection, we must remember that Jesus the Christ, was "the Firstfruits of those who sleep", as Paul has recorded. And continuing with our study of John, we read in vs. 17 that Mary, upon seeing her Lord in the Garden, supposed Him at first to be the gardener, but had begun to embrace Him when He finally revealed Himself to her. And Jesus stated, "Touch Me not, for I have not yet ascended to the Father...". All other aspects of His commission had been completed, and He was yet to return to the place of beginning.
Now keep in mind that when Thomas finally met Jesus following His resurrection, Jesus invited him to touch Him, and even to thrust his hand into His open side, if need-be. But as for any speculation about Jesus' glorified body...as much as we may suppose, we can really only draw one conclusion...that it was just as much at home here upon earth, as it would be in Heaven! Whether walking the dusty roads of the Gallilee region, or sitting on the shore, breakfasting on fish with His disciples during those intervening forty days, or walking the golden avenues of the heavenly Jerusalem, preparing mansions for the faithful!
Remember that Peter tells us the heavens will one day pass away in an uproar, and the earth will melt with a fervent heat, in preparation for the creation of the new heaven and new earth! Glorified indeed...no ordinary flesh and blood will survive that holocaust! When we "drop this robe of flesh and rise", as the hymn says...our gorified bodies will finally reflect the glory of Christ's own (insert another exclaimation mark, here please!)
And it was to Mary the faithful to whom He announced His soon-coming-going. Her faith in Him must have been great, and Jesus' love for her must have been great, for from that point forward, she would be a messenger of glad tidings of great joy...she will not be referred-to again in John's Gospel record. From that moment on, Jesus' sole task would be to prepare the eleven for their new role as apostles; they had spent three years with Him in ministry, and now they were about to be commissioned and filled for the difficult task awaiting them.
Mary's heart was completely absorbed with the sense of loss and grief she felt, having been completely devoted to the Healer of both body, and soul, as well as spirit. We may think that we are all that we can be, but the one whose heart is fixed on Him, is the one God fills to capacity. What about you, dear reader? Do you have a tender heart for Jesus? If you do, then you have a heart that Jesus will use. We can measure Mary's heart for the Lord, and the hearts of those eleven disciples, and our own hearts as well, by the limit, or the limitless bounds of our faith, love and obedience toward the Lord and His work. Stop and think about that right now, if you will.
That's where Mary was, right there in the Garden that day, and the disciples were not far behind her. You see, Jesus wanted them, and Mary, and us, to know that resurrection is the great equalizer, as He says there in vs. 17, "...I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God...". Although in that moment, Mary was separated from Jesus by her humanity and His divinity, there would be that great day coming, when she and He would truly fellowhip together in spirit and in truth! For now, she had a critical errand to perform, as Jesus commands her to run and tell His "brethren"...not that He was risen, but that He would be ascending to the Father. And she did-so...but Mark has recorded that as they received the news, they "mourned and wept", not yet believing it to be true!
You know, that is yet the response that many personal evangelists still meet with...those who grieve more for some peceived loss, out of their own self-interest, rather than their sinful condition before the face of Creator God. Rather than joyfully believing and receiving, they continue to un-believe, in the One Who is able, and Who would, meet their needs...both physical and spiritual. The very ones you might expect to welcome the Good News of the resurrected and glorified Lord, as with those ten disciples, are often the very ones who hold out the longest. Go figure!
So we read in vs. 19 that, while the disciples cowered together behind closed doors later on that first weekday, "for fear of the Jews", Jesus appeared in their midst. And He commanded them to "Be at peace, because as the Father has sent Me to do His work, I am sending you to do My work. And then He breathed the Holy Spirit upon them".
Wow...just WOW! This really had turned-out to be "the first Christian Sabbath (so-called), that first Resurrection Sunday, that first Easter (again, so-called). At any rate, those ten un-believing disciples were "assembled" away from the world and the worldly; no concern for their occupations or for their apostolic calling...just together, consoling and debriefing one another; discussing the horrible events of the past few days; trying to reconcile Mary's irrational story about a resurrection, as well as the very real risk to their own physical safety. The doors were closed, probly locked to all who didn't have the secret password, when of a sudden, there was Jesus in the midst of them! If the closed tomb hadn't contained Him, a closed door was no problem at all!
Remember in Acts 12, how when Peter had been imprisoned by Herod, no doubt for his preaching the resurrection of Christ, an angel had released him and led him away, so that Peter was able to return to the room where the Believers were gathered in prayer...for him. However, when he knocked on the door to gain entry, they refused him, believing he had already been executed, and that what they were seeing was his ghost! Well I can't begin to imagine what they must have thought about seeing Jesus, having miraculously entered a locked room.
The resurrection body will indeed be a glorious thing to experience! And His word to them was one of quiet consolation, reassurance, and of course, commission to a far greater work than they had as yet ever experienced! Just think of the effect that must have had upon the hearts of those grieving men...Peter had denied Him, the others had forsaken Him, and for now, Thomas had gone on about his business.
Have you ever been at a loss as to how , or what Jesus' commission is for you? If so, you can surely relate-to Peter and the others. So if you're tempted to say, "Shame on them", remember your own shortcomings...no, remember your own lack of faith, and your resistance to the commands of the Lord Jesus, and your neglect of the lost and the otherwise needy of this earth. Those men were only men, after all, and even though the Lord had "breathed Holy Spirit upon them", it would be many days hence before He would actually fill them up to overflowing with His own Spiritual Presence!
Why not take the time, right now, to stop and to pray for a renewed vision of your calling, and to be prepared for an answer from on high, to touch you deep within.
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