Communion With the Christ:: Easter: Why Are You Weeping?

"But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb."Jhn:20:11

On that Easter morning, Mary stood weeping at the empty tomb of Jesus. She had arrived to find her Lord gone and no longer where she knew that he had been laid to rest.

As Mary peered into the vacant burial place, she was unaware that her Lord Jesus was near at hand even in her grief, loss, fear and uncertainty.

The tomb was empty, the bed of death on which Jesus had been placed was now vacant and left empty. Only the grave shroud in-which he had been wrapped remained there in the tomb upon it's cold stone slab.

Why Are You Weeping?

As Mary looked within, she then saw two angelic messengers, who sat at opposite ends of the cold slab. The angels asked her a simple question.

"Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”Jhn:20:11-13

Mary answers, and tells the pair of strangers that her tears are the result of the loss of her Lord, whom she believed has been now been lost to her though unyielding grip of death.

Even as Mary weeps at her apparent loss and filled with the grief of death she turns only to face her living Lord whom she mistakenly believes to the gardener. Jesus asked her again the simple question first posed by the two angels asking who it was that she sought.

"At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for?”(14-15)

Amidst her tears Mary replies to her yet unrecognized Lord.

"Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

At the speaking of her name by Jesus, Mary now recognizes who it is that is addressing her. She realizes that it is Jesus himself who stands before her.

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). (15-16)

Mary, now realizes that it is her Lord Jesus who stands before her. Jesus is alive. Mary's tears, which were in grief and loss now are transformed into those of joy.

Death Defeated

Mary now witnesses the actual manifestation of the very truth which Jesus spoke of himself as he approached the tomb of his friend Lazarus.

"I am the Resurrection" Jhn: 11:25

Jesus' bodily resurrection only shows us what has and is eternally true, that he is the Resurrection. The resurrection is not just an event but is who Jesus is.

Mary now is witness to the greatest victory in all eternity. Jesus' victory over even death. Jesus had not just escaped the grasp of death; Jesus has, by his own entry into death defeated it from within death and has plundered death of its prey , emptying death of its prey forevermore.

"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him."Acts:2:24

The Tomb of Jesus is empty forever and through his entranced into the darkness of death and his coming forth again is alive forevermore. The tomb of Jesus is not just his alone, but encompasses the tombs of all humanity so that our tombs may be empty as well all though his resurrection. Jesus has grasped hold of all who were bound and held in death's grip and brought them all forth into life.

Through , and in, and with Jesus all humanity has died to death, so that none need be confined with death's dark grasp. Through Jesus' shared humanity which he has assumed for and with us , he has tasted death for all.

"But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."Heb:2:9

In tasting death for us all, Jesus has entered into his, and our deaths, and we into his, so that we might also be untied with Jesus in life all through his resurrection if we will but freely receive through grace and faith.

St. Paul articulates this in his Epistles to the Church at Corinth Greece.

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died."2Cor:5:14

This means, when we, like Mary, look into the empty tomb of our Lord Jesus we see that not only is Jesus' tomb empty, but our own tomb is empty as well, and not only our 's but all of our loved ones. This grants us assurances that we will be reunited with all whom have proceeded before us into death, beyond the confines of this life in the eternity to come.

Jesus has extended his victory over death to each and all of us if we will but receive it.. Death as the one great enemy is now vanquished by Jesus' own death and resurrection, and this he so willingly and graciously shares with each and all who will be freely receive it.

St. Paul again speaks to us of this victory over death which Jesus has wrought on our behalf leaving death empty of its spoils, through the resurrection of Jesus.

"I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”“Where, O death, is your victory?Where, O death, is your sting?”iThe sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."1Cor:15:50:57

No More Tears

When we look into the grave, we will see that it has been emptied of all who were held in its hopeless grip. We can peer in to the empty tomb with joy knowing that Jesus has set the prisoners of death free to live forevermore. We can look beyond the confines of this world into the glory of eternity of which St, John gives us glimpse.

'Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Rev: 21:1-5

All because of our Lord Jesus we will never again hear the question "why are weeping?"

Benediction: May we each all rejoice in our Lord Jesus who has defeated death and the grave, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.