Easter, the Day of Resurrection: Mary Magdalene

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

John 20:11-16

But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and saw two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou?" She said unto them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus said unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?" She, supposing him to be the gardener, said unto him, "Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said unto her, "Mary." She turned herself, and said unto him, . . . "Master." 

Mary Magdalene

by Richard Burton

At dawn she sought the Saviour slain,

To kiss the spot where he had lain

And weep warm tears, like springtime rain;

When lo, there stood, unstained of death,

A man that spoke with low sweet breath;

And "Master!" Mary answereth.

From out the far and fragrant years

How sweeter than the songs of seers

That tender offering of tears!

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene : The Bible

In the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, John 20:14 says that on the first day of the week (the Day of Resurrection) Mary Magdalene "turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus." As my mother Evelyn M. Gilmer (1923-2016) wrote of Mary Magdalene,

     She looked at Christ with earthly eyes,
     And, so, she failed to recognize
        The risen Lord.


JESUS APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE
from the Bible: John 20:11-18 (Revised Standard Version)

     But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her,

     "Woman, why are you weeping?
     Whom do you seek?"

Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her,

     "Do not hold me,
     For I have not yet ascended to the Father;
     But go to my brethren and say to them,
     I am ascending to my Father and your Father,
     To my God and your God."

Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.