"My Lord and My God"

Read: John 20.1-31

When Mary Magdalene visited the tomb early on the following Sunday morning, she and her companions found the stone had been removed from the entrance. Her first response was to immediately Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved (namely, John, who is the author of this Gospel account), who ran to the tomb to investigate.

Note the relationship between Peter and the beloved disciple. In this case, though their actions were parallel, their responses to what they found at the tomb were different. Both saw the empty grave, the removed strips of linen, and head cloth. But, in contrast to Peter, it is said of the beloved disciple that he believed and that he did so without yet understanding from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Anthony Casurella says that this qualifies John as the first Christian believer.

Mary's experience at the tomb was different, but it also led to belief. After the two disciples had gone home, she remained behind weeping. She, too, looked into the tomb, but instead of grave cloths she saw two angels sitting where the Lord's body had lain. When they asked why she wept, she told them about her loss. The question was repeated by a man standing behind her who wanted to know why she wept and whom she was seeking. Perhaps her tears kept her from recognizing Jesus; perhaps it was something else, but she assumed He was the gardener and asked Him to show her where He had put Jesus' body. If He would tell her, she intended to recover it, and in her grief she probably meant to do so single-handedly.

Jesus merely spoke her name and, in a flash of recognition, her grief turned to joy. It would have been natural for her excited response to have been accompanied by an embrace of some sort, and we may guess from Jesus' next words that it was. In effect he said, “Don't cling to me, Mary; I haven't left yet.” But He soon would leave, and He commissioned her to carry that word to His brothers. By brothers He meant His disciples, now friends and no longer “servants.”

John tells of two appearances to the disciples in Jerusalem. The first was on resurrection Sunday itself. They were frightened and had locked themselves away. But locked doors were no bar to the risen Lord, and into their fear He spoke peace. Like Mary, their mood changed instantly to joy. Then Jesus passed on to them a task like His: He had been sent into the world by the Father, and now in the same way He was sending them. They were to be apostles of the one Apostle. He then formally bestowed on them the promised Holy Spirit.

The disciple Thomas was not present the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples, and he doubted their account. But he was convinced when the Lord appeared in the same way a week later, and he made a profound confession of faith in Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” The entire Gospel is bracketed between 1.1-2 and 20.28-31, and these verses define for the author John what belief really means.