John 20:15
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus tenderly confronts the weeping Mary at the tomb by asking why she cries and whom she is looking for. Blinded by grief she does not recognize the risen Lord standing beside her but mistakes Him for the caretaker of the garden, and believing His body has been carried off she begs to be told where it has been laid so she may take it away herself to lovingly care for it and bury it with honor. Her love, born of forgiven sin and longing to keep hold of heaven, holds Him on earth until He makes Himself known to her, and He then sends her and the weeping women as His first messengers to preach a risen Saviour. His questions still search out those who mourn as if He were dead and buried, for He is risen and ascended to the Father's presence to intercede, so believers are to leave doubt and discouragement and live in peace, hope, and fullness of joy.
Mary Weeping at Tomb
Jesus tenderly speaks to the weeping Mary, asking why she is crying and whom she is seeking. She is overwhelmed with grief and blinded by tears, and though the risen Jesus stands close beside her and speaks to her, she does not recognize Him or understand that He has risen. Supposing Him to be the gardener, the caretaker in charge of the garden, she mistakes Him for someone else entirely.
Believing His body has been taken or moved and not knowing where it has been laid, she asks whether He has borne Him away and where He has laid Him. She pleads for information about where the body has been taken and offers herself to take Him away and carry Him off. Her grief and anxiety center on finding her crucified Lord so she can care for Him and give Him honorable burial, hoping that service will console her. That offer shows how deeply she loves Him and wants to care for Him, and how unaware she is that He has risen.
She weeps because she supposes Jesus is still dead, still buried in Joseph's new tomb with a great stone before the door of the sepulchre.
Risen Lord Revealed
The worship Mary longed to offer at that meeting could not yet be received, for Jesus must first know that His sacrifice had been accepted by the Father. He therefore ascended to the heavenly courts and heard from God Himself the assurance that His atonement for the sins of men was ample and sufficient. There it was confirmed that through His blood all might gain eternal life. All power in heaven and on earth was given to Him as the Prince of Life. Having received that assurance, He returned to His followers in a world of sin to impart to them His power and glory.
It was Mary's love for Jesus, born of His forgiveness of her sins and of the way He had connected her soul with heaven, that kept Him on earth after His resurrection until He made Himself known to her. That staying shows His willingness to reveal Himself to those who are devoted to Him and His service and who desire above all to maintain a living connection with heaven. As Mary recognized the risen Jesus by His voice and general demeanor, so those who remain faithful will recognize again the loved ones who now sleep when their voices are heard once more in the resurrection morning. The living connection between heaven and earth still holds, and every promise of God will be fulfilled.
Jesus made the weeping women His first messengers to carry the news of the risen Savior. In that appointment Mary became the first to preach a risen Saviour. It shows that women who partake of His grace and practice the truth can represent Christ and render holy service to God. That holy service is done by teaching the truth and bringing souls to the light as missionaries and teachers.
Comfort for Believers Today
Jesus stands close beside the weeping woman, yet her tears blind her so that she does not recognize Him or understand who is speaking to her, for she believes His body has been taken away and asks where it has been laid. His tender questions about why she weeps and whom she seeks reach beyond that morning to all who grieve without perceiving that the risen Saviour is near.
Believers must not weep as she wept at the tomb, supposing their Lord has been taken and they know not where He has been laid. Jesus is not dead in Joseph's new tomb with a great stone before the door of the sepulchre, for He has risen from the dead and ascended on high and is now in the presence of the Father ever living to make intercession. Having such a living Saviour, they need not live under woe and condemnation as if suspicious of God's love, but may have peace and comfort, hope and fullness of joy and earnest living faith. To act as if He is still buried when He has risen is to forget that He is a living Saviour, the Head of the church and the Good Shepherd. The lesson therefore is not to lose heart and courage and faith nor to talk doubts and unbelief when things become entangled and cannot be easily adjusted, for discouragement spreads as a deadly malady, but to hope and trust in God.