Day 1222: Jesus stood among them - John 20 vs 11 - 23

11-13 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, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14-15 Having said 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 are you seeking?” 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.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”- and that he had said these things to her.

19-20 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21-23 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” John 20:11-23 English Standard Version

Four times in the last two chapters of this gospel, John speaks of Jesus 'standing'. Mary turned round and saw Him standing at the tomb. But it was very early in the morning, and she didn't recognize Him until he spoke her name. Later that evening, Jesus stood in the room and showed them His hands and side. And John says: “Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” The word glad also means 'to rejoice!' Eight days later Jesus again 'stands among the disciples' to give Thomas the evidence of His resurrection. (John 20:26-29) And then, in Chapter 21:4, we read of Jesus standing on the shore as the disciples were returning from a fruitless fishing trip.

The last memories of the disciples had been of seeing Jesus nailed to a cross, and then being laid in a tomb. That was evidence of a man who died. But now they saw Him standing in front of their very eyes! This is why Peter was later able to say to the gentile named Cornelius that “we are witnesses of all that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree, but God raised Him on the third day and caused Him to appear, not to all the people, but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.” Acts 10:39-41

And it was because the risen Christ said what He did in vs 21-23 of our reading, that Peter was now able to say to Cornelius “And He commanded us to preach to the people, and testify that He is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. And while Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.” (Acts 10:42-44)

When Mary recognized Jesus she clung to Him. And who could blame her for doing that? She was overjoyed to see her beloved Teacher alive again! And Jesus' reply to her was not a rebuke, but just a statement of fact. He had not yet ascended, but the day would come when He would return to “my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” After all, was that not the reason why He had come into the world, and gone to the cross? As John said earlier that “No one has ever seen God - but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father - has made Him known.” (John 1:18) An old hymn said: “Jesus stand among us, in Thy risen power! Let this time of worship, be a hallowed hour.”