Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Mark 16:1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.
ONLY THE BEGINNING
It was early in the morning, still dark in fact. But Mary Magdalene had gotten up anyway. She and a group of women had made plans to visit the tomb of Jesus. Mary had seen Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take the Master's body from the cross. She had followed them to the little garden that was near Golgotha. She had seen them bearing the linens and the spices that they would use to wrap His body for burial. She had watched as they exited the tomb and rolled that massive stone door in place.
No doubt they had done as good a job as they could in the short time before sundown and the beginning of the day of rest. But Mary and the other women would make sure that nothing had been done too hastily. They had bought burial spices. They would ensure their beloved Master's body was honored properly with one last act of devotion.
They had spent so much time with Jesus. They had served Him, providing for His needs during His ministry. Mary Magdalene remembered well why she had tended to Jesus. He had cast seven demons out of her. Such loving concern He had and such great power.
But He hadn't used that power at the end. And His end had come oh, so quickly. Betrayed, imprisoned, tried, condemned, and crucified -- all in less than twenty-four hours.
Grieving for a loved one was hard enough. It was made harder by how swiftly He had been taken from them. In a way, the women were going to the tomb for themselves. As hard as this last task might prove, it would help them to say goodbye.
They expected to find a dead Jesus. But God smiled and gave them a resurrected Lord. They had expected one last goodbye. But God showed them that this was only the beginning.
