Jesus Appearing To Mary Magdalene
DELIVERED ON SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 16, 1865, BY C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE
METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared
first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.'" Mark
16:9.
THE doctrine of a risen Savior is exceedingly precious. The
Resurrection is the cornerstone of the entire building of Christianity.
It is the keystone of the arch of our salvation. It would take us many
a discourse to set forth all the streams of living water which flow
from this one sacred source–the Resurrection of our dear Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. But to know that He has risen and to have
fellowship with Him as such–communing with the risen Savior by
possessing a risen life! Seeing Him leave the tomb by leaving the tomb
of worldliness ourselves–this is even more precious!
The doctrine is the basis of the experience, but as the flower is more
lovely than the root, so is the experience of fellowship with the risen
Savior more lovely than the doctrine itself. I would have you believe
that Christ rose from the dead so as to sing of it and derive all the
consolation which it is possible for you to extract from this
well-ascertained and well-witnessed fact. But I beseech you rest not
content even there.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I bid you aspire to see Christ Jesus by
the eye of faith, and though you may not touch Him, yet may you be
privileged to converse with Him and to know that He is risen–you
yourselves being risen in Him to newness of life. To know a crucified
Savior as having crucified all my sins is a rich kind of knowledge. And
to know a risen Savior as having justified me and to realize that He
has bestowed upon me new life, given me to be a new creature through
His own newness of life–this is a high style of experience. Short of
it, none of us ought to be satisfied to rest.
In fine, I would have you this morning, like the blessed Magdalene,
among those to whom Jesus Christ should manifest Himself after His
Resurrection, as He does not unto the world. Let us come at once to the
consideration of this first appearance of the Savior after He had left
the tomb. He appears to Mary Magdalene. There must have been some
reason for the choice. We shall notice first of all, who she was. Then,
how she sought. And, thirdly, how she found.
I. First we shall have to take into consideration this morning who SHE
WAS. Jesus "appeared first to Mary Magdalene." Why? One answer might be
because He chose to do so. For in His sovereignty He may reveal Himself
to whomever He wills and He may withhold Himself from whomever He shall
please. "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion," may be a very grating truth
to human ears, but it is a Truth of God for all that and he who does
not acknowledge it scarcely puts God into His true place as sitting
upon the Throne and doing as He wills with His own.
I should be content to know that He appeared to Mary Magdalene first
and not to ask another question if I thought it unwise to ask it, for
"He is the Lord and let Him do what seems Him good." And if He will
reveal Himself first to her, let it be so. Here I see His Grace and
say, let His name be magnified in the sovereignty of His love. But we
may go a little further into the matter, I think, and perhaps find some
reasons. He revealed Himself first to Mary Magdalene, a woman. Was it
not most meet that a woman should first see the risen Savior? She was
first in the transgression–let her be first in the justification.
In yon garden she was first to work our woe–let her in that other
garden be the first to see Him who works our weal. She takes the apple
of that bitter tree which brings us all our sorrow–let her be the
first to see that mighty Gardener who has planted a tree which brings
forth fruit unto everlasting life! A woman let it be, for woman was
last at the Cross and last at the sepulcher–let her be earliest to
return. The Marys embalmed the Savior and put Him into the tomb–let
one of their company be selected to be the first to see Him. Sisters in
Christ Jesus, there is a curse which falls more heavily on you than on
others–a curse which is peculiar to you. But here you have reason to
rejoice since, "Unto you a Child is born, unto you a Son is given."
It is by that child-bearing which brings you sorrow that we have been
delivered–even through the birth of Him, the Messiah, Emmanuel, God
with us–whom you are privileged first to see because He is peculiarly
yours. "The Seed of the woman who shall bruise the serpent's head." The
text seems to indicate that the particular reason why He appeared to
this woman first was because out of her He had cast seven devils.
Perhaps no person mentioned in the Scripture has been more singularly
slandered than Mary Magdalene. It has been supposed that she was a
harlot and her name has been appended to societies which have the
merciful object of endeavoring to reclaim the fallen.
In that sense let me say Magdalene never was a "Magdalen." She was not
an unchaste woman. I think I can show you that it is quite impossible
that she could have been. She was a woman of substance and ministered
to Christ's necessities. She was possessed of wealth and property and
spent what she had upon the Savior and was not likely, therefore, to
have been one who earned her living by the pitiful trade of her sin.
Moreover, she had seven devils and that, of itself, rendered her
utterly incapable, one would think, of having been guilty of the sins
of the flesh. A woman, a demoniac, mad with seven devils! Who would
dream that a poor creature under so dreadful a torture as this could
have been a harlot?
The thing is clearly impossible to any thoughtful mind. But mark you, I
believe if Magdalene were here herself, she would not regret that her
pure name has been appended to these poor fallen ones. Here she has
communion with her Lord and Master who was, "numbered with the
transgressors," and who gave Himself and all that He had in order that
He might lift poor sinners from the degradation into which they had
fallen. "No," Magdalene would say, "do not blot my name off from yonder
building. Do not take it from that Rescue Society. I, though I have
been kept from this iniquity, am well content to be the patron of all
those who seek to win sinners from their sin."
Nevertheless, there is this about it–and here is where the mistake
first arose–the possession of a devil is typical, in the Word of God,
of sin. When we want to translate the miracle into spiritual meaning we
are always compelled to use the indwelling of a devil to be the
metaphor–the picture of the indwelling of sin. Now as Mary Magdalene
had seven devils, though she was not, therefore, any the greater sinner
for she could not help the devils being there, yet she was thereby the
more polluted. She was sevenfold polluted and she becomes most rightly
the type of the great sinner, the representative, in fact, of the very
class of sinners to whom her name has been given.
She was not literally such a sinner, but she was typically so, for in
her there were seven devils. Typically she stands at the head of those
who are the greatest of all sinners against the Law and goodness and
Grace of God, but she was not so except as a type. Now I think you see
some reason why she should be selected as the first one to be seen by
Christ, because she had been a special trophy of Christ's delivering
power. In her He had won a special and signal victory over the hosts of
Hell–a perfect number of those evil spirits had been entrenched within
her and Christ's victorious arm had driven them all out. She would ever
be regarded as a most illustrious specimen of what the great Savior can
achieve. In this sense, I say, she was fitted to be the first that
Jesus Christ should look upon and speak to. Out of all His disciples
who were daily with Him I know not of one who had experienced such a
cure as that which had fallen to her lot.
Let us learn from this, that the greatness of our sin before conversion
should never make us think that we may not be specially favored with
the very highest grade of fellowship. If Magdalene were not a harlot,
yet I say she stands as the type of those who are possessors of seven
sins and deadly and damnable sins, too. And inasmuch as this woman is
taken into the most intimate communion with Christ and has the priority
even above Peter and James and John, there is no reason, poor fallen
Sinner, why you should not have as rich a feast at the banquet of
Divine mercy as the very best and most chaste, the most upright, pure
and clean!
If you come to Christ, if the seven devils are cast out of you, all
these things shall never be mentioned against you! No, but you shall
stand on a par with those who were preserved by Providence and
restraining Grace from going into gross sins. When the prodigal came
back he was not told that he might eat his father's bread, but it must
be in the kitchen. He was not told that he might sit at the table, but
it must be at the far end, below the salt. No, he sits at the table as
the most honored guest and his father feasts with him as if he had
never gone astray! So is it forevermore with my God, to the chief of
sinners.
You shall not be permitted to eat the crumbs that fall from the table,
but the daintiest viands shall be yours! Yes, and if you wish it and
will press forward and seek it, you shall have Benjamin's mess–you
shall have more than others. Oh, though you have been black and vile,
He can make you so white and fair that He will not blush to treat you
as the man in the parable did his little ewe lamb. You shall drink of
His cup and sleep in His bosom and be very, very dear to Him, sin- ner
though you have been. This seems to be upon the very surface of the
text, that Mary Magdalene was selected to be the first to see the
Savior because she was a woman–a woman out of whom seven devils had
been cast–a type of a great sinner.
Again, she was a woman in whom mighty Grace had proved its power. It is
a well known fact that devils never went out of men willingly in the
Savior's day. They had always to be cast out. You find them foaming at
the mouth as soon as Christ is seen and when He says, "I command you to
come out of him," the devil tears the man, rolls him in the dust and
subjects him to unusual spasms of pain and agony before he will depart.
Thus seven devils had been driven out of Mary– forced out of her. Mary
was no free-willer. Her deliverance was achieved by irresistible,
eternal, sovereign Grace. And surely those are privileged to see most
of Christ who know that their salvation is not of man, neither by man,
but by the will and power of the gracious God alone!
My Brothers and Sisters, there may be some of you who think that the
devils went out of you–I know they did not go out of me. They had to
be driven out with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. There may be
some who boast of the freeness of their wills who think that they can
come to Christ of themselves–but Mary did not–for no demoniacs ever
sought to find Christ. They rather shunned the Presence of the Savior,
and cried, "What have we to do with You? Are You come to torment us
before the time?" We rather hated Divine Grace and despised Christ.
Offers of mercy were lost upon us. Proclamations of pardon, though
honestly given, we trampled under foot. It was only when the mighty
Jesus, dressed in robes of love, came forth in the greatness of His
strength that we were compelled to yield and our captivity was led
captive by His might!
I think that Mary Magdalene was thus selected because she was a choice
instance of Irresistible Grace. As soon as the devils were cast out of
Mary she appears to have left whatever her earthly position may have
been and to have become a constant attendant on the Savior. If you will
kindly turn to the eighth chapter of Luke you will see that our Lord
was attended not only by men, but by women. "It came to pass afterward,
that He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing
the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him
and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and
infirmities–Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and
Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna and many
others, which ministered unto Him of their substance."
It appears, then, that Magdalene was one who abode with Christ
Jesus–His perpetual and constant companion. Some heard Him
occasionally–she heard Him always. Mary and Martha and Lazarus
entertained Him with a feast now and then–she was always giving Him of
her substance. There were many like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea
who were on Christ's side, but did not take up Christ's Cross–she did.
In all His afflictions she was afflicted. When He was "despised and
rejected of men," so was she. She was with Him, bearing His Cross and
suffering His reproach.
I like the thought of her being with the Savior. How much she must have
seen! She saw the most of His miracles. How much she must have heard!
She heard, with her own ears, His choice words. Yes, and in the secret
conclave where He opened up His parable to His favored disciples, Mary
was privileged to be there with a few other honorable women. I suppose
her to have been a woman of ripe years, as probably most of the others
were–a matron. She was neglecting no household duties. It is clear she
never had any–a woman with seven devils could not have had domestic
duties.
One would think her friends must have been exceedingly glad to have her
under the teaching of our Lord. And so long as they knew that she was
in health with the Savior, they probably thought her to be in the place
most fitting for her, as mad people are supposed to be most fitly
attended when they are accompanied by their keeper or their physician.
Having been a demoniac, she was happily freed from all household ties
and bonds. And now what if I say that Christ was her father, her
brother, her husband, her friend, her children, her everything? He was
her family and there was she, daily with Him.
We read that when Christ preached a certain Truth, "many of His
disciples went back and walked no more with Him." Not so the Magdalene.
Let Him preach whatever He might, the woman of Magdala still hung upon
His lips. To her, every word was honey, every syllable was a pearl. She
treasured all, she fed upon all–she abided with Jesus. O dear Friends,
I wish we could get into this position–when our calling should be to
serve Christ and when our place should be always with Christ. I do not
wonder that Christ appeared first to her when I recollect that Christ
had so long been her first, her chief delight. She had nothing in the
world but Christ. It strikes me that very likely her being a demoniac
had so separated her from all human sympathy that there were none that
loved her, none that cared for her except the disci- ples and the
society she had found through being a follower of Christ. And Jesus,
pitying her, would not send her away as He did the most of those whom
He cured.
One thing we must not pass over–she spent her substance in relieving
His needs. The bag was not often full, while Judas had the keeping of
it. And while there were so many poor and Christ had such a tender
heart, I will be bound to say that no surplus was ever allowed to mold
there. But this woman and the other Marys took care that it should
never be quite empty and that there should be something for the Savior
when He needed it. She was not the woman who broke the alabaster box of
precious ointment over Christ's head, but her whole life long her
constant income was her alabaster box and she spent what she had in
ministering to the needs of her Lord.
Brothers and Sisters, if we would see much of Christ, let us serve Him.
Depend upon it, you that live unto your-selves–that save your wealth
when you ought to give it–you are not indulged with that fellowship
with Jesus which others have who have consecrated themselves and their
substance wholly to the Lord. I am sure that by not giving you miss
infinite pleasure. I speak not now concerning your safety–I believe
you are saved through faith in Christ Jesus– but if you do not devote
yourselves and all that you have to the Master's cause, you never will
be admitted to those choicer joys, to those more intimate fellowships
which belong to those who live close to their Savior in consecration.
Find me the happiest Christians and I am sure they are those who are
most attached to their Lord. Tell me who they are that sit most often
under the banner of His love and drink the deepest draughts from the
cup of communion and I am sure they will be those who give most, who
serve best, and who abide closest to the bleeding heart of their dear
Lord. Perhaps for this reason Mary was privileged by the Grace of God
to be the first to see the risen Savior.
II. The second enquiry was, HOW SHE SOUGHT. If any of us would have
fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, how are we to obtain it? We will
use her as our guide. And first Mary sought the Savior very early in
the morning, by which we learn when we must, many times, begin to seek
our Lord. If you can wait for Christ and be patient in the hope of
having fellowship with Him by-and-by, you will never have fellowship at
all–for the heart that is fitted for communion is a hungering and a
thirsting heart.
If a man is hungry, you cannot say to him, "Be patient. Wait!" "My
hunger craves," he says, "give me food. I shall die if I am not fed."
"But you must not be impatient. You must curb your appetite. Wait, be
still." But the poor man replies, "I cannot! My hunger is so sharp. Oh,
give me bread or I famish! I will die!" You may reason with him, but
there is no reasoning with a hungry stomach. And when a man's soul
begins to hunger and thirst after Christ, it is not, "Tomorrow I will
see Him," but, "now! Now! Now!" Today, which God calls, "the accepted
time," the Christian thinks to be the most acceptable time. I would
have fellowship with Jesus now.
While standing on this platform my eyes desire to see Him. My head
longs to place itself upon His bosom. My soul would cry with the
spouse, "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth, for His love is
better than wine." If, then, you want Jesus to reveal Himself to you,
seek Him now, where you are. This pew may be as good as the garden.
Your own little quiet room, when the service is over, will be quite as
near to the Savior as was the sepulcher–only seek Him at once and
suffer no delays. Come, Jesus come, for the night is far spent! Arise
great Sun of Righteousness and chase my gloom away!
She sought Him also, as you will observe, with very great boldness. It
is said she stood at the sepulcher. The disciples had fled. Read the
eighth verse, "They went out quickly and fled from the sepulcher, for
they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for
they were afraid." But Mary, we are told in John's account, "stood" at
the sepul-cher. "They may run who will," she said. "Nothing can
frighten me when I seek the Lord." There go the women–Mary and Susanna
the wife of Chuza. There they go, all frightened. There is Peter, the
bold Peter–he takes to his heels! And even John, the loving John,
follows after him!
But Mary stands still. "No," she says, "let the worst come that can,
nothing can be worse than losing my Master–if death itself should drag
me away it can only take me into the sepulcher where my Savior went and
perhaps I might find Him there. And if so, death were welcome!"
Consider how many fears this timid woman must have had. It is not
always safe to go abroad early in the morning. Certainly it was not in
the city of Jerusalem, when the city was crowded, for a feeble woman to
rise early in the morning and go out to the tomb! And yet she was not
afraid.
Let the shadows of the morning be still on the earth–she heeds them
not. The shadows in her own soul are worse to her. You might have
supposed she would have fears of the angels. She was not. She had had
dealings with devils and she was not to be frightened by angels. Seven
devils at once dwelt in her. She knew too much of the supernatural to
be frightened at the fall of a leaf or any noise that might make her
weaker companions turn pale. If, then, you would have Christ to be with
you, seek Him boldly, Beloved. Let nothing hold you back. Defy the
world! Dare its pleasures! Laugh at its threats! Despise its promises.
Count that "the reproach of Christ is greater riches than the treasures
of Egypt." Press on where others flee! Be like a lion where others turn
their backs and Christ will then show Himself to you.
She stood at the sepulcher. She sought Christ very faithfully. Some
find it hard to stand by a living Savior, but she will stand by a dead
one. All the disciples forsook Him and fled when He was only in
captivity–but she cleaves to Him when His body is in the sepulcher.
Brave woman! You will not only stand by the Master, but by the Master's
sepulcher. True heroine! You love even the couch where His dead form
sleeps. I would that we sought Christ after this mode, willing to stand
by the very form of sound words which has been delivered to
us–standing by the doctrine as well as by the Person–cleaving and
clinging to the very least thing that has to do with Christ and feeling
that if He has sanctioned it, it is ours to die for the sepulcher as
well as for the Man.
Oh, if we sought Christ with such faithfulness we should not long lack
the comfort of His Presence! Still note further that John tells us she,
"stood outside the sepulcher weeping," which makes me remark that she
sought Jesus very earnestly, for as she stood there, not finding Him,
she wept. I do not read that the others did this. They loved the
Savior, but they did not love Him as much. At any rate, they had not
her sensitiveness and delicacy of soul. She wept. I think I know why
she wept. "My Savior is gone," she said, "I cannot find Him." Then the
thoughts of His sad death came rushing full upon her soul.
She thought she saw that dreadful scene over again that had made her
heart ache and throb. She fancied she saw Him again dragged through the
howling populace, abused and despised with His poor back all covered
with gore. She thought she beheld once more that blessed body torn with
the nails. She marked again the anguish of the fever which came upon
Him as He hung upon the tree. She had been the last to watch Him. She
stood and watched Him with the other women and now she cannot bear the
thought of all that He has suffered and the fear that He has gone,
gone, gone forever! She weeps.
And the Savior could not bear to see her weep. I think those teardrops
were as spells that bound the Savior captive and made Him come forth
and show Himself to her. If you want Christ's Presence, you are sure to
get it if you weep after it! If you have gone so far that you cannot be
happy unless He comes and says to you, "You are My beloved"–if you
cannot be content without a kiss from those dear lips–you will have
it. He cannot deny those tears–those are heart-breakers to Him–those
drops shall burn their way into His soul! You shall look into the face
bedewed with tears and see the loveliness and beauty of Him who was
"despised and rejected of men," if you stand outside at the sepulcher
weeping.
Nor have I quite done. Mary sought him perseveringly, for as she wept
she stooped down and looked into the sepul-cher. She had been in it and
found nothing–what made her look again? Have you not, when you have
been seeking for something which you felt you must find, pulled out a
drawer and looked through it carefully, turning over everything and
yet, being exceedingly anxious, you have gone to it once more? You were
certain the object was not there and yet you were so anxious to find it
that you looked again and again. And perhaps you returned six or seven
times to the place which you had searched thoroughly at first, for you
were so desirous to find it.
It was so with her. She thought, "perhaps my eyes may have been
blinded–possibly I may not have looked in the right corner–I will
look again." And so she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher–the
tears still flowing from her eyes. This showed her perseverance. Yes,
and if we would know Christ, He is not to be found by those who merely
call upon Him once. Cry to Him by the hour together if He comes not to
you. If going into your chamber once does not give you a sight of
Jesus, go again, go again, go again! For mark me, if you should be kept
waiting seven years for an interview with the great King–if you should
once be favored to see Him–if He shall stretch out the silver scepter
to you, you will think yourself all too well rewarded!
A thousand–a million years of seeking would be well repaid by one
glance from His eyes and one look from His face. Therefore seek
perseveringly, patiently and anxiously–desiring that the risen Savior
would manifest Himself to you. We have almost done upon this point but
we must note that she sought the Savior only. All her thoughts were
concentrated upon Him. I think if I had been there, I should have been
greatly gratified with a sight of the angels. It strikes me that I
should have been observing what were the forms of beauty which angelic
spirits bear. But she seems to have taken no note of them at all. She
says to them, "They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they
have laid Him."
What cared she for angels? If as many had come as the seventy thousand
chariots of God they could not have turned away Mary's thoughts from
Him. To the gardener, her speech is all full of her Lord, "Sir, if you
have borne Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him and I will
take Him away." Mary's heart was set on one object. Like an arrow shot
from the bow she sped right on to the target of her heart's desire.
And, oh, if Christ is your one and only love, if your heart has cast
out all rivals, if your spirit seeks Him and cries out for the
Lord–even for the living God–you shall soon come and appear before
God.
To close this point let me say there was much ignorance in Mary. How
was it that she sought the living among the dead? There was very little
faith in Mary, for faith would have told her that He had risen again on
the third day according to His own words. But, oh, there was much love
and Jesus overlooked her want of knowledge and overlooked her weakness
of faith because of the strength of her love! It seems to me that she
loved more than John did, for John says, "Then went in that other
disciple and he saw and believed." That is right, John! You have most
faith. He believes and then he goes away expecting he should see what
he believed. But Mary, though she has far less faith, you will perceive
has so much love that she will not go away from the sepulcher! She just
keeps her place there, watching at the post of His door, not satisfied
till she can see Him.
What love was this! Brothers and Sisters, if we would see Jesus, we
must love Him much. I would God I loved Him as my heart desires to love
Him. I hope you can say–
"Yes, I love You and adore You. Oh for Grace to love You more!" Let us
wake ourselves up to greater intensity of affection. He loved us before
the stars were made. He loved us with His whole heart. He loved us to
perfection. He loved us unto death. Oh, my cold Heart, why do you not
melt? Oh, my adamantine Heart, why do you not dissolve? For such love
as this we ought to give Jesus our warmest affection–blazing like
coals of juniper! And if we did we should not be long without finding
Him–for love would find Him out and fetch Him to our arms and we
should see Him and rejoice in Him!
III. The last point now comes and that is, HOW SHE FOUND HIM. He was
present but she could not see Him. Christian, Christ is present here
this morning though you cannot, perhaps, perceive Him. You have not to
cry to the Savior to come from Heaven to visit you–"Where two or three
are met together in My name," He says, "there am I in the midst of
them." Jesus is here! In these aisles and pews, in this area and these
galleries–Jesus is here. If you have no communion with Him, Believer,
it is because unbelief darkens your eyes–or grief, or care, or sin
makes you blind.
But Jesus Christ was discovered to Mary by a word. I want you to notice
that it was not a sermon, it was one word. It was not a long discourse,
but just one word of two syllables and that not a word of mystery, but
a simple word–a word, however, which had this about it–it came from
Jesus' lips! It was personal and went home to her. This is all you
want, Beloved, this morning. Fifty thousand words from me would only
weary you! But listen to one word from the lips of the Savior, a
personal word, waking the recollections of your spirit, proving that He
remembers you–and cheerfully on the strength of that word your soul
may stay on earth and finish her threescore years and ten.
That one word was her own name–"Mary." It was spoken just as she had
heard it in the days gone by. And oh, if He would speak to me as He has
spoken at the hill Mizar. If He would say of Himself as He has done in
days never to be forgotten, "I am your salvation," we should not want
any more! One word would be enough! Oh, Beloved, keep on seeking Christ
and you will find Him in a moment! Do not complain if you have not an
edifying ministry, or because, perhaps this morning the discourse seems
dull to you. Do not complain because you are lax in prayer and have not
that enlargement you ought to have in Divine things.
One word will take you up as on the wings of an eagle and give you joy
and peace! Notice that as soon as the one word was given, her heart
owned allegiance by another word. She did not make a long speech. The
Master's heart was too full to say more than one word and so was hers.
That one word would naturally be the most fitting for the occasion.
What, then, is the word which suggests itself as being best adapted to
a soul in the highest state of devotion? It is a word implying
obedience. She said, "Master."
You can never get into a state of mind for which this confession of
allegiance will be a word too cold. No, when your spirit glows the most
with heavenly fire, then you will say, "I would serve You living,
dying. Your love has bound me with cords to the horns of the altar. I
am Your servant–I am Your servant–You have loosed my bonds." If you
can say, "Master," this morning, you can say much. If your soul feels
that His will is your will, that His Law is your love– that you would,
if you could–in all things be conformed to His image, then, whether
you have ecstasies or no ecstasies, whether you have joys or no
joys–you stand in a happy, holy place!
He must have said, "Mary," or else she could not have said, "Rabboni."
After she had confessed allegiance, the next impulse was to seek close
fellowship. But she made a mistake as most of us would have done–she
wanted a manifest, carnal fellowship. So she began to clasp Him and to
hold Him by the feet. And then He said, "Touch Me not." We are apt to
seek for communion with Christ in a sensuous way. Let us be spiritual,
Brethren. We shall never have Christ say to us, "Touch Me not," if the
touch is a touch of faith and love. He only says, "Touch Me not," when
we want to handle Him with these hands and see Him with these eyes. Let
us walk by faith and not by sight.
And then we may take Him in our arms and keep Him there and hold Him
and not let Him go. And the more endearing we can be with Him
spiritually, the better He will like it. We must shake off all those
gross ideas which strive to mix with high and heavenly enjoyment. If
you feel a panting this morning after near and close communion, do not
restrain it! Press forward! Put your hands into His side and your
finger into the print of the nails. I know that worldlings will not
understand me, but Believers will. Let me assure you there is a
communion with Christ which is quite as real as if we had the privilege
which Thomas had.
My own soul has seen the Savior and talked with Him, though these eyes
cannot see Him, though these lips cannot speak with Him and these ears
cannot hear Him! Yet my soul's mouth has kissed Him and my soul's ears
have heard Him and my heart's mouth has blessed Him ten thousand times!
And I hope to do it yet again and will never be satisfied until I can
do it continually. Press on, Beloved–you may say as the Divine Song
does, "Oh that You were as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my
mother! When I should find You outside, I would kiss You." Oh, Beloved,
hold communion with Him! Feed on Him for His flesh is meat, indeed, and
His blood is drink, indeed.
Further, we may notice as the result of her finding the Savior, she
entered in His service, for He said, "Go, tell My Brethren." And away
she went to tell others that she had found the Savior! If you have the
privilege of seeing Christ, do not eat the morsel behind the door. Have
you found honey? Taste it yourself, but go and tell others. You cannot
have seen much of the Savior unless you desire to let others see Him.
Your piety is a sham, a flash in the pan, a will-o'-the-wisp if it does
not lead to practical service.
Are there not some Mary Magdalenes here who have had seven devils cast
out of them? You have felt the power of Divine Grace in your heart. You
love your Savior. You long for communion with Him. My dear Sister, as
soon as you have fellowship, let me charge you, in the Master's
name–do not be afraid to speak to others what the Lord shall say in
private to you. We do not want women to enter the pulpit–that is a
violation both of Divine Grace and Nature–it is as much an offense to
good manners as it is to God's own Law. But you have your own sphere,
you have your own place of work–you can gather your own sex about you.
There are your children, your servants. You have multitudes of
opportunities.
Tell others that Jesus has risen, that there is a risen life–that you
know it and that you pant and long that others, too, should rise from
the grave of sin to the new life in Jesus! As for you, men and
Brothers, to whom it pertains more particularly to be teachers and
pastors, I charge you, whatever you have found within the circle of
fire where the closest communion is. Whatever you have seen in the deep
mines of mystery, whatever Christ has revealed to you in hours of
retirement when you have come nearest to Him–tell it to His family,
feed His flock with it–bring forth these things as choice dainties
where the beloved of the Lord may feast even to the full. "Go, tell my
Brethren," said Christ, and so say we.
When the two disciples had journeyed to Emmaus, and at the evening meal
after the toil of the day's journey was over, were resting themselves,
you remember that the mysterious stranger who had so enchanted them
with His holy words took bread and broke it. And then it was known to
them in the breaking of the bread–but He vanished out of their sight!
Well, what happened then? They had constrained Him to enter in and
abide with them because the day was far spent, but though now, much
later, their love was a lamp to their feet! Yes, wings also, for they
forgot the darkness and their despair. Their weariness was all gone and
immediately they began to journey back the threescore furlongs to tell
the gladsome news of a risen Lord who had appeared to them by the way!
They reach the body of Christians in Jerusalem and are received by a
burst of joyful news–before they can tell their own tale. Now,
Brethren, these early Christians were all on fire to speak of Christ's
Resurrection and to proclaim what they knew of the Lord. They made
common property of their experiences. And so ought we to do. John's
account of the sepulcher needs to be supplemented by Peter, and Mary
can speak of something further still. Combined, we have a full
testimony and nothing can be spared. Thus we have all peculiar gifts
and special manifestations, but the one object God has in view is the
benefit of the whole body of Christ. We must therefore bring our
possessions and lay them at the Apostles' feet and make distribution
unto all of what God has given to us.
Keep back no part of the precious Truth of God, but speak what you know
and testify what you have seen. Let not the toil, or darkness, or
possible unbelief of your hearers weigh one moment in the scale. Up and
be marching to the place of duty and there tell what great things God
has shown to your soul! And if you hear the sweet words of Christ, I
can promise you a holy flame of bright and beaming joy as you speak of
the Truth of God to benefit the souls of others.
Finally, if there are any enquirers here, as I hope there are–if you
are seeking Jesus this morning and want to be saved by Him and through
Him–remember, poor Enquirer, that Jesus is near you now. There is
nothing for you to do! No climbing to Heaven, no going down to the
depths to bring Him up. He is near you now. If you believe that Jesus
is the Christ, if you trust your soul to Him, you are saved! Jesus is
here to everyone who will simply give himself up to Him to be saved by
Him. Jesus calls you this morning by your name–He gives you a special
invitation to come to Him. Listen to that name! Respond this
morning–say, "Master."
Take Jesus to be your Lord–He deserves it. You are not your own, but
you are bought with a price. Give yourself, as a blood-bought one, up
to Him. He asks you as He asks Mary, "Woman, why do you weep?" He asks
of each of you who are seeking Him, "whom do you seek?" Do you know
what it is you seek? Do you seek some strange feeling? Do you seek
signs and wonders, dreams and visions? Seek them no longer! Jesus is
what you want! Take Him and be blest. There, close at your side, is the
food your hungry spirit wants–look not up to Heaven–look not down to
earth! There is in Jesus all you need!
Feed on, Beloved–faith shall fill your mouth. Love shall enjoy the
sweet dainty and your whole body, soul and spirit shall be sanctified
by the Divine repast. May God bless you, dear Friends, all of you, by
giving you, like Mary Magdalene, to seek the Lord.