John 20:11-18; Heb. 9:11-15

Woman, why are you weeping?  Both the angels and the Lord Jesus asked her this question.  Of course they knew something she did not know.  What she knew was the magnificent way Jesus had changed her life.  He had cast out seven demons from her.  She had become one of the group of women accompanying and supporting that band of men.  Mary had experienced cleansing, and had served the living God.  AND it was because of her connection to the Christ.  

Now, He was dead.  She at least wanted to know where the body was so she could meet Him in the graveyard, in the place that is nothing but memories.  This was all that could keep her from her former, miserable, hopeless life.  She was crying because she yearned for what she had known of Christ in the past.  

Oh, how misguided she was.  And so are we when we fail to know who we are and what we have in Christ.  She did not understand that death was defeated and that the cleansed life of service she yearned for was now available in fullness, to her and to all who would believe in Christ.  

John records an important part of the story in the words Jesus spoke to Mary.  She was to tell the disciples that He was ascending to His Father who was also their Father.  He was not referring to the ascension that would take place after 40 days.  He told her not to cling to Him at that time because this ascension had not happened.  The indication is that it would happen soon.  

Hebrews 9 makes it clear what is critical about this ascending to the Father.  Jesus finished the work of eternal redemption by paying the ransom price of His precious blood.  That blood has been proven acceptable to God as payment for men’s sins by His resurrection from the dead.  The transaction must now be completed.  As the priest sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat every year on the Day of Atonement, so now Christ must once for all sprinkle His blood on the mercy seat of the true heavenly sanctuary.  

This is how Christ would mediate the new covenant to all who believe in Him.  The new covenant promises that God will remember our sins and iniquities no more.  It promises a new heart and the indwelling Spirit.  It is the source of every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3) by which we have all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4).  This is our eternal inheritance.

In other words, if Mary knew what it meant for Jesus to be not merely alive, but risen from the dead, she would not be crying but rejoicing.  She would rejoice in the living Redeemer for Whom Job had yearned in ages before.  She would rejoice in the One who now called her by name.  Can we ever imagine that joy?  Yes, we can.  We can if we too have yearned for the cleansing by which we too can serve the living God!  We can if our eyes have been opened up to the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (Eph. 1:18).

Christ ascended to heaven and entered the holy of holies.  He has obtained eternal redemption that we might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance.  May our eyes be opened to this grand provision of the Risen Lord!