The scene of Mary Magdalene, weeping before the Lord's tomb that had been sealed by the order of Pontius Pilate, reminds us of the scene of the Apostle Saint John weeping before the Scroll that had been sealed with Seven Seals (Revelation 5:4); and no one was found worthy to open and read the Scroll or to look at it. All the Seven Seals had to be loosened before all the kingdoms could become the Lord's Kingdom (Revelation 11:15).
The similarity between the reason for Mary Magdalene's tears and that for St. John's is prominent. Mary was weeping because "they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid Him" (St. John 20:2). For her, the Lord Who was once the hope of Israel's redemption was dead; and His tomb sealed through Pilate's decree to ensure and proclaim His death to everybody. To Mary, there did not seem any more hope in redemption, salvation, or life. The Master was dead and so were she and all of Israel.
St. John the Apostle wept for the same reason. Humanity was delivered to the sentence of death (the sealed scroll) and no one was found worthy to open the scroll or loosen its seals (Revelation 5:3). Such were the consequences of our sins and the subsequent death sentence which reigned over us; whereby we were bound and sold as slaves. Both seals, the one before Mary's eyes and the other before St. John's send the same message: WE ARE HOPELESSLY DEAD!
But the Heavenly Hosts had SOME good news for both; Mary Magdalene and St. John the Apostle. At the tomb, the Angels said to Mary, "Woman, why are you weeping?" (St. John 20:13) and in the book of Revelations, one of the Elders said to St. John "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed" (Revelation 5:5).
Mary Magdalene turned around and saw the Risen Lord, but thought He was the gardener. In the same manner, St. John turned around expecting to see the Lion; but, to his surprise, he saw a Lamb as though it had been slain.
In a matter of few minutes, both of them came to a new realization. Mary Magdalene knew that the gardener is the Risen Lord, and St. John knew that the slain Lamb is the prevailing Lion.
Praise and worship have filled heaven and earth because of the glad tidings of the Resurrection of the Lord. On earth, St. Mary Magdalene spread the Goods News to the Disciples and the Disciples in turn to the rest of the world. Similarly, in heaven, praises and worship started among the Four living creatures and the Twenty Four Elders (Revelation 5:8) and then spread to the rest of the Angelic hosts numbered by thousands of thousands and ten thousands times ten thousands (Revelation 5:11). After that the praise and worship spread to include every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them (Revelation 5:13).
Today we rejoice because the slain Lamb has RISEN becoming the prevailing Lion. Let us call upon all the heavenly orders and earthly ranks to praise with us because the Lord has broken death seal; trampling upon it by His death granting us a new life in Him.
Praise the Lord, He is RISEN! The slain Lamb is alive. This means we are also alive in Him, by Him, and through Him. The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ has indeed wiped away and cancelled our sins. Therefore, my brethren, with St. Paul's words echoing in our ears that "if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17); let our mouth be truly filled with joy and our tongue with gladness because the Lord Jesus Christ has Risen from the dead!
May all the blessings of the victorious Resurrection of our Lord fill your hearts with the heavenly and glorious joy!
|
|
