Easter responses: Mary

I get cross when people say that women weren't important in the early church; the very first person to see the risen Christ was a woman (and one with probably something of a shady- in the eyes of the religious establishment- past).  I've heard that under Jewish law at the time the testimony of a single woman was not valid- yet it mattered to Jesus that the first people to see him were women.

The accounts given in the four gospels differ slightly in their accounts of who was there.  Matthew says it was Mary Magdalene and 'the other Mary,' probably the one Mark and Luke describe as the mother of James, (one of the twelve).  Mark adds in a woman called Salome, Luke ommitts her but includes a Joanna.  All agree, however, that a group of women who had been followers of Jesus went to the tomb early in the morning on that first day of the week, to check on Jesus' body and to annoint it with spices as was the custom of the day, but which they hadn't been able to do before because of the Sabbath.  They were grieving, probably afraid of the authorities- the male disciples are described as basically hiding- but they were devoted enough to risk danger to do this last service for their dead leader.

Matthew tells us how the women are greeted by an angel who tells them that Jesus is not there, he has risen!  "Afraid yet filled with joy" they run off to find the disciples when they are met by Jesus himself.  He comforts them, accepts their worship, and gives them a new task, to give the disciples a message.  Luke tells us that the disciples thought their words seemed like nonsense.  Well, they would to you, if someone told you that the person who you knew had been killed was now alive.  The women were excited, joyful, so different to the grief and fear of a few hours before. 

John gives an account which is slightly different from the others.  He shows us an encounter between Mary Magdalene alone and Jesus, where she does not at first recognise who he is because of her grief.  Not until he calls her by name does she recognise him and respond, "Teacher!"  Again her grief and fear give way to joy.  It's a beautiful little scene, and the detail of his calling her by name reminds me of the loving care God has for each individual. 

Mary is willing to accept the evidence of her experience, to believe that Jesus really has been raised from the dead.  She knows that this is a special person, someone who she was devoted to in life and someone who she was willing to take risks for by going to the tomb.  He had healed her in life (Mark 16 v9) and now he had done far more than that- although probably she didn't realise that yet- by dying on the cross.  She responds to the resurrection in wonder, with excitement, with joy, with love, and above all with belief. 

Do we ever feel these emotions when we think about the resurrection?  Or are we so used to the idea that it has lost its wonder?  How often do we get excited about what God has done?  And how often do we respond with joy and with love and praise?  I know I don't always.  That's something to think about this Easter.