In Relentless Pursuit

Mary Magdalene and her love for Jesus never cease to amaze me. She is one of my favorite Biblical characters for several reasons, not the least of which is the passion with which she pursued Jesus. I really wish we had more information about her and about her relationship with Jesus because I think it would be quite revealing, even astonishing.
In my message this past Sunday (resurrection morning!), I spent a few minutes dealing with her involvement in the resurrection story, and as I did, this “hit” me like the proverbial “ton of bricks”: she never gave up her pursuit of Him, even in the face of His physical death. Even after His crucifixion, when everyone else was “holed up” in fear and confusion, she was out in the dark of the early morning hours doing anything but giving up—Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb (John 20:1). Why do you think she was out so early in the morning at the place of His burial? May I offer my opinion? Deep inside her heart-of-hearts, she knew that He was everything she had ever heard him claim to be—and more; she knew that death could not hold Him, she knew that God would raise up that Temple on the third day!
Have you ever noticed that most of us see only what we are looking to see? Take Peter and John for example: they were not looking to find Jesus alive; instead, they were looking for His dead body, wondering why anyone would want to steal it and, thereby, abuse it. They could not think past the fact that He was dead and buried (and I surely do not fault them for this).
Mary, however, would not give up what she believed so deeply. To be sure, she was looking for His dead body, but in my opinion, as she looked, she was also clinging to what she had heard him say (probably in many different ways and at many different times)—to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God—and she refused to let go of it. Might I remind you that one of the greatest of these mysteries, if not the greatest, was Jesus’ talk about resurrection (I am the resurrection and the life . . . John 11:25)?
You see, she was looking for far more than His dead body and she refused to let go of her search. As a result, when she looked into the tomb, she saw what Peter and John did not see—two angels adorned in white sitting, even speaking to her, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying—because (in my opinion) she was looking far beyond the grave, pregnant with expectation and hope.
Then, as you remember, her faith became sight: Woman why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? (Can’t you imagine the smile He was trying to conceal, just long enough for her to recognize Him?) Then the glorious moment of truth, as He spoke her name—MARY!
I am so thankful that Mary was relentless in her pursuit of Jesus, even after His crucifixion, and I am so for many reasons, not the least of which is this: she stirs me to be much more relentless in my pursuit of Him and to be much more expectant (hopeful) of His revealing Himself to me—unexpectedly but right on time!