Please be seated and turn to Mark 16. Mark 16. We'll be looking at verses 9 to 11. Now Jesus, when he was risen early, the first day of the week, he appeared first Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. In our last study, three women discovered the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They saw the empty tomb and they heard the testimony of the angels. Verse six. Be not affrighted. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. Behold the place they laid him. But how do we know Jesus was raised from the dead? Think about it. An empty tomb could simply mean the dead body is missing. Someone could have just taken the body. The testimony of an angel? This could simply be the sorrowful delirium mourning of these women. How do we know Jesus Christ was truly raised from the dead. People saw him alive. They were real life eyewitnesses of the physical life of Jesus Christ. This is something Paul very much presents in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. He begins with the infallible proof that Jesus was raised from the dead according to the scriptures. Word of God. We don't need anything else. But God is a God who communicates to us on our level and therefore he has made sure there were eyewitnesses of the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. And in verse five, Paul says, Jesus Christ in his resurrection life, he was seen of Cephas, Peter, then of the 12. After that, he was seen of above 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some have fallen asleep. After that he was seen of James, then of all the apostles, and last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. Paul's not being exhaustive here, he's just giving a summary list. All these people saw Jesus Christ physically alive and well after being dead. Christianity is proven and demonstrated true through eyewitness accounts. And in Mark, he wants us to know the same truth. And he gives us eyewitnesses, verse 9 to 11, Mary Magdalene. Verses 12 to 13, two disciples. And in verse 14, the 11 apostles. And we want to look at Mary Magdalene today. And then next week, we will look at the two disciples and the 11 apostles. But in verses 9 to 11, we will see the Lord Jesus Christ's resurrection appearance under three headings. One, Mary's meeting with the resurrected Christ. Two, Mary's marvelous message to the resurrected Christ. And three, Mary's testimony of resurrected Christ rejected. First of all then, Mary's meeting with the resurrected Christ. Who did Jesus Christ first appear to in his resurrection? That's what verse nine is telling us. The very word here says, he appeared first. It wasn't his own mother, nor was it his own family. Neither was it any of the 11 apostles. Jesus Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Now, when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene. As we've stated before, Magdalene simply means someone from the town of Magdala, a fishing town on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee. Luke chapter 8 verse 3 reveals that she was a rich, wealthy woman. But she was a woman under the kingdom of darkness. We don't know when, we don't know how, but Mark reveals that she was possessed of seven devils. You can read the Bible and read the Gospels and it revealed the misery of being possessed by one devil. In Mark chapter 9 verse 18 just one subject says the devil within would seize him and throw him down and he would foam at the mouth and gnash with his teeth and his body would lie on the floor stiff as dead. And this devil would always try to cast him into the fire or cast him into the water to drown him. A deeply dark miserable state. But Mary's not possessed of one devil. Seven devils. But then Christ came along. Christ came along and he would cast out the seven devils. Why would he do that? Same reason he healed and he cast out devils from other people. What is the most used description of the motive of Jesus Christ in the New Testament? Move of compassion. Move of compassion. When he saw people hungry, or poor, or blind, or demon-possessed, or of leprosy, he had an inward, deep, sincere pity for them. Do you know that feeling when you see someone in a desperate state and your heart goes out to them, your guts are wretched with anxiety, you are filled with real emotion? That was our Saviour. And one day, we don't know when, but he saw this woman under the kingdom of darkness of seven devils in misery, and he was moved with compassion. And with his divine power, he cast these devils out. The word cast is a very violent word. He expelled them. He threw them out. And then this woman was in the kingdom of light. Her heart is filled with faith and love. Luke 8, 3 again tells us that though she is rich and wealthy, she gave her wealth to serving Jesus Christ. Whatever he needed, whatever she could provide, it's the least she could do for her beloved Lord. You should recognise that for yourself too, brother and sister. Because He has saved you from the kingdom of darkness, from your sin, nothing is too much for your Saviour. And she follows our Saviour for at least two years. She ministers to Him. And as we've seen in Mark 15, she was an eyewitness to His death on the cross. and she was an eyewitness to his burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. And then on the first day of the week, the very day he was raised from the dead, who would Jesus appear to first? Mary Magdalene. Now why? Why would he appear first to Mary Magdalene? There are two reasons why. The first is a biblical fulfillment reason, and the second is an experimental reason. First of all, the biblical fulfillment reason. In the Old Testament, When there was a victory over enemies, the news would reach the towns and villages and it would be the women who would rejoice in the victory and would announce the victory. We see this again and again. "'As the Lord God is victorious over the Egyptians, "'it is a woman who announces and rejoices in the victory.'" Exodus 15, 21. "'And Miriam answered them, "'Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously.'" 1 Samuel chapter 18, verse 6. David and the army have victory over the Philistines. Who rejoices and announces the victory? Women. Now it had happened as they were coming home when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistines that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines with joy. In Judges 11, 34, the judge therefore, whom God has raised, has victory over the enemies. And who rejoices and announces? A woman. Behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and dances. And then Psalm 68, verse 11. The context is God's victory over the enemies and Psalm 68, as you know, is speaking of Jesus Christ because Paul in Ephesians 4 quotes Psalm 68 of Christ's victory. But who announces the good news? It's translated in the authorised version, the Lord gave the word, great was the company of those who proclaimed it. But the Hebrew is very clear, it's women. Great were the company of women who proclaimed it. Now this is absolutely no argument for female preachers. 1 Timothy chapter 2 is very very clear that I suffer not a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. It goes against nature. but it's speaking about the women's Old Testament role that when they hear the good news of victory over enemies, the women at home would receive this news and they'd be on the streets celebrating, praising God and announcing victory over our enemies. So in the New Testament, who would announce the resurrection? What is the resurrection? The resurrection is the sign of victory. Who is Jesus Christ? Psalm 24, the Lord is strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. The Lord is a warrior king. He must come and fight the enemies of sin and Satan and death. And he comes in his life and suffering, faces them head on in the penal substitutionary atonement and then his death. And then he is risen. And in his resurrection, it's the public triumph against sin, Satan and death. He has conquered them. He has triumphed openly. The handwriting of ordinances which was against us is blotted out. He has made principalities and powers an open show of them. He is victorious. And so who would announce this? Just like the Old Testament picture, the woman would do so. Who's the first? A woman. And look at that word in verse 10, go and tell them. The word tell does not mean to tell. It means to publicly announce good news. It means to tell people of a particular report. So he comes to marry a woman. following the Old Testament example, to rejoice and announce the good news of the new season. Who does Jesus Christ appear to second? Women. Matthew 28 verse 9, speaking of the other women, Jesus met them saying, All hail, Then said Jesus unto them, be not afraid, go tell. Same word, publicly announce. My brethren, that they go into and there they shall see me. And so why is Mary Magdalene chosen? Because she is a woman. And fulfilling the Old Testament type, victory in the resurrection Therefore, woman, go celebrate and go announce to my disciples, I am risen. But secondly, there's an experimental reason. Why this woman? Why not Mary, the mother of our Lord? Why not Mary, the mother of Joses? Why not Salome? Mary is a woman of faith but a faithless child. Mary's faith is too concerned with the bodily presence of Jesus Christ and she needs to learn to be satisfied with the spiritual presence of Christ. Now where do we We see this in how Jesus appeared to Mary. And if you turn to John chapter 20, you will see there is one person more than any other person who is obsessed with the body of Jesus. Now when all the women were approaching the tomb and asking who will roll away the stone, and then finding the stone removed, Mary did not go into the tomb with the women. She runs away from the tomb to tell Peter and John. John 20 verse 2. There she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and sayeth unto them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. She's obsessed with the bodily presence of Christ. Then Peter and John run back to the tomb, well, run to the tomb, they've not been there before, They step down and they see an empty tomb and then they go back to their place. But then Mary Magdalene comes along back to the tomb and she is full of mourning and weeping because of the bodily absence of her Lord. Verses 11 to 13. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, and saith two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, the one at the other, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. She's in an absolute depression. When everyone sees angels, what have they been doing? Trembling with fear. This woman is so distraught at the bodily absence of her Lord, she doesn't even respond to holy angels. And where are the angels placed? At the two ends of where the body was laid. Why is that significant? It is a visual picture of the mercy seat. Children, do you remember God creating the Ark of the Covenant and then on the top there was the mercy seat? What did the mercy seat look like, children? You had an angel in a chair beam standing at one end and the other looking in. and it was the sign of God's throne. And every year on the day of atonement, the high priest would enter in and he would sprinkle the blood of the atonement in the midst of the mercy seat. Now if Mary was not so distraught by the bodily absence, one, she would have went in with the woman in the first place and heard the good news. He is not here, he is going before you. And two, her eyes would not have blocked her sight to know that Jesus Christ has completed the propitiation of sin and made atonement and she then would have the faith to know he is risen. But neither of these two things are true because she's so distraught at the bodily presence. But then Christ comes to teach her a lesson. In verses 14 to 15, and when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She supposing him to be the gardener? Saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, if you have taken his body, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus is the gardener. He's not the gardener who acts in his garden, but he is the spiritual gardener. and he's working on her soul because she has certain weeds and thorns in her soul where she needs to learn not to be so obsessed with his bodily presence but learn by faith the sufficiency of his spiritual presence. Jesus teaches her this lesson by first of all revealing himself to her. Verse 16, Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself and said unto him, Rabboni. This is just so beautiful. She's distraught. She's weeping. She sees a man that she thinks he's just a gardener. Where's my Lord? Where have they laid him? Just one word, Mary. Do you hear the way it's pronounced? There's only one man who calls me like that, and that's my Lord. And when it says rabboni, think rabbi, teacher or master, but actually there's a personal pronoun prefixed. It is not master or teacher, it's my teacher. My master, it is the heart of faith saying, my beloved is mine and I am his. It is my Lord, you have come back. And then what happens? Verse 17. Touch me not. As soon as she heard Mary, she's wrapped her arms around him. and Jesus said, do not touch me. What does this mean? There's nothing wrong with physically touching him. In Matthew 28, when Jesus appears to the women, it says the women grabbed hold of Jesus. But for what purpose? Matthew 28, verse nine and 10 reveals us in order to worship him. Thomas in John 20 verse 27 will also grab hold of Jesus. Touch me, touch my hands, touch my sides, see the holes, see the marks. For what purpose? To believe. So there's nothing wrong with holding Jesus in. The word though in the Greek does not mean touch but to cling. to fasten, to hold and not let go. And the particular form of the Greek is a present continuous. She is continually holding on to him as if she will not ever let him go again. He was dead, he's alive, he's going to live with her and now he will never leave her. Mary, do not keep for I must ascend. I'm not Lazarus. I was not raised from the dead so that I could continue to live my life on earth. I am raised from the dead so that I must ascend to my father. Mary, you're too obsessed with my You need to learn to walk by faith and be satisfied with my spiritual presence. Stop holding on to me. I am ascending. And this lesson is the reason why Jesus chose Mary, not just because she's a woman, but because she's a woman whose faith needs particularly sanctified. And this lesson is for you and for me. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, that we are to walk by faith and not by sight. And we as Christians, because we're still human, as Psalm 103 says, God knows that we are dust. Sight, taste, see, hearing. And we think if we were just like the apostles, if we could see Jesus Christ physically, if I could touch Jesus Christ physically, then I would be... Because Jesus taught it was better that he went away. John 16, verse seven. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient, it is to your advantage, it is better for you that I go away. Why is it better that Jesus goes away? There are two reasons. First of all, the verse says, for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you. It's better for you so the Holy Spirit can be poured out. Jesus on earth can only have fellowship with his people if they are physically in the location of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ can have fellowship with all his people at all times wherever they are on this earth. The spirit who is omnipresent will manifest the fellowship to his saints by faith wherever they may be. That's the second reason. And the second reason is that Christ has more capacity to love his people in heaven than he ever did on earth. Hebrews chapter four, great high priest. not just a high priest, a great high priest that is passed into the heavens. Jesus, the Son of God, we have not a high priest which cannot be taught by the firmities, but was all points tempted like as Thomas Goodwin famously taught. Why is it great high priest? Because he's in the glorified state. On earth, he was in a state of humiliation. In heaven, the state of exaltation. And what does that mean? Christ is in his glorified body. Which means the human capacities of Christ have increased. And part of the increasing capacities is his own heart. Because he is in heaven with a great capacity to love and have compassion towards his people. which means Christ in heaven with his Holy Spirit poured out with his heart greater in heaven than it ever was on earth in terms of compassionate communion with his people. Which means when Paul says in Ephesians 3 17 that Christ in our hearts by faith we have a real love for Christ opened, the Holy Spirit, as Goodwin says again, sends love letters from heaven into our soul. So whether we're in church, whether we're at home, whether we're in a labour camp, whether we're in a hole in the ground, whether we're being beaten, whether we're being tortured, anywhere and everywhere, is with us by faith and the Holy Spirit communicates His love. And so brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, learn Mary Magdalene's lesson. Be satisfied of the Spirit's presence of Christ by faith. do not keep on clinging to my body, for I must ascend. But in second, chapter 16, verse 10 says what happens next. And she went and told them that she had been with him born wet. She went and told the 11 apostles what happened. Now, why did she do this? It's because Jesus commissioned her to do it. John 20, verse seven. Go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my father and your father, to my God and your God. What a message that was for the 11 apostles. Go to my brethren. This is the first time Jesus Christ has directly called his disciples brethren. He used it generically. Whosoever does the will of God, that person's my mother, that person's my sister, that person's my brother. But when it actually calls to referring to someone as his brother, this is the first time. And think about that. Think about the brothers in Luke 15. Think about the brother who wasted his father's inheritance and was feeding pigs and wasting... Attitude of the elder brother there. He was angry because of the sin and shame of the brother. But Jesus Christ is not an elder... fifth older brother like unto Hebrews 2 for he was not ashamed to call them brethren but they by him they ran away from him they let him down one even denied him three times I am not ashamed to call them brethren go tell my brethren Same with you, brother and sister. He is not ashamed to call you brethren. Oh, but my sin. Oh, but my shame. Oh, the things I thought and said and done. He is not ashamed to call you brethren. Do you want evidence? Look at that cross. He died for his brethren. He loved his brethren so much he laid life to save you. Go tell my brethren. I must ascend. That word ascend. What would they think about it? Well, where is the last time we taught them about his ascension? The upper room discourse. Christ says, I go away and you cannot come with me. And when I go away, I'm going to the Father's mansions. I am preparing a place for you. I go away, but my peace is given to you. I go away in me and bare fruit. I go away so that my words will be in you. I go away so that my joy will fulfill your joy. I go away, I ascend unto my father and your father. Some commentators say Jesus is making a distinction here. He's my father by nature through eternal generation, but he's your father by adoption of grace. That's theologically true. Emphasizing the difference, but this I go to my Father, who's your Father? I ascend to my God, who's your God? John 1, he prays that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. to my father who's your father. He is your father in heaven. You have full rights to the inheritance where he has loved you and sent me for you and given you all things for life and godliness. And I ascend to my God and to your God. I have fulfilled the covenant of grace. I will be unto them their God and they will be unto me my people. All the blessings of the covenant of grace are yours and I am ascending to my God and I'm ascending to your God. What a message that is and what a message for the context of the disciples. What are they experiencing right now? They were mourning and weeping. They felt the loss, they felt the pain, and they felt the guilt and the shame of their own sins. This is the perfect message for them. How did they respond? Thirdly, Mary's testimony rejected. Verse 11, and they, when they had heard alive and had been seen of her, believed not. This is astonishing. Imagine the scene. Mary Magdalene, she's in the garden just outside of Jerusalem. She's heard the Lord, the wonderful message, go and tell them. She goes back into the city gates. She goes into the upper room. She comes to Peter and John and Thomas and Thaddaeus. She's speaking to the eleven. I've seen him. He's not dead. He's alive. I've held him physically. I saw with my eyes and I heard him with my ears. And he's got a good news for you. He's got a message for you. He called you brethren. He's going to meet you in Galilee and he's ascending to your father and his father and to your God and to his God. Be of good cheer. Wipe away your tears. Rejoice. He is risen. And they believe not. The Greek is not simply he believe not, but it actually has a particular meaning. The word here means refuse to believe. to distrust someone. You lie. Luke 24 verse 11, 10 and 11 tells us that the other women also were present and it says their words seemed to them, the disciples, as idle tales and they believed them not. Mary, Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, what you're saying is just Old tales. Foolish, vain tales. We do not believe a single word you are saying. It's remarkable. Now why is it they did not believe? Well we'll have to leave that answer to next week. But in their unbelief here, we can have two practical lessons. The first lesson is the historicity of Jesus Christ's resurrection. Who are the first witnesses of Christ's resurrection? Women. Women. Why is that significant? Because in the first century, with both Jew and Gentile, women were disqualified for bearing witness in a court of law. For example, in the Jewish rules it says, the oath of witness applies to men, but not to women. Now of course that's completely wrong, but that's what they believed. So if you were gonna write a gospel and you want everyone to be raised from the dead, what would you not do? You would not have women as the first witnesses. That's not very persuasive. But the gospel writers are not writing a story to persuade people, they're revealing the truth. And the truth is, Jesus Christ first appeared to women. God is making the lies of this world look like fools and he is showing in the holy scriptures the absolute truthfulness and historicity of Christ's resurrection of the dead. We could spend 20 weeks and beyond just giving lectures of evidence of the historicity of Christ's resurrection and it is absolutely infallible and true. And so for you who are unbelievers here today, I ask you, how do you know anything about the past? How do you know anything about history? How do you know anything about the independence of this nation? Or the Magna Carta? Or Julius Caesar? Or Cleopatra? Or Pharaohs? If you apply the same methods of study to these historical people, to this testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, this testimony will be demonstrated even with human reason to be true. But why do you still refuse to believe? Accountability. Accountability. Because you have to deal with your sin. You have to deal with repentance. You have to deal with judgement and you love your sin. But what you're doing is acting foolishly. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God. Why? Because you are denying plain clear historical truth. But this testimony gives you good news. that if you see your sin in the light of a holy God and seek full forgiveness in Jesus Christ, if you believe in him through his life, death, burial and resurrection, he and his resurrection will fully, freely pardon your sins. The second lesson is joy. Joy. Faith in Christ's resurrection brings joy. In John chapter 16 verse 20, Jesus says, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. You're going to weep because I'm dead. The world will rejoice thinking they've won. They've won. and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Why? Because I will be alive again. Sorrow and then faith and resurrection, joy. These disciples are going to continue in misery, continue weeping, continue lamenting. Why? Unbelief. Unbelief. But as we will see later next week, when they see and believe, there is joy. Christ is not bodily present with us. He ascended 2,000 years ago. But 1 Peter 1, verse 8 says, Christ, whom having not seen, I've never seen Jesus Christ. I've never seen him. You love. Though now you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Are you struggling right now with sadness and depression and loneliness and weeping and lamentation? Put your faith on the resurrected Jesus Christ and everything that that means, which we've already proclaimed. Because even in the midst of such things, faith in Jesus Christ, He is risen. He has conquered my sin. He has conquered death. He has conquered the grave. He has conquered the evil one. There is the promise of the firstfruits that I will one day be raised from the dead to live in everlasting glory with my beloved Savior. And the far exceeding weight of glory to come far surpasses the present sorrows and suffering of this evil world. And so when we may have faith but not exercise faith in the resurrected Jesus Christ, there is only weeping and lamentation and sadness and sorrow. But when you have faith and exercise faith He is risen, you believe, you love, and you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Be of good joy. He is risen, and Mary Magdalene is an infallible witness to this glorious truth. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, We pray that the Holy Spirit would grant active, saving, exercised faith to everyone in this room, and that we would know our sins have been conquered, the devil has lost, and that death no longer has its sting. Help us to delight in the triumph of our Saviour through his resurrection of the dead. And grant that we would learn of Mary Magdalene, not to walk by sight, but to walk by faith. In the name of thy Son we pray, Amen.