Daily Devotional | The First Witness

On more than one occasion, the apostles argued amongst themselves about which of them was the greatest. If they had understood Jesus’ statements about rising from the dead, they might also have argued about which of them would see Him first. It is doubtful they would have guessed it would be Mary Magdalene.

When Mary saw the risen Christ, she was weeping outside the tomb, after Peter and John had left. Two angels appeared, one at the head and the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been (John 20:11–12). The question they asked was sincere. From their perspective, her tears are inexplicable. Why should Christ’s disciples weep since He had been raised from the dead just as He said? (Compare with Matt. 28:6.) But they were also meant to help her understand what had happened. Jesus’ questions in verse 15 are as leading as the angels’. It is not hard to imagine that He asked them with a smile, especially when Jesus, whose body Mary was seeking, asks: “Who is it you are looking for?”

Mary did not recognize her Savior at first. Maybe her eyes were blinded by tears. Or perhaps it was simply due to the incongruity of seeing Him alive outside of His tomb. It is fitting that the sound of Jesus calling her name was what enabled Mary to recognize her risen Lord (v. 16). Jesus had said that the Good Shepherd’s sheep follow Him “because they know his voice” (John 10:4). When He calls them by name, they respond in faith and follow Him (John 10:3).

John may have been the first to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, but Mary was the first disciple to see the risen Christ. She was also the first person to be commissioned by Christ to bear witness to what she had seen (vv. 17–18).