SUPPOSED
HIM TO BE A GARDENER
John 20:15
Morning Meditation 6/8/2013
John 20:15, "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, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away."
Jesus had been in the temple area many times. There should have been no problem in recognizing Him. One has to remember, mob violence is almost impossible to control. People will do things in mob violence that they would never think of doing as calmer times. I would say that most of that mob was pulled in by friends involved and others by claims that He made that did not seem possible. Any thing God does in miraculous. I always go back to God's action in creating the earth and man. God does not exert Himself. He is never without lack of power.
But strangely enough Mary saw Him in his resurrection. He was dressed in the Shekinah. Hold your peace. I am about ready to find someone to hold my mules. The body that was laid so carefully in the tomb caused great grief. But suddenly Jesus appeared to them in white. The story goes like this: John 20:1-16, "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say 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.. 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, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master."
The empty tomb has been sanctified by our Lord's presence. Jesus went out of His way to prove to them that He was truly the Christ. All that Jesus said or did magnified His Father in heaven. It was certainly unusual. The guards were guarding it, so that the disciples could not claim that they took His body and that He was alive.
Some when they heard said that it was a spirit and not Jesus. Luke 24:39, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."
While He had flesh and bones, He also had a glorified body. That body could appear and disappear at will. When He comes again, He has a special body for us like His own. What a day that will be!!! It will shock the world but to the Christian who is watching for Him He will appear at the rapture. He told us to comfort with these words; 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost."
On the phrase, "Be not forgetful: for thereby some have entertained strangers unawares." God's angels are a part of God's program on earth today. I think it is possible for us to do what is taught in this passage.
You may never know when you have entertained an angel. So be careful. Hebrews 13:1-2, "Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
