“𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤, 𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞, 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐬.” — 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝟏𝟔:𝟗.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s April 16, 1865 sermon suggests three reasons why Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalen.
Called the “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon was a world-renowned preacher. At the young age of 22, Spurgeon was already preaching to audiences of over 10,000 people. Coming from a Reformed Baptist tradition, he emphasized the gospels and the demands of Christ upon believers’ lives in his sermons.
I. First, we shall have to take into consideration this morning WHO SHE WAS.
Jesus “appeared first to Mary Magdalene” Why? One answer might be, because he chose to do so. For in his sovereignty he may reveal himself to whomsoever he wills, and he may withhold himself from whomsoever he shall please. “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion,” may be a very grating truth to human ears, but it is truth for all that, and he who doth not acknowledge it, scarcely puts God into his true place as sitting upon the throne and doing as he wills with his own.
But we may go a little into the matter, I think, and perhaps find some reasons. He revealed himself first to Mary Magdalene, a woman. Was it not most meet that a woman should first see the risen Saviour. She was first in the transgression, let her be first in the justification. A woman let it be, for woman was last at the cross, and last at the sepulchre; let her be earliest to return. In her he had won a special and signal victory over the hosts of hell; a perfect number of those evil spirits had been entrenched within her, and Christ’s victorious arm had driven them all out.
II. The second enquiry was, HOW SHE SOUGHT.
If any of us would have fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, how are we to obtain it? We will use her as our guide.
And first, Mary sought the Saviour very early in the morning; by which we learn, that we must betimes begin to seek our Lord. If thou canst wait for Christ, and be patient in the hope of having fellowship with him by-and-by, thou wilt never have fellowship at all; for the heart that is fitted for communion is a hungering and a thirsting heart.
She sought him also, as you will observe, with very great boldness. It is said, she stood at the sepulchre. The disciples had fled. Read the eighth verse, “They went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.” But Mary, we are told in John’s account, “stood” at the sepulchre. Still note further, John tells us, she “stood without at the sepulchre weeping,” which makes me remark that she sought Jesus very earnestly, for as she stood there, not finding him, she wept.
III. The last point now comes, and that is, HOW SHE FOUND HIM. He was present, but she could not see him. But Jesus Christ was discovered to her by a word. I want you to notice that it was not a sermon, it was one word. It was not a long discourse, but just one word of two syllables, and that not a word of mystery, but a simple word:
a word, however, which had this about it, it came from Jesus’ lips; it was personal and went home to her.That one word was her own name — “Mary.” It was spoken just as she had heard it in the days gone by; and, oh, if he would speak to me as he has spoken at the hill Mizar; if he would say of himself as he has done in days never to be forgotten, “I am thy salvation,” we should not want any more, one word would be enough. Oh, beloved, keep on seeking Christ and you will find him in a moment. Do not complain if you hare not an edifying ministry, or because perhaps this morning the discourse seems dull to you; do not complain because you are lax in prayer, and have not that enlargement you ought to have in divine things; one word will take you up as on the wings of an eagle, and give you joy and peace.
Read the full sermon and let us know what you think of Charles Haddon Spurgeon!
https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/jesus-appearing-to-mary-magdalene/#flipbook/
