First Appearance

First appearance (john 20: 1-8)

Firstly, the Lord appeared to a woman named Mary on the Easter morning. She and other women went to the sepulcher to anoint His body with ointment. But when she found the sepulcher empty she ran to inform His disciples. After that she returned to the sepulcher and stood outside weeping. Then the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to her as we read in John 20: 14-15 and said to her, "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?" She thought He was the gardener and said to Him, "Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away." Although she had such devotion for the Lord, she was unaware of the fact that He was risen again and that the power which was manifested by His resurrection was meant for those who love Him and believe in Him. The Lord Jesus Christ stood by her and spoke to her but she could not recognize Him. That is why she was weeping. Today we find many believers throughout the world weeping for every small trial and temptation; but the Lord wants them to be more than conquerors in every situation. The reason for their weeping is that they do not know to appropriate the power of resurrection for every need.

When the Lord called Mary by name, she recognized Him. She wanted to touch His feet to show her devotion and love for Him, but the Lord said to her, "Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to my God, and your God" (John 20: 17). A short time later, He appeared to other women as they were returning from the sepulcher. They held Him by His feet as we read in Matt. 28: 9, and He allowed them to do so. Then eight days after the resurrection He said to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing" (John 20: 27). So it was for a purpose that the Lord did not allow Mary, though so devoted, to touch Him. He had to ascend for a purpose to the Father before anyone could touch Him. The Lord Jesus Christ had to ascend to heaven as our everlasting heavenly High Priest to offer His own blood on our behalf in the most Holy place according to Hob. 9: 12, which reads, "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." According to the prophecy of Psalm 16: 10, His body saw no corruption and His blood also did not see any corruption. The Lord Jesus Christ as our Everlasting High Priest by His own hands offered His own blood for the atonement of all our sins and for cleansing us from all the defilement caused on our guilty conscience by our thoughts, words and deeds. Thus we see if we want to enjoy the power of resurrection daily, first of all we have to wait upon Him sufficiently till He speaks to us according to our need. Before He can speak to us we have to be cleansed from all the defilement caused by our thoughts, words and deeds by the precious blood of the everlasting covenant. By faith we have to keep ourselves constantly under the sprinkling of His precious blood. Then we will be able to enjoy the power of resurrection.