THE WITNESS OF WOMEN WAS WORTH LITTLE IN JUDAISM; THAT JESUS FIRST APPEARS TO WOMAN WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FABRICATED AND SHOWS US HOW JESUS VALUES DIFFER FROM THOSE OF HIS CULTURE. EVEN THE LATER CHURCH DID NOT ALWAYS MAINTAIN JESUS' COUNTER CULTURE STANCE, AND THEY WOULD HARDLY HAVE CHOSEN SUCH INITIAL WITNESSES IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THIS ACCOUNT WOULD REINFORCE PAGAN PREJUDICES AGAINST CHRISTIANS. (EPH 5:22-33). JEWISH PEOPLE TOOK THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS OF MOURNING SO SERIOUSLY THAT MOURNERS COULD NOT WASH, WORK, HAVE INTERCOURSE OR EVEN STUDY THE LAW. JEWISH CULTURE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT EXPRESSING RATHER THAN REPRESSING GRIEF. THAT THE BODY IS MISSING AND THUS PEOPLE ARE PREVENTED FROM BESTOWING FINAL ACTS OF LOVE WOULD BE TRAGIC; EVEN TOMB ROBBERS USUALLY LEFT THE BODY BEHIND. MEANWHILE MARY MAGDALENE STOOD WEEPING BESIDE THE TOMB. EVEN AS SHE WEPT SHE STOPPED TO PEER INSIDE AND THERE SHE SAW TWO ANGELS IN DAZZLING ROBES. ONE WAS SEATED AT THE HEAD AND THE OTHER AT THE FOOT OF THE PLACE WHERE JESUS BODY HAD LAIN. "WOMEN" THEY ASKED HER, "WHY ARE YOU WEEPING?" SHE ANSWERED THEM, "BECAUSE THE LORD HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY, AND I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THEY HAVE PUT HIM. SHE HAD NO SOONER SAID THIS THAN SHE TURNED AROUND AND CAUGHT SIGHT OF JESUS STANDING THERE, BUT SHE DID NOT KNOW HIM. "WOMAN" HE ASKED HER, WHY ARE YOU WEEPING? WHO IS IT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?" SHE SUPPOSED HE WAS THE GARDENER, SO SHE SAID, " SIR," IF YOU ARE THE ONE WHO CARRIED HIM OFF, TELL ME ME WHERE YOU HAVE LAID HIM AND I WILL TAKE HIM AWAY." JESUS SAID TO HER "MARY!" SHE TURNED TO HIM AND SAID [IN HEBREW]
"RABBOUNI!" (MEANING "TEACHER"). JESUS THEN SAID: "DO NOT CLING TO ME, FOR I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER. RATHER, GO TO MY BROTHERS AND TELL THEM, 'I AM ASCENDING TO MY FATHER AND YOUR FATHER, TO MY GOD AND YOUR GOD! MARY MAGDALENE WENT TO THE DISCIPLES "I HAVE SEEN THE LORD!" SHE ANNOUNCED. THEN SHE REPORTED WHAT HE SAID TO HER. ON THE EVENING OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, EVEN THOUGH THE DISCIPLES HAD LOCKED THE DOORS OF THE PLACE WHERE THEY WERE FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS, JESUS CAME AND STOOD BEFORE THEM. "PEACE BE WITH YOU," HE SAID. WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS, HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND HIS SIDE. AT THE SIGHT OF THE LORD THE DISCIPLES REJOICED. "PEACE BE WITH YOU", HE SAID AGAIN. THEN HE BREATHED ON THEM AND SAID: " AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME,
SO I SEND YOU"
RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.
IF YOU FORGIVE MEN'S SIN
THEY ARE FORGIVEN THEM;
IF YOU HOLD THEM BOUND,
THEY ARE HELD BOUND"
THOMAS WHO WAS ONE OF THE DISCIPLES WHOSE NAME MEANS "(TWIN"). WAS ABSENT WHEN JESUS CAME. THE OTHER DISCIPLES KEPT TELLING HIM: "WE HAVE SEEN THE LORD!" THOMAS ANSWER WAS, " I WILL NEVER BELIEVE IT WITHOUT PROBING THE NAIL PRINTS IN HIS HANDS AND MY HANDS INTO HIS SIDE. A WEEK LATER, THE DISCIPLES WE ONCE MORE IN THE ROOM AND THIS TIME THOMAS WAS WITH THEM. DESPITE THE LOCKED DOORS, JESUS CAME AND STOOD BE FORE THEM."PEACE BE WITH YOU," HE SAID THOMAS TAKE YOUR FINGER AND EXAMINE MY HANDS. PUT YOUR HAND IN MY SIDE. DO NOT PERSIST IN YOUR UNBELIEF, BUT BELIEVE. THOMAS SAID IN RESPONSE, " MY LORD AND MY GOD!"
JESUS PERFORMED MANY OTHER SIGNS AS WELL. THESE HAVE BEEN RECORDED TO HELP US BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, SO THAT THROUGH THIS FAITH YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME.
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