JOHN 20.15: Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” (16) Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). (17) Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” (18) Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” —and that he had said these things to her. (ESV)
The Gospel of John gives an account of the resurrection of Jesus from a different vantage point than the synoptic Gospels. And John had direct contact with Mary Magdalene that took place immediately after Jesus revealed Himself to her.
The first part of chapter 20 of the Gospel of John describes how Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus early on Sunday morning while it was still dark and she discovered that the tomb was open. She then went and reported this to Simon Peter and John. They both ran to the tomb, went inside, and discovered that Jesus was not there. Then Peter and John went back to their homes.
But verse 11 tells us that Mary stayed at the tomb weeping. She then looked inside and saw the angels and talked to them about where Jesus was. Jesus then revealed Himself to her and He asked her to go and tell the disciples that He is ascending to God the Father.
We have things to learn from Mary Magdalene. In Luke chapter 8 we learn that Jesus saved her from the torment of demonic forces. Thereafter, Mary was devoted to Jesus, and she was a part of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, and came to Jerusalem with Him. She stayed loyal to Him such that she would not leave the area of the tomb when the disciples left. From this devotion she would not give up and walk away. She was right there to experience the personal revelation of Jesus.
And now today Mary speaks also to us, “I have seen the Lord.” And so from the vantage point of the Gospel of John, Mary’s testimony is the first word we have about Jesus being alive. She had seen the Lord Jesus and He spoke to her.
And Mary recounted to John what Jesus had said to her. And now the Gospel of John affirms and testifies to us: Jesus has been raised from the dead, and He will ascend to God the Father.