Her teacher spoke her name.

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

John 20:16

Mary’s personal witness of Jesus after His resurrection is beautifully powerful. It is personally one of my favorite episodes in all of the gospels. She alone is given the gift of a first conversation with Jesus after His work is complete. She had been the bravest of His disciples. She was the first person there on that Sunday morning to find the empty tomb according to John’s gospel. She ran back to tell all the rest of the disciples. Her thrill (and her fear) are in this surprise. Peter and John foot race back and peered into an empty tomb. Incredulity seems to be their reaction. Mary returned after they left. She alone is there. Overcome with emotion, not quite believing that He could be risen, she weeps at what feels like to her even more tragedy.

This time as she looked into the tomb, two angels greeted her. She still believes someone must have moved Jesus’ body. All she wanted to do was to care for him by proper anointing. Turning around she is greeted by a man she thinks is a caretaker for the garden. Assuming Jesus had been moved to another nearby tomb, she asks this man to show her to the body. With the mere speaking of her name, “Mary”, Jesus transforms her understanding. She recognizes Jesus and in joy embraces her Lord. Her weeping, confusion, and fear are all gone at the powerful realization that Her Lord, who knew her by name, is alive! Her Teacher is alive! Her Savior tenderly turned her tears into joy again, all by simply saying her name as only He could.

A risen Jesus also stands today to be our Rabboni… our tender Teacher. He longs for our tears also to turn to joy. He gave Himself for us so that our happiness, combined with His holiness, could truly be complete in worship of Him. He has risen from the dead so that death no longer reigns in harsh tyranny over us. Our Teacher, Savior, and loving Lord is our life. And in joy known only in Him and by Him, no tomb can keep us from His joyful presence. He walked away from His tomb to love us. And He has assured by His resurrection that our graves will open a door where He will stand to greet us by name. That is the comfort and confidence Christians can have in the gospel!