This Easter, I am thinking of Mary Magdalene as she weeps outside of the tomb of Jesus.  She has come to the tomb early on Sunday Morning.  She has not come alone.  A number of women have banded together to anoint the dead body of Jesus.  The gospel writers don’t indicate how they expected to roll the stone away in order to perfume the dead body of the one in whom they had come to put their trust.  Perhaps they can find favour with the armed Roman soldiers that have been charged to guard the tomb.  They don’t have a clear plan.  But they have come to express their last act of love for the one whom they had hoped would redeem Israel.

When they arrive, the tomb is abandoned.  No soldiers.  The door to the tomb is wide open.  The body is not there.  The rest of the women remain, but Mary Magdalene does not.  She assumes she knows exactly what has happened.  She runs from the tomb, finds Peter and John, and tells them that they have taken the body of Jesus.  She doesn’t know where.  Perhaps they have moved him to an unmarked grave.  They have not left the women with even a place where they might grieve.

Peter and John arrive at the tomb too late.  The other women have already met the risen Lord.  But when the two men arrive, the scene is deserted.  They finally leave, and Mary Magdalene is left weeping outside the empty tomb.

I wonder what she was thinking?  Jesus had, at one time, driven seven demons from her.  How had that been possible?  She had also witnessed the many healings He had done.  She had heard of Him calming the storm, as if nature itself listened to His voice.  And she knew, that on three occasions, He had raised someone from the dead.  And yet, now that she stands beside the empty tomb, she only knows despair.  Jesus has died.  Her hope is gone.  And now, she has no place left to come and grieve.  It is as if Mary can’t look at the empty tomb and have hope.  Her grief eclipses the possibility that she is standing before the place of the greatest moment of history.

It strikes me that Mary is like so many of us.  Somewhere in our lives, we encountered tragedy, and we have not been able to move beyond that one moment where all our hopes and dreams were crushed.  We are like Mary.  We stand before an empty tomb and don’t understand what it means.  We have forgotten hope and have given in to despair.

The story of Easter is the story of the end of all despair.  It is the story of Jesus speaking one word.  He said, “Mary”, and in an instant, she recognized His voice.  And in that one moment, despair and hopelessness fled.

Mary at the empty tomb is a reminder to all Christians that despair is incompatible with the empty tomb.  Our Saviour lives.  And because He lives, all despair is gone.  Hope is now the only option we have!