And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 10:12)
“Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” Proverbs 9:10 NLT
According to John J. Parsons (www.hebrew4christians.com), this “range of meaning for the fear of the Lord or “yirah” in hebrew also includes the idea of wonder, amazement, mystery, astonishment, gratitude, admiration, and even worship.” He continues saying that the “fear of the LORD” includes an overwhelming sense of the “glory, worth, and beauty of the One True God”
I invite you to ponder and meditate on these questions below based on Mary’s Experience After Jesus Resurrection – “an overwhelming sense of the glory, worth, and beauty of the One True God”
“After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons.”
Mark 16:9 NLT
“She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.””
John 20:14-15 NLT
“Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
John 20:16-17 NLT
Who was one of the first disciples to see Jesus on the third day ? Mary Magdalene
What does Mary’s name mean? There are many theories such as “crushed rose” , “bitterness” and “beloved”
Why was Mary the first one to see Him resurrected?
Would it be because of her sick love heart for the Lover of her soul? She was not only at the right place at the right time to meet with Jesus, but she also had poured out her heart to the One who loves and forgave her.
“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:47-48 NLT
“Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” Hebrews 3:15 NLT
Where did she meet Him? At the Tomb – place where dead copses are buried to never be touched or seen again.
What does the tomb speak about? Place of burial and of death, but also the place of encountering resurrection life in Jesus. It is a place where a “stone” is put over a hidden dead copse, as a permanent mark of burial. Jesus is our “stone” , the solid foundation of our faith as we are hidden in His love. The death and burial of our sinful nature is washed away, never to be seen again under His blood. His presence is the secret place of our body, soul and spirit where we are hidden (on the clef of the rock) away from any guilt or sin, totally safe from the traps of the enemy. It is in this hidden dwelling place, under the shadow of the Almighty that we are able to rest and hear His voice as well as to see His face and vise versa as Mary experienced. It is in the secret place where the Father God reveals the secrets of His heart and the plans and purposes that He has for His children.
“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.”
Isaiah 28:16 NLT
“[So I went with him, and when we were climbing the rocky steps up the hillside, my beloved shepherd said to me] O my dove, [while you are here] in the seclusion of the clefts in the solid rock, in the sheltered and secret place of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”
Song of Solomon 2:14 AMP
“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalms 91:1 NLT
“Ask Me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” Jeremiah 33:3
Why did Mary come to the tomb? She could have stayed home bitter, depressed and crying over her own pain, sorrows and disappointments in life. But she was touched by the love of God. She decided to be close somehow to the one who changed her life forever with eternal love. She was lost without Him. As a result, she postured her heart and went after the One who forgave her of all her sins. She come to the end of herself, and of her own abilities to live in total surrender. In addition, she embraced her destiny as one who was crushed, but also beloved as her name also mean.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit…” (Matthew 5:3)
What did Mary do to stop Jesus in His way to ascend to the Father and make Him meet her at that place? Would it be because of her crushed spirit in deep worship that touched Jesus’ heart in such a way that stopped Him on His way of meeting with the Father? Mary was not the same as she identified her death to herself with the Master’s death. It was not only the Head who had surrendered to God’s will, but also His body represented by Mary’s heart before Him.
Jesus is one with His word in all times even before meeting with the Father.
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT
Why did Jesus stopped for her? Why would the King of the universe stop on His way to go to the Father? Would it be because of Jesus great love in response to a deep cry of surrender of a human heart towards Him? There are no words that can explain such profound love of God. There was a great hunger and thirst from the Body (represented by Mary) to be united with the Head of His body. Since she had humbled and yield her heart, she could not see Him at first, but she was able to recognize His voice when He called “Mary”. She then raised her eyes to Jesus from a posture of worship and see the lover of her soul resurrected.
“Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”)
Jesus had also made a promise earlier to His beloved disciples that they would always be with Him when everything was ready as He said:
“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am..” John 14:3-4 NLT
Why couldn’t Mary touch Jesus at that moment? She could see Him, but not touch Him yet. Jesus, had never done anything without being one with His Father first. Due to sin, the Father had rejected Him. Now, after being resurrected, the Son first needed to present Himself to the Father as the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice for the salvation of all of those who believe on Him. Jesus first priority was to be united again with His Father so that the truth of resurrection life would not only be present and affective to the Head, but also to the Body of believes from whom God has given Him.
“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT
Only after Jesus had presented Himself to the Father with the marks of the cross in His body that He could meet later with the disciples. It was only then that they could touch Him as Thomas did by Jesus’ invitation.
“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” John 20:27 NLT
What did Jesus – the Head speak and reveal to Mary – His body in this encouter?
He revealed Himself alive and he was moved by her love towards Him. Among so many eternal words of truths, Jesus spoke to Mary exactly what she and His brethren needed to hear and know the most: “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”
The powerful revelation of Jesus declaring His Father was His brethren’s Father and that God of the impossible was His God as well as the God to His beloved one (Who loves them the same) are eternal truths of freedom not only to the Head Jesus, but also to His body of believers. Take notice that such revelation can only be heard and received from a place of death and burial to itself with total surrender to God as Mary did in worship. There is no other way or short cut.
“…But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17 NLT
As for Jesus the Head, all things were finished at the cross. Although the price of sin, death and separation from God was paid for the redemption of all creation by His blood, His body of believers are now called to pick up their own cross and follow Him until the end. The truth of Jesus death at that cross also means the death of His Body to its sinful nature on that day. In other words, it was not only Jesus, the Head, who was crucified, died and buried on on that day. His body of believers were also crucified, died and buried by the baptism in His name. On the same token, it was not only Jesus, who was awaken, resurrected and ascended to the Father on the third day. His body of believers were also awaken, resurrected and today seated in High places by the power of the Holy Spirit, made alive as new creation in Him by His blood. This truth must be embraced by all who are born again by the Spirit of God being baptized in His name.
“When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.” John 19:30 NLT
Apostle Paul received such revelation of being dead, buried as well resurrected with Christ by the baptism in His name. He considered himself dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus when he wrote:
“Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:3-11 NLT
So what did Peter and John find inside the tomb after Jesus resurrection? What did they notice inside the tomb? Only cloths – one part folded (for the head of Jesus) and the rest of wrappings for His body lying apart.
Would the folded cloth for the head of Jesus speak of the finished work He accomplished at the cross when He said it is “finished”? What about the other wrappings for His body lying apart? Would that suggest that there is still a finish work to be accomplished by His Body of believers? What are the responsibilities of His body to fulfill then?
The author of the book of Hebrews writes such obligations when he exhorts all believers to consider themselves dead to sinful nature, but alive in Christ. He urges all to strip away any sin that slow us down, but to run with endurance the race of life God has set before us. At the same time, the writer alerts us to keep our eyes on Jesus in all times, to stand firm to the truth of God word under the new covenant of His blood. In addition, the author earnestly encourages us to seek intimacy with Christ by entering into God’s presence with sincere hearts fully trusting on Him until the end.
“Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.”
John 20:6-7 NLT
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT
In summary, it is for the body as well the bride of Christ, ti believe and receive the revelation of the death and burial of the old sinful nature as well as the resurrection life in Jesus. On contrary, it will miss such encounter of experiencing the Fear of the Lord of worshipping to the “glory, worth, and beauty of the One True God” . In addition, there is no life of experiencing the power of resurrection life of Christ without the Body being in total agreement with the Head. Jesus desire is to share His glory to His body by not only reveling the God of the impossible, but also the loving heart of the Father who awaits His children with open arms of mercy and grace as He never rejects those who come to Him.
So what is the fear of the Lord?
It is a lifestyle of not only of reverence, honor and respect towards God, but of worship in deep love to Jesus as being fascinated by His beauty and holiness with no end.
And what the lifestyle of surrendered worship mean and do to us – His body?
• Moves our heart towards God enabling us to enter into the courts of the Lord.
• Opens windows of revelation of Who He is as well as of who we are in Him.
• Causes us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, making us habitations of God.
• Changes the spiritual climates surrounding us.
• Refreshes our spirit, soul and body.
• Establishes the Lordship of Christ in our hearts.
“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”
Philippians 3:10-11 NLT