Last week we focused on Jesus’ words “It is finished” in John’s Gospel. Luke in 23: 46 records: “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit; and He gave up the ghost” which means “Breathe out or expire.” The death of Jesus was different from that of any other man. No one could take His life from Him except as He was willing to permit it. Christ chose to die so that we might live. Matthew gives us more details: darkness was upon the land at 3:00 pm, the veil of the temple was torn into, there was an earthquake, and rocks where crushed. There is one detail unique to Matthews’ account in verse 52-53 “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” The bodies did not arise until “after Christ’s resurrection”. Christ is the firstborn from among the dead according to Col. 1: 18. We already identified that He arose on the Feast of First Fruits. These saints who were in Paradise would not proceed Christ into heaven. He would lead captivity captive and sit them free to enter heaven. (Hebrews 4: 8-10) We find the details of Paradise and Hades in Luke’s account of the rich man and Lazarus in 16: 19-31. The beggar Lazarus was in Paradise and the rich man was in Hades or Sheol and the two were separated by a great gulf—afar off that no one could cross. Jesus told the penitent thief “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23: 43) Paul was “caught up to the third heaven…into paradise (2 Cor. 12: 1-4). All who are saved go at once into the presence of Christ. (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1: 23) According to these scriptures it appears that the part of the underworld once occupied by Paradise was relocated to heaven when Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. Now let’s turn to a familiar account of the first person that Jesus appeared to after His resurrection—Mary Magdalene. Let’s look at what we know about Mary—a woman from the town of Magdala who became a loyal follower of Jesus after He released her of the seven demons that possessed her. (Luke 8: 2-3) She is mentioned 12 times in the Gospels. She was a faithful follower of Jesus. She was present at the mock trial, heard Pilate pronounce the death sentence, saw Jesus beaten and humiliated, was there at the foot of the Cross to comfort Him and present at His burial. We read in Matthew 27: 55-56 “And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto Him; Among which was Mary Magdalene…” and in Jn. 19: 25 “Now there stood by the Cross of Jesus, His mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene.” Mark tells us in 16: 1-2 that she was among the three women who came to the tomb to anoint Jesus after the sabbath at sunrise. In John 20: 11-18 we have the account of Jesus’ first appearance after the resurrection. She discovered the empty tomb and wept because she did not know where His body had been taken. Just then Jesus appeared to her but she did not recognize Him until He called her name-- “…Mary.” She addressed Him as Master. Her first impulse was to fall down before Him to worship Him. He said to her, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father; but go to my brethren, and say unto them I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” Mary was gently rebuked by Christ in other words “Stop clinging to Me” to hold Him to the earth but, rather, become His messenger of new joy. The mystery of this command cannot be understood unless we connect His fulfilment of the ministry of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16) presenting the sacrifice. The Levitical offerings “covered” the sins of Israel until and in anticipation of the cross. It was at the cross, not the Levitical sacrifices, which made full and complete redemption. It was a shadow of things to come. Having accomplished the sacrifice, Jesus was on His way to present the sacred blood in heaven upon the Mercy Seat in Heaven as the earthly Tabernacle is only a pattern of the Heavenly. (Hebrews 9: 1-14, 23-28 and Hebrews 10: 1, 7, 9-10, 12-13) In Matthew 28: 9 we see Jesus after having ascended into heaven appearing to the women who went to tell his disciples. They came and held him by the feet and worshipped him. The lesson for us is that Jesus paid the price for our redemption and is resurrected and made new life available to anyone who will believe—trust in and to cling to Him and bow in worship. We are to yield our self to His will even when it is difficult. Our life matters to Jesus—even a woman who had 7 demons. God chips away at the rough edges of self-will and earthly bondage to reveal all He created us to be. May we cling to Him as He refines us and completes His work in and through us. Jesus knows our name and is calling out to us just as He did to her. Mary Magdalene had received the unconditional love of Christ and in turn she showed great love for Him. Oswald Chambers said “The springs of love are in God, not in us. The life of God manifests itself in a spontaneous way because the springs of love are in the Holy Ghost.” “…The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5: 5) Jesus died for our forgiveness and He desires to give us His Spirit of love. Oh, that we would have the thankful heart of Mary Magdalene and desire to spend time with Jesus—to worship Him in Spirit and Truth and make Him Master of our life.