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9. The women visit the tomb a second time, and see Jesus (Mt 28:9-10 Jn 20:11-18) Some of the women (at least the two Marys) had followed the two men back to the tomb. After the men left, Mary Magdalene (and the others) stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Why Mary's lack of understanding despite the angel's previous message (Mt 28:5-7 Mk 16:6-7 Lk 24:5b-8)?
Because the women were bewildered and confused (according to Mark they were too afraid to tell anyone (Mk 16:8), at least at first, despite clear instructions to do so (Mk 16:7); and Luke reports that their words "seemed like nonsense". And probably this confusion had been compounded by the disciples' unbelieving response (Lk 24:11).
Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, " Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said, " Greetings" They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Do not be afraid. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, `I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " "Also tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
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