The Story of How The Story of The  Bible Became The Story of The People Of God  

       V. The People’s Delivery from Egypt (Moses)

2016 4 24

2. The Commissioning of Moses (3:1-7:7) continued (again, I am drawing on Waldemar Janzen's Genesis in The Believer's Bible Commentary, subsequently referred to in the instalment below with the appropriate page reference as, e.g., Janzen 82 ff.)

Exodus 4:18-20 Moses gains his father-in-law's permission to return to Egypt. Interestingly, there is no record of Moses telling Jethro about his most important encounter with God in the desert. This would appear to be particularly worth paying attention to as we have read that his father-in-law was a priest, so it would seem reasonable for his son-in-law to consult with him to discern about matters such as this. Furthermore, we read that Jethro did provide some help in terms of leadership to Moses later on when they met in the desert after the Children of Israel left Egypt, so we know that Moses did value his wisdom. Indeed, one wonders whether the preparation that perhaps Moses had spiritually doing his years with Jethro and his family had something to do with God's choosing Moses' tribe as the priests for The Children of Israel, although it was Moses' brother Aaron who was given the leadership here. Perhaps the writers simply thought we would understand that this was discussed as the reason for Moses leaving, although what the text says is that Moses asked to be allowed to go back to his relatives in Egypt and see whether they were still living (4:18).

Here we again have the Lord repeating to Moses, "Go back to Egypt; for all those who were seeking your life are dead." Supposedly this should reassure Moses and remove one of his fears about returning to Egypt on this mission God is sending him on. Does this saying also sound familiar to something that was said about someone else in the Bible? Look in the New Testament at Matthew 2: 19-21. You will remember that when the wise men came from the East and told King Herod they were looking for a new king that was born he, in his jealousy, had ordered all the baby boys in the area to be killed to preserve his own line. Jesus' parents had fled with him to Egypt to save his life. In these verses in Matthew, Jesus' father Joseph is told to return to Egypt for those who sought his life are dead. Now he was going to be free to grow up to do his task.

Moses, like other Old Testament characters, as we have said before, is often seen again as a type of Jesus, and this is one of those parallels in their lives. He is now free to go back to Egypt to do his task.

4:27-31 Moses had complained to God in 4:10-17 that he was not a good speaker so how could he persuade Pharaoh to let his people go. God had said he could use his brother Aaron as his mouthpiece. Here we read of Moses meeting Aaron and telling him everything. Then they meet with the "elders of the Israelites" and "Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and performed the signs in the sight of the people. The people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had given heed to the Israelites and that he had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped." It seemed that Moses and Aaron had gained the trust of the leaders of the children of Israel so they were on side with the plans to leave Egypt. Now they just had to convince the king.

6:2-9 Janzen 97 ff. - In the preceding passages, Moses and Aaron had gone to Pharaoh to ask for the release of the Hebrews. All that had done was make their work harder, which had cause the people to turn against Moses. When Moses complains to God about all of this, this is the answer he gets:

"I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as ‘God Almighty,’ ‘El Shaddai,’ but by my name ‘THE LORD,’ ‘YAHWEH,’ I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they resided as aliens. I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites who the Egyptians are holding as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the Israelites,' I am the Lord, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.' Moses told this to the Israelites; but they would not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and their cruel slavery."

So, here we read of God again identifying himself as the God of his ancestors who had “established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they resided as aliens.” (verse 4) He tells Moses to tell the children of Israel that “I am the Lord, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm in his mighty acts of judgment. I will take you my people, and I will be your God… I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord." (verses 7-8) God is now making it clear that all of this action is because he is continuing to honor his covenant commitment with Moses' ancestors. They had become a numerous people, which begins to fulfill one of the promises, but they were still up in their own land. Furthermore, we are not sure that they were existing in much of a relationship at this time with the God who held his covenant with them. Just the same, God is promising to do was responsible party to a covenant would do when the other party is in trouble, which Israel is. He has not forgotten them and his covenant with them, although they may have. Now he is stepping up to take the next step in what this covenant relationship is going to be. He will free them, deliver them, redeem them, take them as his people and be their God. When Moses conveys this message to the children of Israel though, unlike the first reception Moses and Aaron had when they met with the Hebrew elders, this time they cannot hear the message "because of their broken spirit and their cruel slavery." (Verse nine)

So here, for the first time in Exodus, the language of the covenant reappears. The same promises that we have seen given to the ancestors named here, are now repeated to Moses to be passed on to those descendants. However, just as The Pharaoh's heart has been hardened and he is not inclined to let the people go, the Israelites themselves now are no longer able to believe that Moses can do anything for them. Moses’ task is getting harder.

We have spoken of Moses as a type of Jesus. Do you see further parallels here between the story of Moses and the story of Jesus? We mentioned one of those parallels right at the beginning of the stories of these two individuals, referring to both King Herod and the Pharaoh wanting to kill baby boys.

Remember that Jesus also was not received by the leaders of his day. Indeed, he was rejected by his own people overall for the most part. He did indeed do a great saving work for us, just as Moses was to help God perform for the Children of Israel. However, perhaps like with Moses and Aaron, it was not until another spokesperson, Aaron, was identified, who became the Chief Priest and therefore the ancestor of all the subsequent Jewish priests, that God's plans were able to be accomplished. Jesus himself is referred to in the New Testament as a High Priest, and we as believers, Christians, are referred to as his children and also as priests. It is through his descendants that the church has grown to become what it is today. Just as Moses needed a spokesperson to accomplish God's tasks, Jesus needs us as his spokespersons in the world to carry on his mission.

Janzen 40

Another way in which Moses and Jesus are similar in that both were used by God to carry out missions of salvation through liberation from enslavement. As recorded in Luke chapter four, where Jesus was quoting Isaiah 61, he states that his mission was to free the prisoners and liberate the captives etc. That is what God is doing with his people here in Egypt under Moses as well. The difference here in Exodus is that the liberation, salvation, consist of one people whereas under Jesus liberation and freedom from oppression is available to all. Thus, the book of Exodus has been held up by the oppressed such as black slaves, or poor laborers in Third World countries, to show that God is on the side of the poor and oppressed and resists oppressors like Pharaoh. Here, all of this is included in the language of covenant faithfulness though, but that is something we have come to understand also applies to the church. Thus, Exodus also contains "a specific message regarding election, covenant, obedience and service."

Going back to the story and the resistance Moses was running into both with the Pharaoh and his own people, we read that in spite of all that, and God's bringing 10 plagues on Egypt until they were finally at a point where the Children of Israel were allowed to go free, they were delivered. The actual story of the beginning of that begins in Chapter 11 through 12. This included the institution of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread as well as a return to the consecration of the firstborn, as described in chapters 12 and 13. Chapter 14 – 15:21 is a story of their ultimate delivery from Egypt with the crossing of the Red Sea - for God had miraculously opened up the waters for them to pass - and the destruction of Pharaoh and his army by the returning waters when they tried to pursue the children of Israel into the sea.

Chapters 15:22 to 19 tell the story of the beginning of their travels towards the promised land and their arrival at Mount Horeb for worship, now referred to as Mount Sinai, which, you will remember, God had promised Moses was the sign by which he would know that God was really calling him and empowering him to do this. Chapter 18 is a different part of the story, describing how Moses is reunited with his family and also gets some advice from his father-in-law, whom you will remember was a priest, about who how to delegate the work of being a judge in Israel.

Living the Dream

Many of you will have heard this expression. In our North American context, I understand it to refer to having reached the goals of having found a good spouse, perhaps also including reference to already beginning a family, having a job with a good income, earning enough to have your own home and car, with enough left over to take good vacations.

As a human who tries to follow Jesus of Nazareth as Lord in the Anabaptist way, I have to say that this is a saying that I do not really like. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I have a rather strong aversion to it and what it means, at least as I understand it. I have heard it used in Anabaptist circles though. I have to admit to that there was a time in my life when I had similar sentiment to what the statement expresses too. I had successfully established myself in a career that I strongly believed God had called me too. We already had a small home that we had put considerable expense into in terms of improving it. We even also already had two cars. We were debt-free, and I was only 33. However, when I really felt that, in terms of this "living the dream" I had arrived was when our family of four (myself, wife, son and daughter) moved into a well-built bungalow with attached garage on a fenced corner lot in a good residential area of a small Canadian Prairie city in 1985. The home, built in 1961, had molded plaster ceilings, hardwood floors and pink sandstone around the main entrance and street-facing picture window, as we learned to call these in the 50s.

There were times when we considered buying a lot in that city, and even when we visited my parents in the Okanagon area of British Columbia, and building a house to suit our dreams. At one point, we did even briefly consider buying a lot on a lake an hour’s drive from home and building a cottage. Earlier, we could have purchased a lot with a home on it in a nearby National Park, but we did not follow through with that. 

Ultimately, in our Christian pilgrimage, we decided against these things because our understanding of being a Christian called us to turn down some of these possibilities. We were already living in a situation where we had more than enough. We could afford to take good vacations. Sometimes, I even felt a little guilty about that, particularly when we took the step of investing in a timeshare. We did enjoy the 25 years of the occasions that allowed us. However, one has to draw the line somewhere.

Now, we have downsized to a nice but not luxurious condominium. We got rid of the timeshare. We have long disposed of our second car. In fact, we often consider going automobile free. Indeed, even though we could have afforded it, and there were some who probably expected that someone in my station would drive a more luxurious car, we have never moved in that direction. Our current 13-yr old Honda Accord [2^ndlongest we’ve had a car] is the ‘fanciest’ car we’ve ever had. By that I mean the first one with power windows and door locks, trunk release; I won’t mention the 2 ‘extras’ I afforded myself - steel wheels and sunroof – still cloth seats.

These are the choices my wife and I have made. We fully recognize they still don’t come close to the self-denial our Lord disciplined himself to in his short life on earth. Jesus said of himself, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58) The Apostle Paul wrote: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8). We know our choices represent more of a limitation than what some live under. But compared to what Jesus gave up and suffered, it is nothing. I say that not in pride but simply as an observation consistent with the fact that we can never earn God’s approval, nor can we tell others how to live. We each make our own decisions before our Creator, Lord and Saviour. We continue to work at doing justice, loving kindness, being simpler and humbler, which is what our God asks of us (Micah 6:8). However, ultimately, we know that all we are, all we have and all we will be comes through the grace of God, it is a gift, as the Apostle Paul again so succinctly put it: “…by grace [we] have been saved through faith, and this is not [our] own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no man may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) And, on this Thanksgiving Day in 2018, we are very grateful for all we have.

The Story of Mary IV: Death and Beyond - Chapter 31 – Epilogue

Endings are the hardest - but one has to get there sometime on this finite earth. I hope you catch some of the emotion, the excitement that gripped Jesus followers in the days after his resurrection as I did writing this...

Mary never did see Jesus again – on this earth. His disappearance left an ache in her heart that would never completely fill. However, she was not unbearably sad about it. He had told her where he was going and that they would re-unite again someday. He had told her that this time they would be together forever.  She had been so happy to hear that and began to dream about what that might be like. How she looked forward to that day. There was nothing more she wanted than to be with her beloved son. 

For a while though, Mary still continued to hear stories about Jesus being around and meeting with people. She felt a surge of excitement every time she heard such news. He had spent most of his time with his disciples, which was understandable. Mary knew there was a lot he wanted to make sure they knew and understood now about what he had all been about.  He had even met with a large crowd to hear him teach and heal some of their number on at least one occasion (I Corinthians 15:6). 

Then she heard that Jesus had gone again with his disciples to one of their favourite spots, the Mount of Olives looking over Jerusalem. This was where he had been so violently torn away from them just weeks before. He had left unexpectedly left them again but this time it had been totally different. 

It had been a beautiful sunlit spring day, with just the type of breeze that warms your body as it blows around you. The blue sky had been as clear as could be. The new grass and the leaves on the trees had never seemed so green. The bird songs around them had never sounded so special.  No one disturbed them. They had sat down and enjoyed one another’s company in a way they had never really done before. The disciples were literally basking in the light of the Son. 

Jesus had taken the opportunity,  as it turned out, to give them what were some final instructions. He had told them (Matthew)28:18“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” You too (Acts) 1:7“will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.” (Matthew) 28:19… Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 28:20teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Then, before they had quite realized where this was leading, he had comforted them with these words (Matthew 28:20), “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Then he had stood up and (Luke 24:50) “and lifting up his hands, he blessed them.24:51…During the blessing (Acts 1:9) “he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight. 1:10As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them 1:11and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.” The disciples had realized immediately these were angels, with a message that could be trusted. (Luke 24:52)“So they had worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” 

The disciples had met in John Mark’s home, the same place where they had celebrated the las Passover Jesus had with them. They had decided that everyone who had been close to Jesus should join them in Jerusalem to wait for this special event and receive the same blessing of the Holy Spirit they had received. Thus, it had been that an invitation had been extended to Jesus’ mother Mary and her family too. Mary was very glad to hear this. Her excitement prevailed upon Jesus’ brothers and they all agreed together to journey down to Jerusalem to wait for this special day. 

Jesus was gone, but the fact that he had fulfilled the prophecies of the ages, as they had now come to understand, and his own promises, had so energized them, there was no sadness among them. He had spoken soften of the Kingdom of Heaven being near. Indeed, in their eager anticipation of Jesus’ last promise, they believed it had already come. They worshipped and praised God with fervently thankful hearts for all that had been accomplished and looked forward with utmost anticipation to what lay ahead.

The Story of Mary IV: Death and Beyond - Chapter 30 – Reunion in Galilee

Mary was glad to be home, away from those terrible scenes in Jerusalem. It seemed so peaceful in Nazareth in comparison. Now, she just hoped her son would join her again. He had told his disciples he would meet them in Galilee, but had not really said where. All she could really do was wait and hope. Well, she did pray that her son would come home to visit. She had also made John promise that when they met Jesus – if they saw him first – they would tell him his mother really wanted to see him at home. It was actually a little lonely here now, with her other children grown and gone, although they were all nearby.   

She was just stopping tidying up and looking at what she needed in terms of food and supplies to take a break for lunch when there he was – across the table like in old times. Of course, she was startled and for a brief moment a fear gripped her. But then she remembered the disciples telling her how he had been appearing to them, just like a ghost out of thin air.

“Oh, Jesus,” she cried. Jesus caught her in his arms and stroked her hair as she sobbed in his strong embrace, “I didn’t know when or where I would see you again, or even if.”

“Mother,” Jesus said comfortingly, “Where would I go first but home? I know I did not come home as often as you would have liked, but you know I had a task to do. Now, my work on earth is almost done, and I must return to our heavenly Father.”  

“You know, Jesus,” Mary said, “I still am not sure what ‘your work,’ as you say, on earth really was.”

“Mother,” said Jesus gently, “Let me explain it to you now, and I know you will see how everything that happened was planned by my heavenly Father.”

So, beginning with Genesis and The Law, working through the Psalms and The Prophets, Jesus showed how his coming had been predicted so exactly. He told here why they had to go to Egypt, to fulfil prophecy. She had often wondered about that. It had been such a disruption in their lives at the time. There had also been so much fear, running from that terrible Herod’s soldiers. Jesus explained how, as the new Moses, a giver of a new law, of love, he came from Egypt to deliver his people, just as Moses had done. 

He spoke of how God planned things versus what the Jews had erroneously come to expect of their long-awaited Messiah. He told his mother how God worked, so often just the opposite of what people expected. That was why his people had not seen who he was and had killed him. they had just not understood. Even that , as Jesus pointed out, was a fulfilment of Prophet Isaiah’s words about people seeing and hearing, but not really. Mary had certainly wondered about why Jesus had to die that way. But then Jesus told her the most wonderful story of all.

Jesus told her how he could have easily avoided that death, simply by calling on angels. After all, he was God’s Son. Mary could see that. She had seen him do enough miracles to have some idea of what that meant. However, Jesus said, he had to die as the prefect God-man to show that only in total surrender, giving even one’s life, is the way to new and eternal life. Ever since Adam and Eve, people had clung to their own abilities, trying vainly to hang on to the life they had, never totally letting go experience the fullness of the blessings His Heavenly Father wanted to give them. No one was sinless in that regard. Mary certainly grasped that. As the sinless one though, Jesus’ death, because he was also God, took away our sin, our pride, our punishment, our sentence of death for that, and made it possible for us to be reconciled to God again in a way no animal or other sacrifice could ever do. 

Mary’s eyes were indeed opened as she realized how contrary much of what she had come to expect was compared to what Jehovah had actually accomplished through her son. Remaining at home most of the time in Nazareth, she had not heard all that Jesus had said in his three short years of ministry, but Jesus put it all together for her. Jesus also told her some of what was to come in the near future and even how she could be part of that. 

When Jesus had completed his discourse, Mary took a deep breath and responded, “It is still so new, much of it, but it makes so much sense. It is beautiful, what the father has done. It is still hard to accept though, what you had to go through to accomplish this. I will never fully understand your love and commitment, your obedience. You have certainly shown us the face and the mind of the Father in a new way, which we will never forget.”

“And I know, mother,” Jesus said as he stood and moved toward her, “You will be an important part of what happens from now on. But I still have work to do here. I must go and tell my brothers what I have told you. I have to trust them – and you – to continue to carry on my work. I must return to my Father. My work on earth will be done soon. However, as I told my friends at Passover, after I have returned to my Father, we will send our Spirit to live in each one of you who believe. The Spirit will help you remember all that I have lived and taught so you can carry on your mission of being the face of the Father in the world we created for you to enjoy. The Spirit will give you power such as I showed so you can teach and preach in the same way I did, so you can heal and cast out demons as I did. You can do all this now because I, in my death and resurrection, have overcome the evil of the world. 

The Father and I have defeated Satan. You no longer need to fear him. The time is not here yet for the final punishment for the evil one, but once our mission on earth is complete, he will receive the punishment he deserves for what he has done to so spoil what we have created. You have no idea what a beautiful world it was in the beginning and will be again. Someday I will return – yes, I will come back! - to make that final conquest of evil. Then you will see me as the all-powerful King and Deliverer that everyone thought I was going to be now.  Then we will re-establish the order my Father intended when he first created everything. Indeed, it will be like a totally new earth and heaven when we are done with the renewal. It will be the best reward imaginable for all that you have had to suffer in your lives on this current earth.”

“Mother, thank you for everything you have been for me. I could not have wished for a better mother. You have no idea how much I really love you. God knew what he was doing when he chose you. I know we will miss each other dearly, but this is the way it has to be. I must return to The Father, and soon, but, as I said, I will send my Spirit to be with you all and comfort and strengthen you as you carry on what I have only begun. And, mother, remember, as I said, I will come again and this time I you will be with me – forever. It might not happen in your lifetime, but even if you die before the appointed time for my return, and only The Father knows when that will be, I will be with you once again – forever.”

Before Mary had a chance to respond to all of that, Jesus wrapped his big loving arms around his mother and held her in a tight embrace before he was gone as suddenly and mysteriously as he had appeared.

The Story of Mary IV: Death and Beyond - Chapter 29 – The Evening of the First Day of the Week

The following morning Mary was completing her preparations to return to Nazareth. It was still quite early though when John and some of the other disciples appeared at the door. May could tell again by their haste and the expressions on their faces that they had news for her they were eager to share. She was almost used to John appearing with unusual news. She knew they were not simply coming to accompany her back to Galilee as they had promised yesterday.

“Mother Mary,” John was the first to speak, “You won’t believe what happened yesterday. We were all gathered at John Mark’s home making preparations for our trip today when two of our group who had been on their way home to Emmaus came in. We could tell they were rather out of breath. They told us they had been home but something had happened and they had hurried back to give us great news. They told an unbelievable story of a man having suddenly come and walked with them. They wondered where he was from as he had not seemed to know what had gone on in Jerusalem these last few days. When they filled him in this stranger had begun to teach them from our Law about how the Son of Man had to be crucified and then rise again in fulfilment of what the law and the prophets had written. When they got home they wanted to hear more and he accepted an invitation to eat with them and continue the discussion. He had taken it upon himself to ask the blessing on the food, like Jesus always did, and just like that, he disappeared. Then it dawned on them; this man was none other than Jesus!” 

“But what happened next was even more incredulous! They had barely finished telling us this story when whom should appear but Jesus himself! It was absolutely amazing. We were at first somewhat afraid because suddenly there was this figure in our midst. He had not even knocked on the door, which in fact we had kept locked, as we were still afraid the police would come after us too. It seemed he had not come through it at all. We thought it was a ghost. But then he spoke, telling us not to be afraid. It was the same familiar voice.”

“We had still been eating supper when the friends from Emmaus had arrived, so Jesus asked us for something to eat to prove he was not a ghost. We gave him some of our fish and indeed, he ate it and it was gone. Then Jesus made us all feel a little ashamed for how many people, starting with our sisters Mary from Magdala, Joanna, Susanna and the others had told us in the morning Jesus was resurrected and we had not believed. He invited us to touch him and see that he was real. He actually showed us his hands and feet, which still bore the scars from his crucifixion, but they were all healed! I tell you, we were all so excited we just crowded round him to touch him to see if he was real. Of course, we also wanted to see what he had to tell us. Well, now we believe that he is alive because we have seen him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. That is what is most important.”

Mary could not believe her ears. Was Jesus alive after all? Had he in fact risen from the dead? The conviction with which John and the others told her of what had happened erased all her doubts. Now all she wanted was to see her beloved son for herself.  And what did it mean for them all that he was alive again. What would he do now?

“So, Mary,” continued John. “We were going to take you with us to Galilee, remember? Now we all have all the more reason to hurry back there, so we can meet Jesus again.”

Mary nodded and quickly gathered her things together. Then she bid her parents an emotional farewell. They were so happy too. Turning away, she joined the young men who were already making their way out the door. This was indeed going to be another exciting chapter in the book of her life. She could hardly wait.

The Story of Mary IV: Death and Beyond - Chapter 28 – The Morning of the First Day of the Week

NOTE: THESE CHAPTERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN A MUCH IMPROVED, EXPANDED BOOK, "A SWORD SHALL PIERCE YOUR SOUL" from FriesenPress

Mary woke to see sunlight streaming in through the windows. Such a bright morning would usually give her energy and hope for a new day. If she were at home she would get up and begin to cheerfully go about her daily tasks. However, almost immediately, any such thoughts were banished by the memories of the last two days that came flooding back. 

But life had to go on. She had her parents here. She had Joseph’s family up in Nazareth. Slowly, she rose and began to get ready for the day.  She would have to think about returning to Nazareth. 

At breakfast, now that there was more distance between the three of them and the events of The Day Preparation, Mary and her parents slowly began to sift through what had happened. Of course, the big question, especially on Mary’s mind, was ‘What now?’ She still could not accept that it was all over. So much hope had been awakened. had been promised. So much had been done by Jesus in the last few years. 

They were considering all these thoughts when who should again appear at the door but Jesus’ disciple John. Mary could see there was something of great import on his mind. Sure enough, he could hardly wait to go through the niceties of normal greetings before he hurried forward and taking her by the arms, looked into her face, “Mother Mary, the tomb is empty! Peter and I saw it for ourselves. You remember how Mary Magdalene and some of the other women had prepared spices and oils and were going to go to the tomb and embalm Jesus? Well, they of course had been wondering how they would roll the stone away we saw the tomb being sealed with when they got there so they could get at Jesus’ body. Indeed, the Jewish leaders had been so afraid something would happen, they had posted guards at the tomb yesterday evening. But they were no longer there when the women arrived, and the stone was rolled aside! They did not know what to make of that but when they came nearer Mary from Magdala said two angels appeared. They had been terrified but the messengers had told them not to be afraid. They had told the women Jesus had risen, as he had said he would ‘Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,Luke 24:7that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”24:8Then the women remembered his words. The angel invited them to look inside and see that the tomb was indeed empty.  Then he told them to go quickly and tell us Jesus was going to Galilee and we would see him there!”

Mary’s mind was spinning. Was it really true? Was Jesus alive again? Mary could hardly believe her hears. Had Jesus really come back from the grave as he had said he would? It had seemed too impossible when he had first begun such talk. But then, there had been Lazarus. But John was not finished with his story.

“The women came and told us. We could not believe it at first.  But then Mary from Magdala came running with an even more startling report. She had stayed behind when the other women had come running. She said she saw Jesus in the garden. He called her by name! And he also told her to tell us to go and meet him in Galilee!”

“Her story seemed unbelievable too so Peter and I ran to the tomb and saw it was just as they had said. We saw the tomb, empty except for the clothes Joseph of Arimathea and his servants had wrapped the body in. We still wondered what had all happened. But it does seem true. Jesus’ body is not in the tomb. We have to make plans now to return to Galilee. After all, that is our home. In fact, Peter and some of us had already talked about how we had to go back and get to work. We have to fish to earn our living. Why don’t you come with us? It will be better for you than travelling otherwise. You cannot go alone.”

Mary hardly knew how to respond to all of this. Was Jesus really alive? She wanted so much for that to be true but his death had seemed so real. Still, as John said, and she had also begun to think about, they had to keep on living and face reality.

“You are very kind, John,” Mary said, “Let me think of your offer. We will let you know what I will do. I will have to do some shopping here before I return. I would like to say goodbye to my Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Zechariah too. They will want to know what you have told me too.”

Mary’s heart still ached for her dear Uncle and Aunt. They had been so happy when the long-awaited John had been promised and been born. But now he too had been killed by the king. All the hopes for him had also seemed to be unfulfilled.

With that, John bade them all farewell and left.

The Story of Mary IV: Death and Beyond - Chapter 27 – The Darkest Sabbath

NOTE: THESE CHAPTERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN A MUCH IMPROVED, EXPANDED BOOK, "A SWORD SHALL PIERCE YOUR SOUL" from FriesenPress

From this point on the original version of the story and the so-called Catholic are one, hence the dropping of the subtitle, "The Catholic Version." Joseph and Jesus' siblings don't enter the biblical narrative together with any reference to Mary at this point and onward, so their continued story is immaterial to the conclusion of my version of Mary's story. Joseph is generally regarded by all Christians and historians as deceased by this time because his name never appears again after the family trip to Jerusalem for the passover when Jesus was 12. Jesus' siblings, particularly James, do possibly figure prominently in the life of the early Church, but that is beyond the scope of this story.

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John took his mother home first as it was nearer to the troubling scene they were leaving behind them. Then he walked Mary back to her parents’ home as dusk deepened. They hurried as the chill of the night began to envelop them, pulling their cloaks tightly around them. Little was said; they were all too distressed and dismayed by what they had just witnessed. Words could not do justice to their shared experience – yet.

When they reached Joachim and Anna’s home, Mary thanked John for being there with her. Then, somewhat impulsively, she stepped forward and embraced him. She looked up into his surprised eyes through her own tear-filled eyes and said, “Don’t forget, you now have two mothers!” With that she turned quickly towards the door of her parents’ home, stopping to wave goodbye to John who was till staring after her. He then turned and walked away but Mary could not help but note the droop in his shoulders. They were all grieving, and so unexpectedly; it was nothing short of a shock.

Mary’s parents rushed to the door when she arrived. They had already heard the news. They both wrapped her in their arms and they all burst into tears together. Once the floodgates were open, Mary could hardly stop sobbing. She clung to her parents, burying her head in her father’s shoulder. Finally, she pulled herself up and said softly, “I am exhausted; I just want to sleep now. You are probably tired too.”

Her parents understood but they also knew she had probably not eaten. She agreed with that and said she really had no appetite. However, at her parents’ insistence, she had a little to eat before she went to lie down where she slept. They knew Mary was too upset to ply her with questions about what she had seen, what had really happened. They reasoned they could talk about this further when Mary was ready.

Initially, Mary had trouble falling asleep. The awful images of what she had seen kept rolling before her weary eyes. The tears still came, but not like when she had first come to her parents.’ However, eventually her brain succumbed to here fatigue and she did sleep.

The next day seemed to drag on forever. Little was still spoken in the troubled household. They had no heart for going to synagogue or the temple. Was there any point? They uttered prayers, some audible, others not, as they gathered for their Sabbath meals. Again, they ate little. There was no pleasure in it. 

When night fell, they all retired to their beds again. As with the previous eve, Mary did not immediately fall asleep. This time it was not so much the images of yesterday, although they were still present. It was more the questions and thoughts that swirled around in her mind. What were they all to make of all that Jesus had done in his short life? What had been the purpose? What did it mean? Surely, all those messages had not been in vain.  And what had Joseph, the man who let Jesus be buried in his tomb reminded them of – that Jesus had suggested he would rise again if he were killed? Mary was not sure she could even put any energy into believing that and building up some hope. She felt somewhat guilty for not having observed the Sabbath  better, but she was sure she could be forgiven for that. This had indeed been the darkest Sabbath she had ever known. Eventually, she slept again.