<h2>Jesus and Mary Magdalene</h2><div class="chaptertitle">CHAPTER 99</div>
<div class='cap'>All THE FOUR gospels agree in saying that the
first person who saw Jesus Christ living after his
death on the cross was Mary Magdalene; that is,
Mary of Magdala, a town on the Sea of Galilee; a woman
from whom a year before Jesus had driven out evil
spirits; and who in love for what Jesus had done to her,
followed him, and helped him with her gifts, for she was
a rich woman.</div>
<p>When the other women, with Peter and John, went
away from the tomb, Mary stayed there, weeping and
sobbing; for she had not seen the angel who said that
Jesus had risen, and did not know that he was alive.
As she stood weeping at the door of the tomb, she looked
inside. There she saw two angels sitting at the empty
grave-place, one at the head, the other at the feet, where
the body of Jesus had been lying.</p>
<p>"Woman," said one of the angels, "why are you
weeping?"</p>
<p>"Because they have taken away my Lord," answered
Mary, "and I do not know where they have laid him."</p>
<p>Just then something caused her to turn around,
and she saw a man standing near her. It was Jesus, but
she did not know him; for after rising from his grave
Jesus showed himself in differing forms, and people
could not know him until he allowed them.</p>
<p>"Woman," said Jesus to her, "why are you weeping?
Who is it that you are looking for?"</p>
<p>Mary thought that this strange man was the gardener.
She said to him:<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_476" id="Page_476">[476]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"Oh, sir, if you have carried him anywhere, tell me
where you have laid him, and I will take him away
myself."</p>
<p>"Mary!" said Jesus.</p>
<p>And as he spoke her name, she knew him; and fell at
his feet, clasping them in her hands.</p>
<p>"My own Master!" was all that she could say, in
her joy at seeing him alive once more, whom she had
last looked upon dead, hanging on the cross.</p>
<p>"Do not hold me," said Jesus, "for I have yet to
arise and go to my Father in heaven; but go to my
brothers, my disciples, and tell them that I shall soon
rise up from the earth and go to my Father and your
Father, to my God, and your God."</p>
<p>Mary Magdalene went and found the disciples, and
said to them, "I have seen the Lord!" telling them also
what he had said to her.</p>
<p>After Mary Magdalene had gone away from the
tomb, the other women—Mary the wife of Clopas,
Joanna, and Salome—came back from having seen the
disciples, and having told them what the angel had said,
that Jesus had risen. As they drew near the tomb, Jesus
went to meet them.</p>
<p>"Welcome!" he said to the women. They ran up
to him, fell on their faces, and clasped his feet, just as
Mary had done, for they felt joy and fear mingled as
they saw him.</p>
<p>"Do not be afraid," said Jesus, "go tell my brothers
to go to Galilee and they shall see me there."</p>
<p>So these women went again to find the disciples and
give them the news that Jesus was really living, and that
they had seen him. All this was on Sunday morning—the
first Easter-day.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-513.jpg" width-obs="406" height-obs="600" alt="painting" /> <span class="caption">Mary Magdalene turned and answered the strange man whom she thought was the gardener: "Oh, sir, if you have carried him anywhere, tell me where you have laid him." "Mary!" said Jesus. And as he spoke her name she
knew him.</span></div>
<p>On that morning, when the soldiers who had fled
from the tomb recovered from their terror, they went<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_477" id="Page_477">[477]</SPAN></span>
to the chief priests and told them about the earthquake
and the angel who had rolled away the stone. The priests
had a talk with the rulers of the city; then they gave a
large sum of money to the soldiers, and told them to say
to everybody:</p>
<p>"The disciples came at night, while we were asleep,
and broke open the tomb, and stole the body of Jesus."</p>
<p>They knew that a soldier had no right to sleep while
on guard; and the rule of the army was, that any soldier
who slept on his post should be put to death. But the
rulers said to them:</p>
<p>"If the governor hears about this, we will satisfy
him, and see that no harm comes to you."</p>
<p>So the soldiers took their money and did as they
were told. And the story that the body of Jesus was
stolen from the tomb, was told among the Jewish people
and believed by them.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-515.png" width-obs="250" height-obs="217" alt="drawing" /> <span class="caption">Coins struck by Pontius Pilate</span></div>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_478" id="Page_478">[478]</SPAN></span></p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-516.jpg" width-obs="411" height-obs="600" alt="painting" /> <span class="caption">Then Jesus began to show them in all the Old Testament books, how all the prophets had foretold the things that should take place with Christ when he should come.</span></div>
<hr class="chap" /><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_479" id="Page_479">[479]</SPAN></span></p>
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