The Effects of the Cross

(JOHN 20:11-2911But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17Jesus saith unto 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. 18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. 19Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:11‑29).)
WE see here the effects of the cross. The one who had reviled Him had gone to paradise with the Saviour. The death of the Son of God had given courage to Joseph of Arimathea. Mary stood at the sepulcher regardless of what others might think: she rose above all the circumstances. And so are we, notwithstanding all the ruin of the Church, together this morning “with all saints.” Not only in the chapter, but where we are this morning, we stand in the effects of the cross, and not only that, but of the resurrection. She was a lonely one there, and the Lord showed Himself to her. As we go on, and get nearer to Christ, we shall be more and more lonely. We are lonely because we are taken out of the world, and still more so because we are separated from ourselves.
There are two currents, one of nature and the things of the world, and the other of the Spirit. One is decreasing, and the other increasing and rising up into all the Fullness of God. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The Lord said to Mary, “Touch Me not.” He did not say it unkindly; He never spoke unkindly. The weak hand of man could not hold the blessing in nature. We get the two currents in the sixty-third and eighty-fourth Psalms. “O God, Thou art my God: early will I seek Thee; my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee, in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” This was “in the wilderness of Judah.” But in the eighty-fourth, “How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!” it is the scene of God’s interests. We are introduced into a scene of joys and consolations, and love and fellowship. We are brought into relationship “My Father and your Father, my God and your God;” we are no more orphans. He says, “Peace be unto you,” when we are together, and for power in our service.
(Recollections of the late Rochfort Hunt.)