Surgical Spirit: A Moment of Recognition

She turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus. He asked her, ‘Woman, 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.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned towards him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means ‘Teacher’).  (John 20:14-16)

When I was a child I thought that when a Christian died, two angels would swoop down and carry their soul up to heaven. This was not unreasonable, based on the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 (angels carry Lazarus to Abraham’s side) and my literal interpretation of the bedtime prayer:

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on.
Four corners to my bed,
Four angels round my head;
One to watch and one to pray
And two to bear my soul away.

Since angels are ‘ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation’ (Hebrews 1:14) it seems perfectly possible that my childish supposition holds true. But I do know of one believer’s death when it seems that Jesus came in person. It was just a couple of years ago; an elderly Christian woman lay unconscious and dying. Around her were gathered Christian friends who sang and prayed and read the Bible together. Very suddenly, the unresponsive patient pushed herself up on the pillows and her eyes opened wide. ‘Jesus?’ she exclaimed with a rising inflection and a tone of amazed enquiry. ‘Jesus!’ she repeated, this time in smiling recognition. It was her last breath.

The risen Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9). She stood crying outside the tomb, distraught that someone had taken her Lord away. Her tears were not appeased by the astonishing encounter with ‘two angels in white seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot’ (John 20:12) and she appealed to ‘the gardener’ to help her find the body. Some commentators suggest that there should be a question mark rather than an exclamation mark after the word ‘Rabboni’ in our text above. Perhaps there should be both.

For further thought:

‘The LORD is close to the broken-hearted’ (Psalm 34:18).

‘He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out… and his sheep follow him because they know his voice’ (John 10: 3b & 4b).

‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints’ (Psalm 116:15).

Ruth Eardley is a GP and member of Affinity partner Little Hill Church, Leicester. She writes a regular piece for her church entitled ‘Surgical Spirit’. We have been given permission to reproduce them. This is her latest contribution.