在經典的體育奇幻電影《夢幻成真》中，主角雷．金塞拉（Ray Kinsella）看見他已故的父親，以年輕的棒球好手出現。他第一次看到這麼年輕的父親，他對妻子說：「我只見過多年以後的他，而那時他已被生活折磨得疲憊不堪。看到他……我該對他說什麼？」這個場景讓我們想到：當我們看到已故的至親重新煥發生機和活力，會有什麼感覺呢？

當抹大拉的馬利亞第一次見到從死裡復活的耶穌時，她就有這樣的經歷。那時，她在空墳墓旁哭泣，她轉過身「看見耶穌站在那裡，卻不知道是耶穌」（約翰福音20章14節）。為何她不認得耶穌？也許是因她滿眼淚水、視線模糊，或是因為一大清早「天還黑」（1節）。更有可能是，她最後一次見到耶穌時，耶穌被打得血肉模糊，最後被折磨致死。她從沒想到會再看到活生生的耶穌，復活的耶穌充滿生機，以至抹大拉的馬利亞需要一段時間才能領悟這個偉大的真理。

耶穌就站在那裡，祂是「復活的是不朽壞的」（哥林多前書15章42節）。在馬利亞聽見耶穌呼喚她的那一刻，她認出了耶穌，耶穌不只是她最好的朋友和老師（約翰福音20章16節），更是復活的生命之主。上帝總能施行令人意想不到的奇妙作為，而耶穌為我們勝過死亡更是最大的驚喜！

In the classic sports fantasy film Field of Dreams, the character Ray Kinsella encounters his late father as an athletic younger man. Upon seeing him for the first time, Ray comments to his wife, Annie, “I only saw him years later when he was worn down by life. Look at him. . . . What do I say to him?” The scene raises a question: What would it be like to see someone we have loved—but now has died—vital and strong again?

Mary Magdalene had that experience when she first met Jesus after He rose from the dead. Mary was weeping beside the empty tomb when she turned “and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus” (John 20:14). Why didn’t she recognize Him? Perhaps because of the tears in her eyes or because it “was still dark” (v. 1). More likely, it was because when she last saw Him, He’d been bloodied and beaten and tortured to death. She never expected to see Him alive again; He was so alive that it took time for the magnificent truth to sink in.

Yet there Jesus stood, “raised imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:42)! And the moment He called her by name, Mary recognized Him, not only as her faithful friend and “Teacher” (John 20:16), but also as the risen Lord of life. God always has ways of astounding us with His wonders. His conquering death for us is the greatest surprise of all.