<p>24:1 <i>And on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared</i>- The language hints very much at a new creation beginning. And yet it began in darkness, not only literally, but also in the darkness of the disciples' disappointment, misunderstanding and weak faith. From all this, great light was to arise.&nbsp;</p><p>Mary came seeking the Lord early in the morning&hellip; and this inevitably takes our minds to some OT passages which speak of doing just this:</p><p>- &ldquo;O God, thou <i>art</i> 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;&nbsp;to see thy power and thy glory&rdquo; (Ps. 63:1,2). The resurrection of Jesus showed clearly both the power (2 Cor. 13:4) and glory (Rom. 6:4) of the Father. For Mary, life without her Lord was a dry and thirsty land. This was why she went to the grave early that morning. She was simply aching for Him. And she had well learnt the Lord&rsquo;s teaching, that her brother&rsquo;s resurrection had been associated with the glory of the Father (Jn. 11:40). She went early to the tomb to seek the Father&rsquo;s glory- so the allusion to Ps. 63 implies. She was the one person who had actually believed in advance the Lord&rsquo;s teaching about resurrection. And yet even she was confused- half her brain perceived it all and believed it, and was rewarded by being the first to see the risen Lord; and yet another part of her brain was simply overcome with grief, believing that the gardener had somehow removed the body some place else. And our own highest heights of spiritual perception are likewise shrouded by such humanity too.<br />- &ldquo;I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me&rdquo; (Prov. 8:17) is written in the first instance of wisdom. And yet the Lord Jesus has &ldquo;wisdom&rdquo; as one of His titles (Mt. 12:42; 1 Cor. 1:24,30). Mary sat at the Lord&rsquo;s feet to hear His wisdom; to her, she showed in practice what it means to comprehend Jesus as &ldquo;the wisdom of God&rdquo;. She anxiously heard His words. And thus she sought Him early&hellip;because she so wanted to hear His wisdom again. Of course, she loved Him. But that love was rooted in respect and almost an addiction to His wisdom. It was this that she loved about Him, and it was this which led her to the grave early. And it was this which led her to the honour of being the first to see the risen Jesus.<br />- &ldquo;Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of <i>our</i> soul <i>is</i> to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early&rdquo; (Is. 26:8,9) makes the same connection between seeking the Lord early, and loving His words. &nbsp;</p>