Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). John 20:16
It is early on Easter morning. Mary Magdalene probably had not slept all night in her anxiety and grief. She goes early to the tomb where the Lord is. She wants to be near Him. When she gets to the garden she is
stunned. The grave is open. She is terrified, someone has tampered with the burial place.
She does not know what to do so she runs to tell Peter and John. Together they come back to the tomb where the disciples investigate the tomb and then leave the grave and return to their homes. Mary, however, has nowhere to go so she stays in the garden weeping. Beside herself, she gets up enough courage to look into the tomb where she sees the two angels who sit at either end of where the Lord’s body laid (a great picture of the Ark of the covenant and the Mercy Seat).
In her despair even seeing angels does not phase her. When they ask her why she is crying, she does not think of the message hidden in her question (Jesus is not dead – there s no reason to weep). She simply responds with the facts. “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”
At that point Mary meets the risen Savior. She does not recognize the Savior for she is is not looking for a dead body, not a risen Savior. The Lord asks her why she is weeping and her despair is evident. ”Just tell me where they have taken Him and I will take Him away.” At that point Mary’s life changes for the Lord calls her name. Here we see the truth from John 10:3. ”The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name.” Jesus the great Shepherd calls his child Mary by name and she knows! Mary is the first person who sees the resurrected Lord!
Rabboni Mary answers the Lord with a great confession. She uses the Aramaic term, Rabboni, which John tells us means master or teacher. The word is related to the Hebrew word rab meaning chief. It is used by an inferior to address a superior, a Master, chief, or prince. Once commentator notes the title was given in three forms: 1. Rab- the lowest degree of honor, 2. Rabbi, my master – a title of higher dignity and 3. Rabboni, my great master the most honorable of all. Mary uses the highest form of exaltation but also note the term is personal. This is not a simple term of honor, it is a personal commitment of a follower to a superior. Spurgeon comments that Mary is saying, “Greatest of all Teachers, I know your voice! Now that you have called me by my name, I recognize you, and I wait to hear your instruction.” She sees Jesus not just as a friend or a teacher. He is Lord who is to be followed fully .
What can we learn? Rabboni is “my Master.” The Risen Lord is not only our Savior, but our Master. Many look to Him only for what He can do for them in the way of salvation and deliverance from sin, but never realize His majesty. They do not fall at His feet and recognize Him as Lord. Note this is a personal act–“My Master.” It is not enough that He holds the title of Lord, He must be “my Lord”. Like the disciples when Jesus called them, Mary knows He is her Master, she will follow Him and obey Him no matter what. We think of the many who never make their relationship personal. They call Him “Lord, Lord,” and not do the things which He says. But there is another
point. The other person who called Jesus Rabboni was blind Bartimaeus when Jesus restored His sight. When God gives spiritual sight, they see and follow Jesus as Master, as Lord.