John's gospel offers a unique perspective on the events of Jesus' life, and that is certainly true of his account of the resurrection. It begins strangely, with the footrace of the two disciples to the tomb, then builds to the dramatic encounter with Mary Magdalene, and climaxes with Jesus' appearance to the disciples in the upper room.

According to John, Mary Magdalene is the first at the tomb. Seeing the stone rolled away, she runs back to the disciples with the startling news: "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him."

This leads to a footrace between Peter and John (the "one Jesus loved") to see what is going on. Reading carefully, you can see what the writer is getting at. John gets there first and just peers inside, seeing the strips of cloth. Peter then arrives, and, typically, he rushes right in. In addition to the cloths, he sees the distinctive burial headcloth in a separate place. Peter rushes off, and now John goes in for a closer look. He sees it all, puts two and two together, and "he saw and believed." He is, according to this gospel, the first believer in the resurrection.

Mary comes back, stands outside the tomb, and weeps. When she looks inside, she sees two angels, who ask her why she's crying. Mary rather matter-offactly tells them the same story: "They have taken my Lord away." Does she recognize that they are angels? Probably not, since when Jesus himself arrives she mistakes him for the gardener.

Finally, Jesus utters just one word, her name: "Mary." At that she understands, and believes, and cries in her native tongue, "Rabboni!" If John is the first to believe, Mary is the first to actually see the risen Lord, and she gets to tell the others.

But before she does, we are party to a touching scene. Mary, once she recognizes the Lord, naturally wants to reach out and embrace him. After all he's been through, he's alive! Lovingly but firmly, Jesus puts out his hand to hold her back. "Do not hold on to me," he says. It's not because she's unworthy, or because touching him would be wrong. He explains, "I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God'" (v. 17).

What does that mean? First, Jesus is telling Mary and the others that their relationship with him has now changed. He will no longer be among them as before; he is ascending soon. But he also assures them that he is going to "my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Jesus, by his death and resurrection, has opened up the way to the Father. He is now truly our Father and our God.

Mary rushes back to the locked upper room and the fearful disciples. "I have seen the Lord!" she exclaims.