At the time of the crucifixion, Mary Magdalene stood at a distance with a number of other women and watched the events unfold. In contrast, John, along with the other apostles, fled fearing reprisal from the Jews. Eventually, Mary Magdalene could no longer stay at a distance, so she made her way to the foot of the Cross. John decided to stop running, turned around, and also went to stand with the mother of Christ at the Cross. He was the only apostle to do so.
Historically, Mary and John are considered two of the greatest lovers of Jesus who ever lived, for both had been smitten by the divine madness of God and then driven by their lovesickness for Jesus. Mary’s heart was totally wrecked for Jesus the first time she met Him when in the presence of God’s massive love for her, she was delivered from seven demons. John became The Beloved in the upper room the night before the crucifixion, as he lay his head on the breast of Jesus and heard His heartbeat. Both of these two amazing people had encountered the extraordinary nature of the love of God in Christ, and it changed their lives forever. Still, I do believe that they each had different thoughts and emotions as they stood together at the foot of the Cross.
In Mark 14, Mary Magdalene, for the last time, anoints Jesus with the expensive spikenard oil, and as she does, she is accused of wasting, and some of the apostles began scolding. Jesus came to her rescue and told them to leave her alone because she had done a good deed to him, and then he told them that she had done what she did to anoint his body beforehand for burial. I believe this gives us insight into Mary’s heart and what she understood about the heart of her Lord. It seems, at this point, she was the only one who realized how far Jesus’s love would take Him. She may not have understood fully what that was all about, but she knew that He was prepared to die for them. I’m convinced that she knew she was preparing His body for burial because she knew that His death was going to be the ultimate expression of His love, and would reveal the true nature of God.
A day or two later was when John laid his head on the breast of Jesus and heard His heartbeat, and in that moment, John discovered the heartbeat of God in Christ and knew that that heartbeat was full of hope. I believe he, like Mary Magdalene, now realized how far Jesus’s love would take Him, but I also believe that he came away from that experience knowing that the ultimate heartbeat of Christ was New Creation and that, whatever was going to come in the days ahead, it would be to make all things new. This is the heartbeat of the gospel and is the ultimate manifestation of God’s love. Mary knew the passion of Christ, but I believe John knew something about the ultimate purpose of Christ”s passion: new creation. To have a deep affection for someone who is broken and hurting is wonderful, but for that affection to compel you to do something for them that will change their situation is the greatest display of love.
I believe at the foot of the Cross Mary’s heart was with broken with love for Jesus for she knew that somehow He was there dying on the Cross because of his love for her and the whole world. I believe as John stood there before the crucified Jesus, he knew that it wasn’t just Jesus dying there, but something old and broken was dying. He knew he was dying there, and something new and glorious, not only for him but for the whole world, would rise up afterward. Therefore, I think that is why it was so easy for John to believe that Jesus was risen when he looked into the empty tomb. He was expecting it. Also, I think that Jesus rewarded Mary Magdalene’s extraordinary affection for him by revealing himself to her first with physical evidence that he was alive because he wanted her to know. He did not want her to grieve one more moment without knowing the truth. He honored her first love with the first look.
Mary’s heart had always been full of the love of Christ since her first encounter with Him, but I believe John’s heart was full of the hope of a whole new world that love would raise up in the resurrection.