…When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what he told her. (Jn 20:1-2,11-18)
Mary was in search of Jesus. (In fact the dead body of Jesus.) As a follower of Jesus she wanted to be with her teacher. She was part of the “search religion”. But the biblical God is the God of revelation. He always revealed himself to the people. Search is not meet by the object that is sought after. Revelation burst out on its own.
In the book of Exodus, God revealed himself to Moses. He revealed himself in his name. Name carries the character of the person. Name becomes the link between a person and the God who reveals himself. Name has such a power.
In this passage Jesus calls her by her name. As soon as Jesus called her by name ‘Mary’ she understood the revelation and accepted the revelation. She replied by saying Rabbuni. She accepted him as Teacher and accepted the revelation of God. Name reveals. Not only God’s name (YAHWEH) reveals also calling of the name of the individual reveals.
