Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 20:13

"And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." — John 20:13 (ASV)

She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

That was enough to make any of Christ's loved ones weep, and if ever you hear a sermon which has not Christ in it, you may well go down the aisle weeping, and if any ask why you weep, you may reply, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

And they say to her, Woman, why do you weep? She says to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.

Grief does not have many words. It tends to repeat itself, as the Lord himself did in Gethsemane when he prayed three times, using the same words.

And they say to her, Woman, why do you weep?

They could not understand Mary's tears. Their question seemed to say, "Christ the Lord is risen from the dead, and all the streets of heaven are ringing with hallelujahs because the great Conqueror has returned bearing the spoils of his victory. Why do you weep? Are you not one of those for whom this redeeming work was done?"

Woman, why do you weep?