Mary did not recognize Jesus because He appeared whole and normal in pre-dawn darkness, while her last memory was of His severely disfigured form on the cross.
Scripture records Mary saw Jesus standing but did not know it was Him (John 20:14), and she supposed He was the gardener (John 20:15). Les Feldick explains that His appearance was very human and ordinary, not ghostlike. Her mental image of Jesus was so marred from crucifixion that she could not connect the normal-looking Man with her Lord until He called her name.
John 20:14-16 — John directly states that Mary saw Jesus standing, did not know it was Him, and supposed He was the gardener—until Jesus called her name.
Isaiah 52:14 — Isaiah's prophecy of the Messiah's marred visage explains why Mary's last memory of Jesus was of a horrific, disfigured appearance.
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb on the first day of the week early, while it was yet dark, and saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre (John 20:1). As she wept outside the sepulchre, she saw two angels sitting where Jesus' body had lain, but even this did not prepare her to recognize Him when He appeared (John 20:11-12). When she turned back, she saw Jesus standing, yet the text plainly says she 'knew not that it was Jesus' (John 20:14). She spoke to Him as 'the gardener' and asked where the body had been taken (John 20:15). Only when Jesus said to her, 'Mary,' did she turn and cry out, 'Rabboni; which is to say, Master' (John 20:16). Scripture also records the prophecy that His visage would be marred more than any man (Isaiah 52:14), giving context to the shocking contrast between His crucifixion appearance and His risen appearance.
Les Feldick explains that Mary was not recognizing Jesus because her last mental image of Him was from the scene on the cross—a sight so mutilated by Roman scourging, the crown of thorns, and the burden of sin that Isaiah said He was hardly recognizable as a human being. In the pre-dawn semi-darkness, the risen Jesus stood before her looking perfectly human and ordinary, not bizarre or ghostlike. Les stresses that she simply could not put two and two together: this normal-looking Man did not match the awful image she remembered. She therefore concluded He was the gardener. Les also points out that Mary and the other disciples had no expectation that Jesus would rise on Sunday morning, so her mind was not even considering a resurrected Lord.
Les Feldick says Mary's last mental impression of Jesus was His crucifixion. He was so physically mutilated and so burdened by sin that Isaiah said He was no longer even recognizable as a human being. When she saw a perfectly normal-looking Man in the pre-dawn darkness, her mind went to the most ordinary explanation—the gardener. Because He did not match the disfigured Jesus she remembered, she did not recognize Him until He called her name.
No. Les Feldick repeatedly emphasizes that Jesus did not look bizarre and He did not look like a ghost. He stood before Mary looking very human and very ordinary. The detail that Mary mistook Him for a gardener shows that nothing about His appearance signaled the supernatural until He spoke her name.
Les Feldick points out that Mary and the other followers of Jesus had no idea that He would rise from the dead on Sunday morning. They saw Him die on the cross and thought it was all over. That lack of expectation helps explain why Mary was not looking for her risen Lord and instead supposed the Man before her was the gardener.
What Shall We Do? Acts 2 & God's Foreknowledge Explained
David is not referring to himself, he is quoting Christ, had he been in those situations. And I'll show that to you here in just a moment. So he quotes the Psalms where David says, "...because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer, or permit thy holy one to seek corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Mary's Last Mental Image of Jesus
Les says Mary's last memory of Jesus was His awful crucifixion, when His visage was so marred by Roman mutilation and the burden of sin that He was hardly recognizable as a human being—so she mistook the risen Jesus for the gardener.
Pre-Dawn Ordinary Appearance
Les explains that the encounter happened in pre-dawn semi-darkness and that Jesus looked like a very normal human being, not a ghost, which is why Mary assumed He was the gardener.
Not a Ghost, Very Human
Les emphasizes that Jesus did not look bizarre and did not look like a ghost; He looked very human, and Mary's supposition that He was the gardener shows how ordinary His appearance seemed until He called her name.
Isaiah's Marred Visage in View
Les connects Mary's failure to know Jesus with Isaiah's prophecy of His marred visage—she expected, if anything, to see the disfigured Jesus, not a normal-looking Man.
No Expectation of Resurrection
Les says Mary and the disciples had no idea Jesus would rise on Sunday morning; they thought His death was the end, so Mary's mind was not reaching for a resurrected Lord.
The Awful Last Picture
Les details the physical horrors Jesus endured—scourging, crown of thorns, and beard ripped out—so the last picture Mary had of Him from the cross was awful beyond words.
Angels Did Not Shake Her
Les observes that Mary saw two angels at the tomb, but even that did not shake her or prepare her to recognize Jesus when He suddenly stood before her.
John 20:1: The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
This verse establishes that Mary came to the tomb while it was still dark, which Les notes as a factor in her not clearly recognizing Jesus at first.
John 20:14: And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
This is the core biblical statement that Mary saw the risen Jesus but did not recognize Him.
John 20:15: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Scripture records that Mary's immediate assumption was that Jesus was the gardener, not the risen Lord.
John 20:16: Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
This verse shows the moment of recognition—when Jesus called her name, Mary knew He was her Lord.
Isaiah 52:14: As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
This prophecy describes the severe disfigurement of the Messiah, which Les uses to explain why Mary's last mental image of Jesus was so horrifying.
Mary's last memory of Jesus was His disfigured, crucified body. When she saw a normal-looking Man in the pre-dawn darkness, she did not connect Him with the Jesus she remembered, so she assumed He was the gardener.
No. John 20:14 says she saw Jesus standing and did not know it was Him. She only recognized Him when Jesus called her by name, and then she cried out 'Rabboni'—Master.
No. Les Feldick stresses that Jesus appeared very human and ordinary, not bizarre and not ghostlike. That is why Mary thought He was a gardener.
Watch the Teaching: What Shall We Do? Acts 2 & God's Foreknowledge Explained