Mary Magdalene

A Witness To The Resurrection

READ John 20:1–18

Mary Magdalene was one of several women who devotedly followed Jesus not only during his ministry in the northern region of Galilee but also to the point of his death and resurrection. In fact, John’s gospel tells the story of the resurrected Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene before he appeared to any of the other disciples.

Mary’s background must have been painful and difficult. Luke 8:2 tells us that Jesus had cast seven demons out of Mary. She is listed among the women who helped support Jesus and his disciples “out of their own means” (v. 3).

While Mary’s demons certainly suggest a troubled past before coming to Christ, it is also true that church history and tradition have not been fair to Mary. For many centuries, Mary has been confused and identified with the “sinful woman” (probably a prostitute) in Luke 7:36–50. The Bible does not say, however, that Mary was this woman. Though Jesus showed grace and mercy to that sinful woman—and so we must not disparage her either but rather see her in light of God’s grace—we should avoid perpetuating the unfounded belief that Mary was a prostitute.

Several of the women who followed Jesus remained with him to the point of his death on the cross, even while many of his male disciples scattered. Mary Magdalene is listed along with Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary the wife of Clopas as being present at Jesus’ final moments, along with the disciple John (John 19:25–26).

Scripture tells us Mary went to anoint Jesus’ body first thing Sunday morning but found the stone of the tomb rolled away and the tomb itself empty. She hurried to tell Simon Peter and John, who went to see for themselves before going back to where they were staying. Mary, however, remained at Christ’s tomb, weeping. When the risen Christ appeared to her, Mary first thought he was the gardener and asked if he had placed Jesus’ body somewhere. It was not until Jesus spoke her name that her eyes were opened to the presence of her risen Lord before her.

Jesus gave Mary a mission to go tell the other disciples about him. What a gift! Mary was the first person entrusted with the life-saving message of Christ’s resurrection. She was the first person to announce to the world that Jesus had risen from the dead. She ran again to the disciples, this time with joy rather than despair, and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18).

We can only imagine what the seven demons in Mary’s life had done to her before they were cast out, but it was certainly a dark reality. Perhaps, like with Saul in the Old Testament, these bad spirits caused her depression and mental anguish. When Christ came into her life, she was set free. She devoted herself fully to following him.

The same story should be true for us. Some believers today have conversions just as dramatic as Mary’s, where God frees them from the demonic grip of darkness. For others, their story of coming to new life in Christ might not seem so dramatic. But really, there is no difference. The only thing that matters—the reality that shines through every story of salvation—is that God’s grace brings a person out of darkness and into the light of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). God does this so that we might proclaim his praise and tell the world what he has done for us in Christ.

A beautiful moment in Mary’s encounter with Jesus is when he calls her by her name. This is the moment she sees that it is truly Christ before her. God knows his people by name, and he calls them by name throughout the Bible (Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Paul, and more). Christ is like the shepherding gatekeeper who “calls his own sheep by name” (John 10:3). Our faith is not based on abstract statements about God; it’s anchored in our own experience of God coming to us and calling us. His voice and grace are unmistakable. When we hear him, we follow, and we proclaim his saving love to the world.

Mary’s mission from Christ to tell others about the risen Lord is the mission of the entire church. Before he ascended, Jesus told his disciples, “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Living faithfully to Christ means bearing witness in our actions and in our speech to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Once we come to know Jesus, we, like Mary, should follow him relentlessly, wherever he leads, always telling the world the good news of his resurrection and salvation.